" Large Spectrum” Cancer Suppressor Gene Discovered
Portuguese researchers have discovered a "broad spectrum" cancer suppressor gene - called LRP1B – which acts by removing proteins crucial for cancer development from the tumour environment. The fact that LRP1B does not act on the tumour itself (in this study thyroid tumours) but, instead, on molecules which are known to be important to many different cancers is what makes it so interesting. Because this means that LRP1B, and also therapies capable of inducing it (or mimicking its effect), could, in theory, be used to treat a variety of cancers. The study by Hugo Prazeres and Paula Soares from IPATIMUP and University of Porto along with colleagues Fernando Rodrigues and Teresa Martins from Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Coimbra was just published in the journal Oncogene(1). read more