Dundee University researchers are inching closer towards figuring out why people contract cancer. The study showed that people carrying a particular variant of a specific gene were less likely to contract lung cancer. The variant gene has also been found out to be quicker and effective in breaking cancer causing protein. Now the researchers are trying to find out whether this discovery could be used for other forms of cancer. With the altered gene it became easier to break down the dangerous protein three times faster. Lower protein levels have been found out to lower the risk of cancer but the exact relationship is still not known.
Dr Thomas Friedberg stated:
We found that the levels of this protein in cells differed depending on the type of the CYP1B1 gene. This was because some varieties of the CYP1B1 protein were broken down much faster by cellular enzymes. This in turn results in individuals in the metabolism of cancer-causing substances, leading to differences in cancer susceptibility
These findings are expected to lead to innovative approaches towards treatment of cancer.
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Via: bbc
