Scientists find link between cancer genes

KINGSTON, Ontario, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Canadian scientists say they've found a link between two genes involved in cancer formation that might lead to a drug target for cancer treatment.

"When cancer hijacks a healthy system, it can create tumors by causing cells to divide when they shouldn't," said Queens University Professor Ian Chin-Sang, who led the study. "Certain genes control the normal movement and growth of cells, and by studying how these genes interact, we can understand what is abnormal when cancer is present."

Chin-Sang said there's an important gene in humans called PTEN that acts as a tumor suppressor. When the PTEN gene function is lost, it can lead to cancers. For example, up to 80 percent of all prostate cancers have lost PTEN function. Another gene family, called Eph receptors, often shows high levels in cancers, but a connection between PTEN and Eph Receptors in cancer formation has never been shown.

But the Queen's study, Chin-Sang said, demonstrated a remarkable relationship between those genes in worms.

When the research team increased Eph receptor levels in worms, the PTEN levels diminished and the worms died prematurely. When they decreased the Eph receptor level in the worm, the PTEN levels went up and the worm lived longer than normal. The team believes the same principals are applicable to humans.

"Obviously humans and worms look very different," Chin-Sang said, "but at a molecular level, they are very similar. In some instances, like the ones we are studying, the cellular mechanisms are so similar that the human genes can replace the worm's gene."

The research appears in the online early edition of the journal Developmental Cell.