Gene silencing mechanisms offer hope for leukaemia sufferers
Two gene regulatory mechanisms, which were previously thought to work independently of one another, are actually interconnected and need each other to function, according to new research from a team of European scientists. The study, which brought together researchers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and Spain is published in the journal Cancer Cell. Our cells have two main mechanisms for switching off genes whose activity is no longer needed: DNA methylation and the Polycomb protein complex. Switching genes on and off at the right time is vital for normal development, and when the 'switch off' mechanism fails to work properly, the result can be uncontrolled cell proliferation and the development of cancerous tumours. For a long time, it was thought that the DNA methylation mechanism and Polycomb protein complex worked independently from one another. Now, a team led by Luciano Di Croce of the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain, has demonstrated that in patients with acute leukaemia, these two gene silencing mechanisms are closely interconnected. Furthermore, the action of one reinforces the other, and importantly, they need each other. This means that if the action of one mechanism is blocked by drugs, the other will also be affected. According to the researchers, their findings open up new avenues for the development of drugs to treat leukaemia. The researchers now plan to identify agents which will block both mechanisms at the same time, without altering other cell processes.
Countries
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Italy