EMORY SCIENTISTS FIND NEW PROSTATE CANCER SUPPRESSOR GENE

Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us

EMORY SCIENTISTS FIND NEW PROSTATE CANCER SUPPRESSOR GENE
17 February 2007 - Emory University

A gene named ATBF1 may contribute to the development of prostate cancer through acquired mutations and/or loss of expression, according to research at Emory University School of Medicine and its Winship Cancer Institute. The findings were published in the online edition of Nature Genetics. The Emory research team was led by Jin-Tang Dong, PhD, associate professor in the Winship Cancer Institute. Lead author was postdoctoral fellow Xiaodong Sun, PhD.

Although previous research has suggested that a section of chromosome 16 harbors a tumor suppressor gene in several types of human cancers, the particular gene responsible has not previously been identified. By studying the genes within the section of chromosome 16, the Emory scientists found that ATBF1 was a strong candidate for an important tumor suppressor gene because its function is frequently lost in prostate cancer through gene mutations and/or loss of expression. In addition, ATBF1 was found to inhibit cell growth in culture dishes. A tumor suppressor gene is a gene whose loss of function contributes to the development of cancer.

ATBF1 is a transcription factor (regulator of gene expression) that functions to regulate the expression of other genes. If its function is impaired by mutations or loss of expression, a cell could lose the control of cancer genes. The Myb oncogene, for example, is normally inhibited by ATBF1, but it can be activated if ATBF1 is lost.

"Sporadic cancers often are the result of multiple genetic alterations that accumulate over time," said Dr. Dong, "but only a small number of genes have been shown to undergo these frequent mutations. Because ATBF1 inhibits cell proliferation, frequent acquired mutations that inhibit the gene, such as the ones we found, could lead to a lack of growth control in prostate cancer. Because gene deletion in chromosome 16 is common in many types of cancer, including lung, head and neck, nasopharynx, stomach, breast, and ovary, ATBF1 could be involved in the development of these cancers as well."

The research was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

http://www.emory.edu

About: Emory University
Emory University is home to nine major academic divisions, numerous centres for advanced study, and a host of prestigious affiliated institutions. In addition to Emory College, the University encompasses a graduate school of arts and sciences; professional schools of medicine, theology, law, nursing, public health, and business; and Oxford College, a two-year undergraduate division on the original campus of Emory in Oxford, Ga.

Emory was founded at Oxford by the Methodist Church in 1836. Led by President James W. Wagner, an award-winning teacher and scholar, the University has 11,300 students and 2,500 faculty members who represent all regions of the United States and more than 100 foreign nations.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For more than a decade Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, a comprehensive metropolitan health care system.

More News:
  • For February 2007
  • From Emory University
  • For University