Cancer prevention gene. Researchers have discovered how it works

We all have genes in our bodies working hard to prevent the occurrence of cancer. If they don’t do their job properly, cells can mutate and turn into a life-threatening disease. Australian scientists have discovered that the p53 gene and genes involved in the DNA repair process are crucial in preventing cancer development.

For 30 years, researchers have been aware of the importance of the p53 gene in preventing cancer. More than half of cancersoin the world are associated with mutations within this gene, but sposob how it fulfills its role has largely been a mystery. Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Australia have discovered that a special group of genesow, whichore function in the normal DNA repair process, is crucial to the effectiveness of p53 in preventing cancer development.

In the latest issue of „Nature Medicine” A publication was published on a gene involved in the DNA repair process called MLH1. According to the researchers, this gene and its related ones are crucial to p53’s ability to prevent the development of lymphomaoin non-Hodgkin’s or leukemia.

The findings of the Australian researchers may helpoc doctors in better diagnosing the disease, as well as roalso lead to safer and more effective treatments. Dr. Ana Janic, coohe author of the study said the discovery is groundbreaking, but it may still be several years before it translates into clinical practice.

The findings of the team she led pave the way for scientists to investigate whether the DNA repair process is just as important in canceroin other than lymphoma, such as pancreatic cancer and colon cancer.

– Mutations in this gene actually cause 50 percent of human cancersow. This is really exciting because we have opened a window to many new discoveries in this field – said Janic, and added that knowledge of the function of MLH1 (and related factoroin DNA repair) is acting as a powerful weapon and should eventually helpoc doctors to diagnose patientsow and prescribe safer, more targeted therapies.

– For example, if a patient has lymphoma with a mutation, ktora disables the DNA repair mechanism, doctors will now know to avoid certain DNA-damaging treatments, such as chemotherapy, whichore can only make canceror more aggressive – explained Janic.

According to Janic, mutations in p53 are present in nearly 70 percent of the. caseoin colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The discovery of her team may roalso have a significant impact on understanding and treating these diseasesob. – We now want to see if genes involved in the DNA repair process can roalso play a role in helping p53 prevent the development of these highly prevalent cancersow – said.

– Understanding how p53 works is "The holy grail" for scientistsoin cancer researchers. We plan to continue our research on genes thatore are regulated by p53, delving deeper into understanding other potential processow, whichore can affect its function – noted Professor Andreas Strasser.

– It was astonishing to discover that loss of the DNA repair gene MLH1 prevented p53 from functioning properly, causing the development of aoj lymphoma. When MLH1 was reintroduced, it developed aoj cancer has been significantly halted – explained roAlso involved in the research, Professor Marco Herold. – This has led us to study other genesoin DNA repair and it has become clear to us that it is extremely important that the entire DNA repair machine functions properly –added.