Cancer is a disease of the genes responsible for cell differentiation have been damaged or changed, causing an uncontrolled differentiation of those cells, which can eventually form a tumour and cause many other complications. One of our body’s means of stopping cancers is by the production of tumour-suppressor proteins, that bind to and stop cancerous cells from spreading.
However, researchers at Yale School of Medicine and Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, have found that these tumour-suppressor proteins are deactivated by a RNA molecule from a non-coding area of the genome. They found that in mice, the tumour could be stopped by removing this non-coding RNA which enables the body’s tumour-suppressor proteins to function properly. Researchers are continuing with this study in order to find a way to regulate or even eliminate this RNA from our cells, turning off the cancer's defence against tumour-supressor proteins.
Ben Lew (42005863)
Original article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923143341.htm
