Cancer researchers in Dallas have identified a specific gene that fights tumors and can prevent several forms of cancer.
Dr. Theodora Ross [Photo Courtesy UT Southwestern Medical Center]
Researchers from the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center also determined that if the gene, known as BRCA1, mutates, it puts the patient at a greater risk for cancer.
“One of the great mysteries in cancer research is why inherited mutations, such as those in BRCA1, cause cancer only in specific tissues such as the breast and ovaries, rather than in all tissues,” UT Southwestern professor Dr. Theodora Ross said.
Gene mutations also can also intensify the side effects of chemotherapy, Ross said.
The study was published in Cell Reports.
More reading on cancer:
Researchers: Gene Could Help Predict Brain Cancer Outcomes
UTSW Researchers Make Lung Cancer Breakthrough
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