Gene mutation can allow proteins to gather, spark tumor growth

September 7, 2012 by Julie Deardorff in Cancer

Prostate cancer is generally treated as if it's a single disease. But researchers have discovered a new type of the cancer that appears to affect 15 percent of patients, a finding that paves the way for better diagnosis and more targeted therapies down the road.

The new pathway for development was discovered after a team of scientists identified unique mutations in a gene known as SPOP (pronounced 'S-Pop') while examining patient tumors. These may lead to a dangerous accumulation of proteins that spark , forming a distinct kind of cancer, according to the study, published in the journal Nature Genetics.

The discovery of a second way for cancer to grow means we might one day "think of prostate cancer not as one disease but as a collection of molecularly defined subtypes, similar to breast and ," said Dr. Mark Rubin, vice chair for at Weill Cornell Medical College and a co-senior investigator of the study.

Along with previous research, the study is helping flesh out the overall genetic landscape of prostate cancer - the most common cancer in men with the exception of .

About one-sixth of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime; two-thirds when they are older than 65. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men.

Some speculate that the finding of an SPOP mutation may be one of the breakthroughs oncologists have been seeking. "Knowing what these mutations mean may give us huge clues about how the patient's cancer will progress and how they might be best treated in the future," said study co-author Christopher Barbieri, chief resident in urology at Weill Cornell who spent a research year in Rubin's laboratory.

About half of all prostate cancers are characterized by the presence of so-called ETS . A occurs when two genes located in different parts of the genome become attached together, leading to a new function.

The new subtype of prostate cancer is defined by two factors: the presence of a mutation in the SPOP gene and the loss of DNA in an area harboring another gene.

"Alterations in these two major gatekeepers lead to a cascade of downstream events that make these tumors distinct from other prostate cancers," said Rubin, who noted that SPOP mutations and fusion genes never occur in the same tumor, implying two distinct molecular classes of prostate cancer.

The SPOP gene belongs to a family whose job is to regulate other proteins by tagging or marking them for disposal. The team discovered the mutations occur where the SPOP protein binds to the other proteins it should tag.

"That suggests that there might be an accumulation of proteins in the cell that aren't cleaned out and this might lead to cancer growth, or the mutations could be removing proteins that help prevent unchecked cell growth," said Rubin.

Rubin predicted that within a year, men already confirmed with prostate cancer will be able to get tested to see what kind of subtype of prostate cancer they have and then receive tailor-made treatment. Rubin predicts future screening tests will include panels of such cancer specific markers to ensure accurate diagnosis of cancer.

Still, others say that although the discovery is exciting, the test wouldn't be clinically available for quite some time - if ever. Additionally, it would never be used as a screening tool because it's present in only a small portion of all prostate cancers.

Journal reference: Nature Genetics search and more info website

(c)2012 Chicago Tribune
Distributed by MCT Information Services

5 /5 (1 vote)  

Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Research offers promising new approach to treatment of lung cancer

Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that allows inhalation of chemotherapeutic drugs to help treat lung cancer, and in laboratory and animal tests it appears to reduce the systemic damage ...

Cancer created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study details genes that control whether tumors adapt or die when faced with p53 activating drugs

When turned on, the gene p53 turns off cancer. However, when existing drugs boost p53, only a few tumors die – the rest resist the challenge. A study published in the journal Cell Reports shows how: tumors that live even i ...

Cancer created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Small increase in cancer risk following CT scans in childhood and adolescence

Study leader, Professor John Mathews from the University of Melbourne said this small increase in cancer risk must be weighed against the undoubted benefits from CT scans in diagnosing and monitoring disease.

Cancer created 6 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Cancer survivors need more support to stop smoking and drinking

Cancer survivors are no more likely to stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, or exercise more often than the general population, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday)

Cancer created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Beta-blockers may boost chemo effect in childhood cancer

Beta-blockers, normally used for high blood pressure, could enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapies in treating neuroblastoma, a type of children's cancer, according to a new study published in the British Jo ...

Cancer created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Novel approach for influenza vaccination shows promise in early animal testing

A new approach for immunizing against influenza elicited a more potent immune response and broader protection than the currently licensed seasonal influenza vaccines when tested in mice and ferrets. The vaccine ...

Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion—the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.

SARS-like virus claims new life in Saudi

A man who had contracted the coronavirus has died in Saudi Arabia, raising the death toll in the kingdom from the SARS-like virus to 17, the health ministry announced on its website on Wednesday.

Glaxo, US partnering to develop new antibiotics

GlaxoSmithKline PLC says it's starting an unusual collaboration with the U.S. government to develop several antibiotics for both bioterrorism threats and bacterial infections resistant to current medicines.

Good marriage can buffer effects of dad's depression on young children

What effect does a father's depression have on his young son or daughter? When fathers report a high level of emotional intimacy in their marriage, their children benefit, said a University of Illinois study.

Hospitals profit when patients develop bloodstream infections

Johns Hopkins researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units.