Ageing process controlling gene linked to blood cancer

Washington: A gene that helps to control the ageing process has now been associated to blood cancer, according to a new study.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found a genetic variant that influences the ageing process among four new variants they linked to myeloma - one of the most common types of blood cancer. The study more than doubles the number of genetic variants linked to myeloma, bringing the total number to seven, and sheds important new light on the genetic causes of the disease. One genetic marker found by the researchers is linked to a gene called TERC, which regulates the length of the telomere `caps` on the ends of DNA. In healthy cells, these caps erode over time - causing tissues to age - but some cancer cells seem able to ignore the ageing trigger in order to keep on dividing. If further studies confirm the link, TERC could be a target for future myeloma treatments. The team found the new markers by comparing the genetic make-up of a total of 4,692 myeloma patients with DNA from 10,990 people without the disease. A previous UK study led by the team, from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and funded by Myeloma UK, found three genetic variants, or `spelling mistakes` in DNA, which lead to increased risk of developing myeloma. The team found the new batch of genetic variants by combining their samples with others from researchers in Germany. The combined results gave the scientists more data and therefore greater statistical accuracy. All of the four new genetic variants are close to genes which are likely to play important roles in causing myeloma. Study co-leader Professor Richard Houlston, Professor of Molecular and Population Genetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, said that it is a known fact that cancer often seems to ignore the usual controls over ageing and cell death, and it will be fascinating to explore whether in blood cancers that is a result of a direct genetic link. He said that eventually, understanding the complex genetics of blood cancers should allow us to assess a person`s risk or identify new avenues for treatment. The research has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics. ANI