(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kimberley Wang
kimberley.wang@nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore
New discovery of biomarker to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of ESCC
Latest study by NUS researchers first to demonstrate that editing of protein-making sequences promotes development of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC), the major histological form of esophageal cancer, is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a biomarker, called adenosine deaminase acting on RNA-1 (ADAR1), which has the potential to improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this disease.
Led by Dr Polly Chen from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS, the team is also the first to demonstrate that the editing of protein-making sequences promotes the development of ESCC. This novel study was first published online in Cancer Research on 4 December 2013.
Currently, there is poor prognosis for ESCC patients and the five-year overall survival rate ranges from 20 to 30 per cent. As such, there is an urgent need for biomarkers which can diagnose this disease as early as possible, estimate reaction to chemotherapy or radiotherapy in patients and predict the overall survival rate of patients undergoing treatment.
How ADAR1 serves as a biomarker
In normal human cells, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which comprises the genetic code, serves as a template for the precise production of ribonucleic acid (RNA) such that the DNA code and RNA code are identical. Editing is a process in which RNA is changed after it is made from DNA, resulting in an altered gene product. This RNA editing is likely to play a role in the formation of tumours by either inactivating a tumour suppressor or activating genes that promote tumour progression.
In their study, the NUS researchers discovered that the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1, which catalyses the editing process, is significantly over-expressed in ESCC tumours. They observed that ADAR1 changes the product of the AZIN1 protein to a form which promotes the development of the disease. Clinically, the tumoural over-expression of ADAR1 was correlated with the shorter survival time of ESCC patients.
The findings suggest that ADAR1 can serve as a useful biomarker to detect disorders leading to ESCC and as a potential therapeutic target. The study may also provide the key to a biological process for drug development in the treatment of ESCC.
Said Dr Chen, "Investigating the connection between ADAR1-mediated RNA editing and cancer progression is only the initial step in this research. The tumoural over-expression of ADAR1 can be used as an early warning sign of ESCC and halting or reversing the process may block the cells' conversion from normal to malignant."
Next steps in research on ADAR1
Moving forward, the researchers will further investigate the key RNA editing events regulated by ADAR1 during ESCC development. They plan to develop a method to correct the RNA editing process through restoring ADAR balance by silencing ADAR1 and reinstating a specific hyper-edited or hypo-edited transcript.
### END
New discovery of biomarker to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of ESCC
Latest study by NUS researchers first to demonstrate that editing of protein-making sequences promotes development of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
2014-01-06
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Technology 1 step ahead of war laws
2014-01-06
Technology 1 step ahead of war laws
Los Angeles, London (January 06, 2013). Today's emerging military technologies—including unmanned aerial vehicles, directed-energy weapons, lethal autonomous robots, and cyber weapons like Stuxnet—raise the prospect of upheavals ...
The loving touch is critical for premature infants
2014-01-06
The loving touch is critical for premature infants
Philadelphia, PA, January 6, 2014 – The benefit that premature infants gain from skin-to-skin contact with their mothers is measurable even 10 years after birth, reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry.
Physical ...
CWRU researcher finds released inmates need programs to meet basic and mental health needs
2014-01-06
CWRU researcher finds released inmates need programs to meet basic and mental health needs
When inmates with severe mental illness are released from jail, their priority is finding shelter, food, money and clothes. Even needs as basic as soap and a ...
Suicide risk doesn't differ in children taking 2 types of commonly prescribed antidepressants
2014-01-06
Suicide risk doesn't differ in children taking 2 types of commonly prescribed antidepressants
A Vanderbilt University Medical Center study released today shows there is no evidence that the risk of suicide differs with two commonly prescribed ...
Laying money on the line leads to healthier food choices over time
2014-01-06
Laying money on the line leads to healthier food choices over time
People are more likely to choose healthy options at the grocery store if they use the risk of losing their monthly healthy food discount as a motivational tool, according ...
MRSA infection rates drop in Veterans Affairs long-term care facilities
2014-01-06
MRSA infection rates drop in Veterans Affairs long-term care facilities
Washington, DC, January 6, 2014 – Four years after implementing a national initiative to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rates in Veterans Affairs (VA) long-term care facilities, ...
Stimulating brain cells stops binge drinking, animal study finds
2014-01-06
Stimulating brain cells stops binge drinking, animal study finds
Results suggest it may be possible to use gene therapy in the brain to treat substance abuse, neurological diseases and mental illnesses
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Researchers at the University at Buffalo have ...
US Army identifies 6 critical research targets for improving outcomes in traumatic brain injury
2014-01-06
US Army identifies 6 critical research targets for improving outcomes in traumatic brain injury
New Rochelle, NY, January 6, 2014—The U.S. Department of Defense funds more than 500 neurotrauma research projects totaling over $700 million. ...
Establishing guides for molecular counting using fluorescent proteins
2014-01-06
Establishing guides for molecular counting using fluorescent proteins
The study recently published in Nature Methods has been able to determine the photoactivation efficiency of fluorescent proteins, an important parameter that has so far ...
New technique targets specific areas of cancer cells with different drugs
2014-01-06
New technique targets specific areas of cancer cells with different drugs
Researchers have developed a technique for creating nanoparticles that carry two different cancer-killing drugs into the body and deliver those drugs to separate parts of the cancer ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?
Pink skies
Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research
Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered
% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?
An app can change how you see yourself at work
NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals
New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China
Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds
Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea
New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea
Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes
Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others
Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke
Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition
Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life
Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy
Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming
Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly
Alcohol makes male flies sexy
TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income
Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression
Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring
Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs
AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders
First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes
Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows
Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission
UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages
In pancreatic cancer, a race against time
[Press-News.org] New discovery of biomarker to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of ESCCLatest study by NUS researchers first to demonstrate that editing of protein-making sequences promotes development of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma