Researchers set for T-cell cancer breakthrough
Published: October 21, 2005
Australian researchers are on the path to a cure for a rare group of cancers known as cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, following the breakthrough discovery of a key gene.
In what they say is a world-first, a group of Perth-based researchers have singled out a gene that could be the passport to new diagnostic tools and therapies to cure the aggressive, often fatal cancer.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma - which results in skin tumours, commonly on the face, back and arms - attacks the body’s lymphatic system which helps protect against infection and disease.
Associate Professor Lawrence Abraham, of the Laboratory for Cancer Medicine at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and the University of Western Australia’s School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, said his team had pinpointed a gene linked to the cancers.
“We’ve discovered that a particular gene that shouldn’t be expressed, or switched on, in T-cells is expressed in ridiculously high levels in these cancers,” Prof Abraham said.
“This gene is usually expressed in skin cells, but not T-cells, and so far very little is known about it.
“Our next step is to investigate the role of the protein made by this gene to see how it might be involved in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas - including whether or not it may be responsible for cell proliferation.”
Prof Abraham said that after conducting screening to see how accurate the gene was as a diagnostic marker, and identifying the function of the gene protein, he would turn his attention to drugs capable of “turning it off”.
“We think (the gene) will be useful as a way of developing drugs that will be able to treat the cancer because this gene product is involved in processes that make the cell go crazy and become cancerous,” he said.
However, while the gene’s discovery was a major step forward, a cure could still be 10 or 15 years away, Prof Abraham said.
“The T-Cell lymphomas are pretty aggressive and I don’t know whether anyone living today with this lymphoma would actually see it out, but they can take hope.”
Christine Bennett, CEO of the not-for-profit health and medical alliance Research Australia, said Australian researchers were among the world’s leaders in biomedical and public health research, targeting issues like asthma, cancer, obesity, infectious diseases and mental illness.
“Australia has a vibrant, world-class research industry dedicated to unravelling the mysteries of the human body to improve community health and well being,” Dr Bennett said.
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