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Gene
Prolongs Lives of Those With Lung Cancer
By JESSICA BERMAN
Washington, VOA News
Scientists have discovered a gene in lung cancer patients that appears
to predict how long they survive. Researchers say the new gene appears
to control whether a lung cancer spreads and if so, how rapidly.
The study involves an obscure gene called HLJ1. According to the researchers,
HLJ1 is part of a cell's defense mechanism to weather outside stress.
In tissue samples taken from 71 patients with non-small-cell carcinoma,
the most common form of lung cancer, investigators found that those
whose tumors showed the highest levels of HLJ1 lived much longer than
patients with low levels or none.
The findings by P.C. Yang of the National Taiwan University and colleagues
are preliminary. But they are considered important enough to be published
early in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Adriana Albini is deputy chief of the National Cancer Institute in
Genova, Italy, and the author of a commentary in the journal.
Albini says HLJ1 is unique in that it can switch off cancer and improve
survival in lung cancer patients who are lucky enough to have an active
copy of the gene.
"I love the paper because there seems to be a difference of survival
of 70 percent in the patients that have the gene, this HJL1 expressed,"
said Adriana Albini. "So, this is a very large difference. Although
the authors say the numbers are still small."
Without chemotherapy or any other form treatment, Albini says it appears
the average survival time of those with active copies of HLJ1 is four
years from diagnosis compared to barely two years for patients without
a fully-functioning protein.
Study author Yang says the gene holds promise as a diagnostic tool
for people with lung cancer.
"If we can identify molecule that can regulate or counter expression
of HLJ1, then we may have a chance to suppress cancer cell proliferation,
also cancer metastasis," said P.C. Yang.
Researchers have identified a number of genes that become mutated
and lead to cancer, p53 being one of the best known. But Italian researcher
Albini says p53 is implicated in the evolution in many cancers, not
just lung cancer, and it is involved in cancer cell suppression.
Albini says the difference is HLJ1 is specific to lung cancer and
seems to regulate whether the disease spreads throughout the body.
"Not only just looking at the cancer cell, but in this case investigating
invasion, metastasis [cancer spread] and angiogenisis [blood vessel
growth to feed tumors]," she said. "Also, how the cells
move around. So, I think we're going towards a new era. We're considering
cancer a disease of the whole body that we can improve by looking
at various aspects."
Part of the work by Yang and colleagues now is looking at ways to
stimulate HLJ1 to suppress tumor growth, which they reportedly have
done with some success.
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