Scientists may have found a gene which could be used to develop new treatments for stomach cancer, it was announced last night.
The gene ASK-1 has been linked in the past to other kinds of cancer – but the Japanese scientists say they have evidence of its role in cancer of the stomach.
Their research, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows high levels of a protein from the gene in cancer cells from patients with stomach cancer. This was compared with levels of the protein in healthy cells.
Another study of genetically engineered mice showed that removing the ASK-1 gene reduced their risk of developing stomach cancer.
The researchers say the gene seems to spur cancer cells to divide faster in the stomach.
It could be a "valuable target" for treatments, they say.
The gene has earlier been linked to skin and colon cancer.
But the researchers, led by Shin Maeda, of Yokohama City University, say they have found no evidence of ASK-1 playing a role in colon cancer.
Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 and cyclin D1 compose a positive feedback loop contributing to tumor growth in gastric cancer. Yoku Hayakawa, Yoshihiro Hirata, Hayato Nakagawa, Kei Sakamoto, Yohko Hikiba, et al Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 27 2010: #10-11418
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