New form of cancer gene regulation found

EVANSTON, Ill., Nov 8, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Northwestern University scientists have found how the Quaking gene, first described as a mutation in mice that causes rapid tremor, suppresses tumor growth.

The researchers, joined by scientists from the University of Wisconsin, found the Quaking gene likely suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting production of a protein associated with GLI1, a cancer-causing oncogene highly associated with severe birth defects and several childhood cancers.

"Results of the study open a new research direction for issues ranging from cancer formation to environmental interactions in development and will point the way to similar mechanisms of control in other genes," said Pediatrics Professor Dr. Philip Iannaccone of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, who led the study.

The research is detailed in the online issue of Developmental Biology.

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