New York: Two genes that, when simultaneously
activated, are responsible for the most aggressive forms of
human brain cancer, have been discovered.
The two genes -- C/EPB and Stat3 -- which were found by
researchers from Columbia Initiative in Systems Biology can
lead to diagnosis of the incurable tumours -- glioblastoma
multiforme, journal Nature reported in its online edition.
During the research, the team assembled the first
comprehensive network of molecular interactions that determine
the behaviour of these cancer cells, a map so complex and
elusive that, until now it could not be constructed.
The researchers studied glioblastoma multiforme, a type of
human malignancy that is among the most lethal because it
rapidly invades the normal brain producing inoperable brain
tumours.
Before this study, cancer researchers had little idea why
glioblastoma is so aggressive.
"We now know that C/EPB and Stat3 are the disease`s master
`control knobs`," lead author Antonio Iavarone said.
"When simultaneously activated, they work together to
turn on hundreds of other genes that transform brain cells
into highly aggressive, migratory cells."
The two genes are active in about 60 per cent of all
glioblastoma patients and help identify poor-prognosis
patients. All patients in the study whose tumours showed
activation of both factors died within 140 weeks after
diagnosis, while one half of the patients without these
factors were still alive.
PTI