About Us Portfolio Press Careers Sitemap Advertise Contact Us Make this your Homepage

Custom Search

Register

Sign In

Sign In Using Facebook

Home » Genetics & Stem Cells News

Researchers Discover Genetic 'Switch' That Triggers Leukaemia

by Sreeraman on September 30, 2009 at 12:42 PM Genetics & Stem Cells News

Experts at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute at Cambridge University have identified a broken genetic "switch" that can trigger leukaemia, and believe that this breakthrough may lead to new treatments.

Related Links

According to background information in a report on this discovery, Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and the immune system's white blood cells, which do not develop properly and begin to divide uncontrollably.

The report says that the disease leaves the body less able to fight off infections in the same fashion as the HIV-Aids virus does.

The disease is also known to disrupt the manufacture of red blood cells, causing anaemia.

The Cambridge University team say that new studies have shown that a gene called JAK2 acts as a master switch to turn different genes on or off, and cancer can develop if it breaks.

Earlier, JAK2 was only thought to function on the inner surface of cells.

However, the university experts have now found that say it also acts at the heart of the cell, in the nucleus.

There, according to the researchers, an enzyme made by JAK2 controls the activity of other genes by altering proteins, called histones that protect DNA - of which cells are made.

"In this exciting research we have revealed new unidentified parts of the cell's messaging system which can become faulty and lead to leukaemia," the Daily Express quoted Professor Tony Kouzarides, director of the Gurdon Institute, as saying.

The findings of the study have been reported in the online edition of the journal Nature.

Source-ANI
LIN

New Vertebrate Species Formed Due To Sex Chromosome Evolution

EU Clears Two Vaccines to Fight Second Wave of Swine Flu Pandemic

More News on: Genetics and Stem Cells

Comment & Contribute

Be the first to comment!
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters
	Notify me when reply is posted I agree to the terms and conditions
Your comments are automatically posted once they are submitted. All comments are however constantly reviewed for spam and irrelevant material (such as product or personal advertisements, email addresses, telephone numbers and website address). Such insertions do not conform to our policy and 'Terms of Use' and are either deleted or edited and republished. Please keep your comments brief and relevant.This section may also have questions seeking help. If you have the information you are welcome to respond, but please ensure that the information so provided is genuine and not misleading.

Medwonders Health Network

Support Groups Members Discussions

Total Members - 54908
Support Groups - 445

Health News Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Latest News Most Popular Most Commented

Research Suggests Red Wine Alone may Not be the Elixir of Life

Babies' Health may be Compromised by the 'Too Posh to Push' Attitude

Research Sheds Light on Usefulness of Bubble-Propelled Microrockets

Broken Bones may be Fixed in Less Than 4 Weeks by 'Fracture Putty'

AIDS Drug Venture in South Africa Worth $208 Million

News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :

News Quick Links

	News Central			Health Watch
	Latest Health News			Health In Focus
	News Category (500+)			Breaking Health News
	Popular News			Celebrating Life
	Health News and Press Release			Medindia - Exclusive
	News Photo Gallery			India Special
	News Video Gallery			Lifestyle and Wellness
	News From Other Resources

News Categories:


»	How Would You Rate Your Health?

»	Plastic Addicted Teen Has Consumed More Than 60,000 Goods

»	Career Graph is Great for People Who Have Easy to Pronounce Names

»	6000-Calorie Breakfast Consumed in 26 Minutes

»	Study Reveals Why You Should Not Opt for Window Seat During Long Flight
More Life Style News

Genetics & Stem Cells Related News
»	Genetics may be Able to Guide Treatment for Tuberculosis	»	Fathers Pass on Heart Disease Risk to Sons Via Genetic Variation on the Y Chromosome
»	Stem Cell Trial for Hearing Loss	»	Traces To Common Birth Defect in Gene Expression Data, Noticed by MassGeneral, Jackson Researchers
»	Reason for the Survival of Bad Immunity Genes	»	Eradicating of Genetic Diseases Perhaps Via 'Designer' Babies of 3 Parents
»	More Accurate Diagnosis of Genetic Mutations Possible Via New Virtual Tool	»	Scientists Identify Gene Related to Fat Preferences in Humans

Read More >>

Achondroplasia Support Group	Albinism / Hypopigmentation / Albinos Support Group	Asperger's Syndrome Support Group
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Support Group	Birth Defect - Structural Defects Support Group	Birth Defects - Genetic Support Group
Birth Defects - Metabolic Defects Support Group	Blocked Tear Duct / Dacryostenosis Support Group	Cleidocranial Dysplasia / Rubber Man / Marie-Sainton disease / Mutational Dysostosis Support Group

Researchers Discover Genetic 'Switch' That Triggers Leukaemia

Medwonders Health Network

Genetics & Stem Cells Related News

Consumers

Medical Professionals

Medical Students

Directories