PI3K Signals Impact Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prognosis
Researchers from the University of Minnesota and Duke University have discovered how specific proteins regulate genes responsible for turning cancer cells on or off in women with breast and ovarian cancers.
To arrive at their finding, the team studied 408 breast cancer patients and 153 ovarian cancer patients. Their investigation revealed that increased activity in the PI3K pathway of the E2F1 gene repressed cell death allowing cancer cells to multiply. In contrast, lower levels of P13K activity allowed cancer cells to die improving the patient’s prognosis.
The scientists hope their findings will open the door for new cancer treatments that specifically target the E2F1 gene. As one researcher stated,
“These findings open the door for testing the therapeutic value of chemically inhibiting PI3K signaling in these tumors, restoring expression of cell death genes, and thereby improving the prognosis of these patients.”
Timothy Hallstrom, PhD
University of Minnesota Cancer Center
If you’d like to learn more, results of the Duke-Minnesota study are published in the January 8, 2008, edition of the journal Cancer Cell.
Source: University of Minnesota Cancer Center News
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Tags: Duke University Medical Center; Minneapolis, MN; Durham, NC; Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy; oncology; hematology; Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Research Program; apoptosis; chemotherapy
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