PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes

Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes

Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes
2024-10-29
(Press-News.org) Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes

Scientists at deCODE genetics/Amgen, and their collaborators have discovered six novel genes with rare germline variants that associate with cancer risk. The findings are published today in Nature Genetics under the title “Gene-based burden tests of rare germline variants identify six cancer susceptibility genes”.

A subset of cancers arises in individuals who are born with rare sequence variants that significantly alter their cancer risk. The discovery of such variants, like those in the BRCA1- and BRCA2 genes, has led to improved early cancer detection and the development of targeted therapies, ultimately reducing the cancer burden and improving prognosis of those carrying these mutations.

In this study, the scientists analysed three large genetic datasets from individuals of European descent, including 130,991 cancer patients and 733,486 controls. Through a gene-based burden association analysis across 22 different cancer types, they found four novel genes associated with a risk of developing cancer; the pro-apoptotic BIK for prostate cancer, the autophagy involved ATG12 for colorectal cancer, TG for thyroid cancer, and CMTR2 for both lung cancer and cutaneous melanoma. The relative increase in cancer risk conferred by these variants was substantial (90-295%), but it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow accurate assessment of absolute lifetime cancer risk.

Additionally, the researchers found the first genes with rare variants that are associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Specifically, loss of AURKB was found to protect against any cancer type, and loss of PPP1R15A was associated with 53% lower risk of breast cancer. This suggests that inhibition of PPP1R15A may be a therapeutic option for breast cancer.

The study revealed new insight into the biological mechanisms involved in cancer predisposition that will hopefully lead to better screening and treatment strategies.

 

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

More than half of European heat-related deaths in summer 2022 attributed to anthropogenic warming

2024-10-29
The unprecedented temperatures in the summer of 2022 caused more than 68,000 deaths on the continent, according to a study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the 'la Caixa' Foundation. A new study has now found that more than half - 56% - of the heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022 were related to human-induced climate change. According to the research, 38,154 of the 68,593 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022 would not have occurred without anthropogenic warming. The ...

Major events like presidential elections bring online hate communities together

Major events like presidential elections bring online hate communities together
2024-10-29
WASHINGTON (October 29, 2024) – A new study published today details the ways in which the 2020 U.S. election not only incited new hate content in online communities but also how it brought those communities closer together around online hate speech. The research has wider implications for better understanding how the online hate universe multiplies and hardens around local and national events such as elections, and how smaller, less regulated platforms like Telegram play a key role in that universe by creating and sustaining hate content. The study – published in the journal npj Complexity, part of the Nature portfolio of journals – ...

Classification of schizophrenia into clinical subtypes based on objective and subjective social cognition

Classification of schizophrenia into clinical subtypes based on objective and subjective social cognition
2024-10-29
A research team led by Professor Takahiro Nemoto at Toho University, in collaboration with Associate Professor Naoki Hashimoto and Assistant Professor Ryo Okubo at Hokkaido University, and Dr. Satoru Ikezawa at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry explored the agreement or discrepancy between subjective social cognitive difficulties and actual cognitive impairment. The study aimed to identify clinical subtypes in patients with schizophrenia, the results of which were published in Springer-Nature’s journal Schizophrenia on October 29, 2024. Key Points In patients with schizophrenia, a decline in social cognition—a fundamental skill for interpersonal ...

Can you feel sorry for a robot?

2024-10-29
A pitiful sound from tinny speakers, sad virtual eyes, trembling robot arms: it doesn’t take much to feel sorry for a robot. This is the conclusion of a study by Marieke Wieringa, who will be defending her PhD thesis at Radboud University on 5 November. But she warns that our human compassion could also be exploited: just wait until companies find a revenue model for emotional manipulation by robots. Objectively, we know that a robot cannot experience pain. Still, under certain circumstances, ...

Oceanographers record the largest predation event ever observed in the ocean

Oceanographers record the largest predation event ever observed in the ocean
2024-10-29
There is power in numbers, or so the saying goes. But in the ocean, scientists are finding that fish that group together don’t necessarily survive together. In some cases, the more fish there are, the larger a target they make for predators.  This is what MIT and Norwegian oceanographers observed recently when they explored a wide swath of ocean off the coast of Norway during the height of spawning season for capelin — a small Arctic fish about the size of an anchovy. Billions of capelin migrate each February from the edge of the Arctic ...

A molecular switch reshapes a dividing cell in minutes

A molecular switch reshapes a dividing cell in minutes
2024-10-29
A living cell is a bustling metropolis, with countless molecules and proteins navigating crowded spaces in every direction. Cell division is a grand event which completely transforms the landscape. The cell starts behaving like the host of an international competition, reconfiguring entire streets, relocating buildings and rerouting its transportation systems.  For decades, researchers have been captivated by the cell's ability to organise such a dramatic transformation. Central to the process is the microtubule cytoskeleton, a network of fibres which provides structural support and facilitates movement within the cell, ensuring that chromosomes ...

Have we found all the major Maya cities? Not even close, new research suggests

2024-10-29
Using laser-guided imaging to peer through dense jungle forests, Tulane University researchers have uncovered vast unexplored Maya settlements in Mexico and a better understanding of the ancient civilization's extent and complexity. The new research, published in the journal Antiquity, was led by Tulane University anthropology doctoral student Luke Auld-Thomas and his advisor, Professor Marcello A. Canuto. The team used lidar, a laser-based detection system, to survey 50 square miles of land in Campeche, Mexico, an area largely overlooked by archaeologists. Their findings included evidence of more than 6,500 pre-Hispanic structures, including a previously unknown ...

Change in the law could help families of missing persons

2024-10-29
AN EXPERT on missing persons and unidentified human remains is hoping her research can help bring about a change in the law. Work carried out by Emma Tilley, who is completing her PhD in Criminology and Policing at University of Staffordshire, is included in a Law Commission public consultation on burial and cremation. Emma, who has starred in Locate International’s Channel 4 documentary series The Body Detectives, has been critically reviewing the cross-matching of unidentified human remains ...

Subtle eye movements optimize vision

Subtle eye movements optimize vision
2024-10-29
Our ability to see starts with the light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in our eyes. A specific region of the retina, termed fovea, is responsible for sharp vision. Here, the color-sensitive cone photoreceptors allow us to detect even the smallest details. The density of these cells varies from person to person. Additionally, when we fixate on an object, our eyes make subtle, continuous movements, which also differ between individuals. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now investigated how sharp vision is linked to these tiny eye movements and ...

Maternal health expert professor Vicki Clifton reveals placenta's hidden role in mental health

Maternal health expert professor Vicki Clifton reveals placentas hidden role in mental health
2024-10-29
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (October 29, 2024) - In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine on October 29, 2024, Professor Vicki Clifton shares transformative discoveries about the placenta's unexpected influence on maternal mental health, potentially revolutionizing our understanding of pregnancy-related anxiety and depression. Professor Clifton's team at the Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland has identified 13 distinct glucocorticoid receptor isoforms in the placenta, with one particular variant ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes

Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome

New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away

Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms

Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers

Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity

Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice

TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies

Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light

Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription

Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems

Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function

Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire

Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality

Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology

'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds

Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization

New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease

Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US

Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility

Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity

Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning

Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders

Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals

Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia

[Press-News.org] Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes
Discovery of cancer risk associations for six novel genes