New way to fight ovarian cancer

• April 26, 2024

In an analysis of the main genetic differences in ovarian cancer, geneticists of the Genomic Atlas of Cancer (TCGA) found 68 genes that can be combated with experimental therapeutic drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, in United States. The results were presented in the journal Nature

The researchers noted that the inhibitor Poly ADP ribose polymersa (PARP), may be able to counterattack the defective DNA and repair a gene observed in half of the ovarian tumors studied.

While scientists know that these drugs can be effective against the disease, the study revealed that 50% of tumors can respond to drugs that exploit the genetic instability of tumors and induce cancer cells to die.

"Like all cancers, the results of ovarian cancer and genomic variations, the efforts of the TCGA are confirming that the more we learn about genomic changes in tumor cells, the more we are able to care for people affected by cancer," he said. Eric D. Green , director of the Human Genome Research Institute.

"This unprecedented study will significantly help cancer research to make additional discoveries to help treat women with this terrible disease," he said. Francis Collins , director of the National Institute of Health of the United States.

Among the first findings of the study stands out the confirmation that mutations in a single gene of TP53 , are present in more than 96% of all cancers.

"TP53 encodes a tumor suppressor protein that normally prevents the formation of cancer . Mutations alter the function of this protein, which contributes to the uncontrolled growth of ovarian cells, "say the conclusions of the research.

It was also revealed that there are four unknown subtypes of the disease, in addition to four subtypes specifically related to what they call DNA methylation, in which a chemical reaction in a small molecule of the methyl group is added to the DNA, changing the individual activity of the genes .

It was detected that mutations in the genes BRCA2 Y BRCA1 , associated with some forms of breast cancer, also increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

"In this study, approximately 21% of the tumors showed mutations in these genes," the research indicates.

Analysis of these tumors confirmed the observations in patients with mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 who had had a better survival rate compared to patients without the mutation in these genes.

Serous adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent form of ovarian cancer , has been detected in approximately 85% of fatal melanomas of this type, so the specialists of the Genomic Atlas of Cancer (TCGA) completely sequenced 316 tumors of this type and characterized 173 more types of cancer.

This information was disseminated in the portal reforma.com

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