They also help scientists move a step closer to a diagnostic test. They had previously suggested that damage to the Rb gene from cigarette smoke, air pollution and other toxins may lead to lung cancer. They also saw evidence that levels of the protein correlated with tumor aggressiveness. This new work strengthens that finding.
Research brings tumor grading test closer to development.
This information can help physicians begin treatments earlier, and tailor them to specific patients, depending on how aggressive the cancer is. Of particular importance, he noted, was the strong relationship between protein levels and the amount that the cancer spread. Giordano and his colleagues at Jefferson and at the Second University of Naples report their findings in the October issue of Clinical Cancer Research. The researchers monitored the expression of the Rb2 gene, which is a normal gene and is expressed in all tissues, in normal cells. The p107 protein is found in high levels in breast and prostate tissue.