Function of cancer genes discovered

May 13, 2005

Dutch researcher Sebastian Nijman has discovered new genes which are involved in the development of cancer. The results of his research have led to a new treatment for patients with an inherited form of cancer, cylindromatosis.
Patients with the very rare genetic condition cylindromatosis develop a lot of benign tumours on the skin. These tumours mainly occur on the head where they can cause serious malformations.

People with this disease have a mutated form of the protein CYLD. Nijman and his colleagues used genetic screens to discover the molecular mechanism underlying cylindromatosis. Nijman's research revealed that the CYLD protein plays an important role in the NF-kappa B signalling route. This is a cellular communications system which becomes overactive if the CYLD protein is mutated. This results in increased cell growth and the occurrence of tumours.

An important implication of this research is that inhibition of the NF-kappa B route in cylindromatosis patients could be an adequate form of treatment. Aspirin is a well-known inhibitor of this route and a clinical study into the effectiveness of aspirin ointment in the treatment of cylindromatosis is currently being carried out at the Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital.

Fanconi anaemia

The researcher also investigated another form of inherited cancer, Fanconi anaemia. People with this disease develop many highly malignant tumours at a young age, because the cell repair system is incapble of detaching two linked DNA strands.

FANCD2 is a protein responsible for the repair of this DNA damage. The protein is linked to a second protein, ubiquitin, when the cell detects that DNA damage has occurred. Nijman identified a third protein, USP1, which detaches the FANCD2 from the ubiquitin. USP1 therefore plays a role in the repair of DNA damage and possibly in the development of cancer.

Sebastian Nijman's research was partially funded by NWO.

Source: NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research)


Rank 4 /5 (1 vote)
Tags

Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

A frank discussion of the power law and linking correlation to causation

(PhysOrg.com) -- Michael Stumpf a mathematics professor at Imperial College in London, and Mason Porter a lecturer at Oxford have teamed together to write and publish a perspective piece in Science regarding the in ...

Other Sciences / Mathematics

created 23 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 8 | with audio podcast report

Employers feel no love for unscrupulous practice of 'service sweethearting'

A new study led by two Florida State University marketing professors finds that some frontline service employees who are rewarded for hikes in customer loyalty and satisfaction also may engage in "service ...

Other Sciences / Economics & Business

created 17 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 7

The question of life in the ancient world

There’s a general feeling that we don’t get the Greeks – ancient or modern. Many, including heads of state like Angela Merkel, visibly shake their head in exasperation, rightly or wrongly, at ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created 23 hours ago | popularity 1.3 / 5 (3) | comments 4

Sonic Cradle lands spot in TED exhibition

A Simon Fraser University graduate student project that melds music, meditation and modern technology has landed a rare spot as an exhibit at TEDActive 2012 in Palm Springs, California this month.

Other Sciences / Other

created 19 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

US workers are 'giving away the store,' costing firms billions

Nearly 70 percent of the nation's service employees give away free goods and services – from hamburgers to cable TV – costing companies billions of dollars a year, according to a groundbreaking study.

Other Sciences / Economics & Business

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 10


Anonymous knocks CIA website offline (Update)

The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was inaccessible on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have knocked it offline.

New error-correcting codes guarantee the fastest possible rate of data transmission

Error-correcting codes are one of the triumphs of the digital age. They’re a way of encoding information so that it can be transmitted across a communication channel — such as an optical fiber o ...

Small modular reactor design could be a 'SUPERSTAR'

(PhysOrg.com) -- Though most of today's nuclear reactors are cooled by water, we've long known that there are alternatives; in fact, the world's first nuclear-powered electricity in 1951 came from a reactor ...

New power source discovered

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and RMIT University have made a breakthrough in energy storage and power generation.

The power of estrogen -- male snakes attract other males

A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest ...

Advanced power-grid model finds low-cost, low-carbon future in West

(PhysOrg.com) -- The least expensive way for the Western U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to help prevent the worst consequences of global warming is to replace coal with renewable and other ...