Scientists are working on solving the mystery of why people with Down’s syndrome seem to have a lower risk of some cancers.
Down’s syndrome is caused by the extra copy of chromosome 21. This contains a gene that protects from solid cancerous tumours. This was tested on mice.
The study was done by the Children’s Hospital of Boston. It was published in the journal Nature.
The gene tends to interrupt with the signals a tumour depends on for growth. New ways to prevent and treat cancer have been raised after this finding.
Humans have two copies of 23 chromosomes. This together contains all our genetic information. This contains one from each parent.
The presence of a third copy of chromosome 21 causes down’s syndrome, a genetic disorder.
Study shows, to slow down cancer growth in mice, having an extra copy of one of the genes located on chromosome 21 – a gene called Dscr1, is sufficient.
This gene combines with another gene which is also found on chromosome -21 and interferes with the signal the tumor relies on for growth of its own blood vessels.
It cannot survive without those vessels as it cannot feed on its own blood supply.
Dr Sandra Ryeom who led the study said, “It is, perhaps, inspiring that the Down’s syndrome population provides us with new insight into mechanisms that regulate cancer growth and, by so doing, identifies potential targets for tumour prevention and therapy.”
Dr Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke, a Cancer Research UK scientist at Queen Mary, University of London, said: “This finding raises several important questions about the roles of other chromosome 21 genes that might help regulate tumour growth.
“The next stage is to think about how we might be able to exploit this research to improve cancer treatments in the future.”
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