Mutation of the COX2 gene can double or treble a woman's risk of ovar...( Barcelona Spain: Researchers in Port...)
Barcelona, Spain: Researchers in Portugal have discovered that a specific mutation of the COX2 gene seems to play a role in the onset of ovarian cancer, increasing womens susceptibility to developing the disease.
The discovery raises the possibility that, if the findings are confirmed by further studies, it might be possible to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, which are used already for other conditions, to prevent ovarian cancer developing in women with the COX2 mutation.
Dr Ana Carina Pereira told the European Cancer Conference (ECCO 14) in Barcelona, today (Tuesday) that the COX2 gene is responsible for the production of the enzyme COX-2, which plays a crucial role in prostaglandins production; prostaglandins cause inflammation, pain and fever, as well as mediating a wide range of other physiological processes. Although the causes of ovarian cancer are not fully understood yet, inflammation is known to play an important role in the onset of both ovarian and invasive cervical cancer, she said. COX-2 has an important role in the inflammatory process, as well as in key steps in tumour development.
Dr Pereira, who is a junior scientist in the molecular oncology group at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Oporto, Portugal, said that one mutation, the -765G>C COX2 polymorphism, had been associated with the development of a number of diseases such as cancers of the stomach, oesophagus and prostate, and asthma, heart attacks and stroke. So she and her colleagues decided to investigate the role it played in ovarian and invasive cervical cancer.
They analysed the DNA in blood samples from 727 women; 150 had ovarian cancer, 351 had cervical lesions, including 291 with cervical cancer, and the remaining 226 women had no cancer and were the control group.
Although they found no evidence that the -765G>C COX2 polymorphism played a role in cervical cancer, they found that par
'/>"/>
| Contact: Emma Mason wordmason@mac.com 34-932-308-834 ECCO-the European CanCer Conference Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Novel technology detects human DNA mutations
2. Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists identify immune-system mutation
3. Mitochondrial DNA mutations play significant role in prostate cancer
4. Same mutation aided evolution in many fish species, Stanford study finds
5. Bioelectronic ‘signatures?hold key to DNA mutations
6. Sugar beet virus mutation requires Texas touch
7. Mutation in clams protects against paralytic shellfish poisoning but raises human health risk
8. Multi-species genome comparison sheds new light on evolutionary processes, cancer mutations
9. Newly recognized gene mutation may reduce seeds, resurrect plants
10. High-throughput oncogene mutation detection in human cancers by mass spectrometry-based genotyping
11. Treatments have same target, different responses for lung cancer patients with genetic mutation
| Copyright © 2003-2009 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |