Gene Identified that Helps Feed Tumor Growth

"Scientists in Australia have identified a gene that appears to be linked to blood vessel growth in tumors in mice and they hope the discovery can pave the way for improved treatment of cancer in people one day.

Current cancer therapies aim to kill blood vessels in tumors, which experts believe feed cancer cells, allowing them to multiply and stopping the immune system from attacking them.

In an article in Nature, the researchers said they identified a gene which appeared to be responsible for blood vessel growth in tumors.

"People now focus on blood vessels in cancer therapy and they try to kill them off. What I am showing is an alternative to just killing the blood vessels. We can modulate ... the blood vessels within the tumor, change the whole tumor environment and make it more susceptible for treatment," said Ruth Ganss at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research.

The scientists used genetically-altered mice which developed pancreatic cancer, but half of them had the RGS5 gene missing..."

Read the full article by Tan Ee Lyn, at Reuters