WASHINGTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- An international research team have discovered two inherited-genetic deletions in the human genome linked to development of aggressive prostate cancer. The findings were published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In the study, one genetic deletion is shown to affect the functioning of a known gene, while the other, found in a non- coding area of the genome once considered to be "junk DNA," seems to be regulating a cascade of genes.
According to the researchers led by Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, the study is potentially groundbreaking because it demonstrates that so-called copy number variations in either protein coding or non-coding areas of the human genome play a significant role in the development of cancer in general, and in aggressive prostate cancer, specifically.
The researchers speculated that the two genetic variants identified are not the only cause of aggressive prostate cancer, but "likely collaborate with other factors early in a man's life leading to development of prostate cancer."
Prostate cancer affects one in six men during their lifetime, and family history is the strongest risk factor for prostate cancer. Editor: Mo Hong'e
Poster Comment:
Personal DNA map may be a better option than biopsy for prostate cancer and propensity for other diseases.