Annually around one million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are apparently diagnosed, which makes it the most common type of malignancy in humans. Investigators from The University of Texas at Austin have now laid hands on a gene that is susceptible to non-melanoma skin cancer. The research findings can possibly open doors to new strategies for preventing this life-threatening ailment.
The research aimed at analyzing the molecular and cellular mechanisms supposedly linked with cancer development. Since the disease involves gene-environmental interactions, it is predicted that understanding environmental influences and genetic factors can lead to ways of avoiding cancer. The current investigation was triggered on both mice and humans for gauging the role of this gene in tumor promotion.
Dr. John DiGiovanni, professor in the Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and colleagues presume that the newly identified gene is a hallmark in several forms of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma as well as melanoma. It was suggested that the identification of this susceptibility gene will aid in designing novel strategies to restrict skin cancers and other cancers as well. Further investigations can be undertaken to validate these results.
The research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.