New Cancer Gene Discovered

The gene and its protein, both called RBM3, are vital for cell division in normal cells. In cancers, low oxygen levels in the tumors cause the amount of this protein to increase dramatically. This causes cancer cells to divide uncontrollably, leading to increased tumor formation.

The groundbreaking research, performed by investigators from the University of Oklahoma (OU) Cancer Institute (Oklahoma City, USA) was published May 12, 2008, in the cancer journal Oncogene. Researchers utilized a new technology to genetically "silence” the protein and reduced the level of RBM3 in cancerous cells. The approach blocked cancer cells from growing and led to cell death. The new technique has been tested effectively on several types of cancers--breast, pancreas, colon, prostate, lung, ovarian, and lung.

"We are excited about this discovery because most cancers are thought to come from mutations in genes, and our studies, for the first time, have shown that too much of this type of protein actually causes normal cells to turn into cancer cells,” said Shrikant Anant, Ph.D., a cancer biologist at the OU Cancer Institute and principal investigator on the project.

Dr. Anant reported that the research team found RBM3 protein in every stage of many tumors, and the amount of protein increased as the tumor grew. The protein helped the cancer grow faster, avoid cell death, and was part of the process that formed new blood vessels to feed the tumor.

"This process, called angiogenesis, is essential for tumor growth and suggests that targeting RBM3 may be an extremely powerful tool against many and perhaps all solid tumors,” Dr. Anant said.

The next step for Dr. Anant, Dr. Courtney Houchen, and their research team at the OU Health Sciences Center is to develop agents that block the protein function in a variety of cancers. Researchers expect to start clinical trials at OU in approximately five years.


Related Links:
University of Oklahoma Cancer Institute