Suppressing a regulatory gene in skin cancer could block the spread of cancer cells throughout the body.
The gene, BMI1, has been linked to the growth of certain tumours. To study its effect on tumour spread, or metastasis, Jacqueline Lees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and her colleagues looked at melanoma tumours in mice. Melanoma cells that expressed high levels of BMI1 were more likely to spread to the lungs than were tumours that had normal BMI1 levels. The gene also promoted resistance to drugs, and induced the expression of genes that have been linked to invasive melanoma and poor disease prognosis in humans.
The results suggest that BMI1 could be a compelling drug target, the authors say.
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Gene promotes melanoma spread. Nature 529, 131 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/529131a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/529131a
