Jumping Genes

An article in Medical News Today reports findings from a resent study identifying sequences of genes  which influence tumor development called " jumping genes". Until now, when researching different types cancer scientists have investigated cancer genes in the altered gene sequence. The findings of the study suggest that jumping genes are widespread in cancers and promote tumor development. The mechanism by which jumping genes operate is turning on cancer genes and forcing them to stay on. Jumping genes are sequences of DNA that have the ability to move in a genome, have different size and shape as well as their influence ability in different type of cancer is different. They are present in large numbers in cancers with accelerated tumor growth.

According to data from the National Cancer Institute  there were 1,735,350 new cancer cases estimated in 2018( USA), and 609,640 people died from the disease from the disease. The findings of the study provide a new field to be explored and potential therapeutic development. It can also lead to eventually manipulating the jumping genes and turning them off. Understanding jumping genes seems like a promising  step ion the right direction to find a cure for cancer.