Gene called DLC1 is tumor suppressor

Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. -- U.S. medical scientists searching for cancer-causing genes say they've discovered a gene called DLC1 is actually a tumor suppressor.

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory researchers said DLC1 is likely altered in many human cancers and its discovery might result in new drug targets

The CSHL scientists said they demonstrated in mice that the gene's deletion, inactivation or loss results in the formation of an aggressive type of liver cancer closely related to common human epithelial cancers of the liver,

The researchers said their findings concerning how DLC1 functions in both healthy and pathological states suggest a highly specific new target for future anticancer drugs.

"We set out to conclusively identify DLC1 as a tumor suppressor, which had not been done before, and to show at the molecular level how the absence of this gene produces pathology in cells that can lead to liver cancer," said researcher Scott Lowe, who led the study. "Interestingly, loss of DLC1 is observed in a range of epithelial cancers, which suggests that DLC1 may a play common role in many types of human cancer."

The research is reported in the journal Genes & Development.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.