BRAIN CANCER: SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEADLY GLIOBLASTOMA

BRAIN CANCER: SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEADLY GLIOBLASTOMA

Click above to read the article from The university of Virginia. Below is an except and some thoughts.

"Oncogenes are naturally occurring genes that spiral out of control and cause cancer. The oncogene Li and his colleagues identified, AVIL, normally helps cells maintain their size and shape. But the gene can be shifted into overdrive by a variety of factors, the researchers found. This causes cancer cells to form and spread. 

Blocking the gene’s activity completely destroyed glioblastoma cells in lab mice, but had no effect on healthy cells. This suggests targeting the gene could be an effective treatment option. "

“AVIL is overexpressed in 100% of glioblastoma cells and clinical samples, and is expressed at even higher level in so-called glioblastoma stem cells, but hardly expressed in normal cells and tissues,” said Li, of UVA’s Department of Pathology. “Silencing the gene wiped out glioblastoma cells in culture and prevented animal xenografts, while having no effect on normal control cells. Clinically, high AVIL expression correlates with worse patient outcome. These findings and classic transformation assays proved AVIL being a bona fide oncogene.”

What is interesting is that they discovered the gene while looking at childhood cancer.... which begs the question if this gene is present in other or maybe all other cancers, then "Silencing" the gene may be a permanent cure preventing onset, growth, and/or recurrence. 

This is a Very exciting breakthrough.