ID :
36855
Mon, 12/22/2008 - 00:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/36855
The shortlink copeid
Indian American makes breakthrough in ovarian cancer research
Seema Hakhu Kachru
Houston, Dec 21 (PTI) In a major breakthrough, which can
dramatically increase survival chances of ovarian cancer
patients, an Indian American scientist has identified two
proteins whose presence increases the median survival rate by
11 years in patients with the disease.
A study of nearly 250 ovarian cancer patients by Dr Anil
Sood, MD, professor in the departments of Gynecologic Oncology
and Cancer Biology at M D Anderson, along with other
researchers, found that woman with high levels of two proteins
named Dicer and Drosha in their tumor cells had a median
survival rate of 11 years. While, in patients with low levels
of one or both proteins about 40 percent of those studied had
a median survival of less than three years.
Sood's discovery marks a significant advance for an
emerging area of basic science called RNA interference, which
one day may transform medicine.
"What's important is that Dicer and Drosha are critical
to the process of RNA interference," Anil Sood said.
"RNA interference has only been known for about a decade.
The components of the machinery, what it does in cancer, and
how it affects outcomes and therapy are not fully known," Sood
said.
Potential clinical applications include using levels of
the proteins as prognostic indicators to guide treatment
decisions and eventually to exploit RNA interference to attack
tumors, Sood said.
Interfering with gene expression the team measured
expression levels of Dicer and Drosha in 111 invasive ovarian
cancer tumors and then compared the results to the patients'
clinical outcomes.
The initial findings were supported by a second analysis
of gene expression in a different group of 132 ovarian cancer
patients.
Analysis of 91 patients with lung cancer and 129 breast
cancer patients reached similar conclusions, however, only
Dicer levels were found to affect survival.
The mechanism has powerful therapeutic potential, because
it affords scientists a new biological lever with which to
stop genes from producing proteins inside cells. This is
critical, because the cause of many diseases can be traced to
the errant production of those proteins.
As part of the new study, Sood and his colleagues found
that Dicer and Drosha play a critical part in the body's RNA
interference processes and that they appear to help suppress
tumors.
Low levels of the proteins likely permit genes to
continue functioning when they should be silenced.
The study findings help scientists better understand the
biological details of the RNA interference process. By
understanding this, they can better tailor drugs to impair the
ability of tumor cells to multiply.
The researchers are working with M D Anderson and
anticipate beginning clinical trials of those drugs within a
few years. PTI SHK
RKM
NNNN
Houston, Dec 21 (PTI) In a major breakthrough, which can
dramatically increase survival chances of ovarian cancer
patients, an Indian American scientist has identified two
proteins whose presence increases the median survival rate by
11 years in patients with the disease.
A study of nearly 250 ovarian cancer patients by Dr Anil
Sood, MD, professor in the departments of Gynecologic Oncology
and Cancer Biology at M D Anderson, along with other
researchers, found that woman with high levels of two proteins
named Dicer and Drosha in their tumor cells had a median
survival rate of 11 years. While, in patients with low levels
of one or both proteins about 40 percent of those studied had
a median survival of less than three years.
Sood's discovery marks a significant advance for an
emerging area of basic science called RNA interference, which
one day may transform medicine.
"What's important is that Dicer and Drosha are critical
to the process of RNA interference," Anil Sood said.
"RNA interference has only been known for about a decade.
The components of the machinery, what it does in cancer, and
how it affects outcomes and therapy are not fully known," Sood
said.
Potential clinical applications include using levels of
the proteins as prognostic indicators to guide treatment
decisions and eventually to exploit RNA interference to attack
tumors, Sood said.
Interfering with gene expression the team measured
expression levels of Dicer and Drosha in 111 invasive ovarian
cancer tumors and then compared the results to the patients'
clinical outcomes.
The initial findings were supported by a second analysis
of gene expression in a different group of 132 ovarian cancer
patients.
Analysis of 91 patients with lung cancer and 129 breast
cancer patients reached similar conclusions, however, only
Dicer levels were found to affect survival.
The mechanism has powerful therapeutic potential, because
it affords scientists a new biological lever with which to
stop genes from producing proteins inside cells. This is
critical, because the cause of many diseases can be traced to
the errant production of those proteins.
As part of the new study, Sood and his colleagues found
that Dicer and Drosha play a critical part in the body's RNA
interference processes and that they appear to help suppress
tumors.
Low levels of the proteins likely permit genes to
continue functioning when they should be silenced.
The study findings help scientists better understand the
biological details of the RNA interference process. By
understanding this, they can better tailor drugs to impair the
ability of tumor cells to multiply.
The researchers are working with M D Anderson and
anticipate beginning clinical trials of those drugs within a
few years. PTI SHK
RKM
NNNN
