Gene is found that could stop cancer in its tracks

Researchers from the University of Iowa have found a gene in amoeba that dwells in soil that could be found in your backyard that potentially has a similar function to a main tumor-fighting gene called PTEN that is found in humans.

PTEN is prone to mutation, but when the gene is healthy, it is able to suppress tumor growth in humans. However, when this gene is mutated, it allows cancerous cells to multiply and form tumors. This gene is believed to be involved in 40% of breast cancer cases, 70% of prostate cancer cases, and nearly half of all leukemia cases. PTEN is most generally the mutated gene involved in all cancers.  This mutation is not preventable, but researchers have been working to find another gene that may be able to substitute for the PTEN in humans.

The amoeba they found is called Dictyostelium discoideum, and it has a gene called ptenA that mutates like PTEN that also causes behavioral defects in the cell. Another close relative to ptenA that was found is, Ipten. This gene acts like ptenA as well.

 

Dictyostemlium discoideum

Researchers believe that if they are able to ramp up the presence of Ipten, it would overcompensate for the mutated ptenA gene. Once it was tested, they found that when the Ipten is over-expressed, it can fully overcompensate for all the defects that the ptenA mutant experiences.

If the same happens in human cells, researchers may be able to find a way to cure cancer. If they are able to find a drug that could activate the promoter of one of PTEN’s close relative genes, the patient could take the drug to over-express the related PTEN gene, and potentially stop cancer in its tracks.

Article: Treating cancer: Biologists find gene that could stop tumors in their tracks 

New discovery on treating cancer, it has the potential to halt cancer!

The researchers in the University of Iowa made a discovery that could be beneficial, in containing cancer and preventing it from spreading. The found an amoeba in soil that shares the same characteristics as PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog. This protein-coded gene is essential to fighting tumors.  According to David Sol, “If you look at tumors across the board- and that doesn’t mean just breast cancer pr prostate cancer- you find that PTEN is the most generally mutated gene. And when you mutate PTEN in mice, you cause tumors.” The PTEN genes can be found in a large Varity of cancer such as; breast and prostate cancer, that means it worth looking into if they all share a common linked to this gene. Although there is a drawback, the PTEN is only beneficial in a healthy state, if the gene were to mutate then it would cause more harm then good. If the PTEN were to mutate which is likely to occur, then the cancerous cells would spread more rapidly and accelerate the tumor process.

A normal PTEN gene (top) as compared to a mutated PTEN gene (bottom)    

I believe that this is remarkable work that is a large step forward to having cancer cells under control. By using our own body gene that is found in the Homo sapiens, to prevent cancer cell from spreading, and could possibly lead to the next step of being able to remove theses cells if possible. What more remarkable is the fact that these ameoba were always present and it was just only a matter of time until researchers would discover them, which lead you to think what else the human body can do that scientist are not aware of yet.   

Article:http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-cancer-biologists-gene-tumors-tracks.html

Related Articlehttp://www.futurity.org/cancer-amoeba-genes-782162/