Melbourne researchers have shown a type of leukaemia can be successfully ‘reversed’ by coaxing the cancer cells back into normal development.
The discovery was made using a model of B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL), the most common cancer affecting children.
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute showed that switching off a gene called Pax5 could cause cancer in a model of B-ALL, while restoring its function could ‘cure’ the disease.
Institute researchers Dr Ross Dickins and Ms Grace Liu led the study with institute colleagues and collaborators in Vienna. The study was published today in the journal Genes & Development.
Ms Liu said the team used a newly developed ‘genetic switch’ technology to inhibit then reactivatePax5 in the leukaemia model.
“Along with other genetic changes, deactivating Pax5 drives normal blood cells to turn into leukaemia cells, which has been shown before,” Ms Liu said. “However we showed for the first time that reactivating Pax5 enabled the cells to resume their normal development and lose their cancer-like qualities, effectively curing the leukaemia. What was intriguing for us was that simply restoring Pax5 was enough to normalise these cancer cells, despite the other genetic changes.”
Read more . . .
The Latest on: Gene switch reverses cancer
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Gene switch reverses cancer” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Gene switch reverses cancer
- Gene Therapy Newson April 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Genetic Signature May Predict Response to Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Feb. 23, 2024 — A new study identified a set of 140 genes that may help predict enhanced disease-free ...
- Scientists Found a Way to Supercharge Cancer-Fighting Cellson April 11, 2024 at 1:00 pm
The bioengineered immune players called CAR T cells last longer and work better if pumped up with a large dose of a protein that makes them resemble stem cells ...
- Scientists 'switch off' breast canceron April 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Scientists have managed to 'switch off' breast cancer for the first time. They found removing a single gene from mice halted tumour growth and even reversed it in some cases. Their study could ...
- Drugs breakthrough could help those with faulty gene avoid breast cancer surgeryon March 28, 2024 at 3:00 am
Giving drugs usually administered in the late stages of breast cancer to healthy people with faulty genes could prevent them from developing the disease, a study has suggested. The discovery could ...
- Turning Back the Clock on Cancer Cells Could Offer New Treatmentson March 27, 2024 at 5:01 pm
“The mutation of SMARCB1 shuts off gene programs that prevent cancer. By targeting DCAF5, we’re turning those gene programs back on,” Radko-Juettner said. “We’re reversing the cancer state because the ...
- Researchers turn back the clock on cancer cells to offer new treatment paradigmon March 27, 2024 at 1:20 pm
First author Sandi Radko-Juettner, PhD, a former St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences student, now a Research Program Manager for the Hematological Malignancies Program and senior ...
- Researchers turn back the clock on cancer cells to offer new treatment paradigmon March 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Future therapeutic opportunities to reverse cancer "From a therapeutic perspective, our results are fascinating," Radko-Juettner said. "DCAF5 is part of a larger family of DCAF proteins that have ...
- Inside Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner's 'Mythological' Love Story During Her Cancer Journeyon March 24, 2024 at 4:00 am
The comic actors were married from 1984 until 1989, when the original 'Saturday Night Live' cast member died of ovarian cancer MYCHELE DANIAU / AFP A new documentary on Gene Wilder's life and ...
- How to ‘switch on’ your anti-ageing genes – and live longeron March 23, 2024 at 4:00 am
For example, certain genetic variants can increase the risk of becoming obese, developing Alzheimer’s and suffering from cancer ... One way to effectively switch off mTOR is to cut back on ...
- How to ‘switch on’ your anti-ageing genes – and live longeron March 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm
For example, certain genetic variants can increase the risk of becoming obese, developing Alzheimer’s and suffering from cancer. However, lifestyle habits are intertwined with how our genes are ...
via Bing News