Gene key to iron cancer link

Monday August 13th, 2012

A genetic study casts new light on how red meat and other iron rich foods may cause bowel cancer.

According to the British research, iron combines with a faulty gene to trigger cancer.

Researchers now believe that treatments to reduce iron levels could help some patients.

The findings combine previous knowledge about the disease, which scientists knew was usually linked to the faulty APC gene.

They show the gene needs iron in order to trigger disease.

Scientists in Birmingham and Glasgow made the discovery in research on laboratory mice. They found that animals fed a diet low in iron did not develop the disease in spite of having the faulty gene.

Mutant PAC genes are said to be involved in as many as 80 per cent of bowel cancer cases.

The findings have been published in the journal Cell Reports.

Researcher Professor Owen Samsom, of the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, Scotland, said: “It’s clear that iron is playing a critical role in controlling the development of bowel cancer in people with a faulty APC gene.

"And, intriguingly, our study shows that even very high levels of iron in the diet don’t cause cancer by itself, but rely on the APC gene.”

Dr Chris Tselepis, of the University of Birmingham, said: “We’re now planning to develop treatments that reduce the amount of iron in the bowel and so could lower the risk of developing bowel cancer.

"We hope to start using these in trials in the next few years in people who are at a greater risk.”

Luminal iron levels govern intestinal tumourigenesis following Apc loss in vivo. Radulescu, S et al. Cell Reports August 9 2012

Tags: Cancer | Diet & Food | Gastroenterology | Genetics | UK News

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