Genetic Six-Pack Could Cause Common Leukemia
Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom have discovered evidence that a combination of low-risk genes increase a person’s risk of developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of leukemia in the developed world. CLL will be diagnosed in approximately 10,000 Americans this year.
Close relatives of CLL patients are seven times likelier to develop the blood cancer than the general population. However, unlike the BRCA genes associated with breast cancer, scientists have been unable to locate a specific gene which identifies those at higher risk for CLL.
Instead of isolating one specific gene, Professor Robert Houlston and his team at The Institute of Cancer Research found a combination of six genes put patients at risk for CLL. The genes appeared to have only a marginal effect when passed on individually, but when all six genetic sequences were present the risk increased significantly.
Experts say the team’s findings may lead to more effective therapies and screening for CLL. As one doctor said,
“This finding is very exciting as it carries the possibility of improving treatments for individuals who we know are at risk of developing this leukaemia. Clinical applications are still a little while away but this is a very important step forward in understanding the basis of this common leukaemia.”
Dr David Grant
Scientific Consultant, Leukaemia Research
If you’d like to learn more, the study has been published in the August 31, 2008, online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.
If you’re a patient in the US with questions about CLL, you can visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.
Source: The Institute of Cancer Research (UK)
Related Links: CLL Perspectives; Leukemia Research Foundation
Technorati Tags: genomics; hematologic malignancy; hereditary cancers; oncology
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