Research: 'Mutant' gene offers new clue to kidney cancer
3 April 2006
An important discovery about how a faulty gene leads to kidney cancer could pave the way for new treatments to block kidney cancer growth, a study published today reveals.
The Cancer Research UK-funded group, also supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, looked at samples of kidney cells from people with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome. This inherited condition increases a person's risk of a number of benign and malignant tumours – especially in the kidneys – due to faults in the VHL gene.
Until now it has not been clear how faults in VHL can lead to the development of kidney cancer. But these findings shed light on how the faulty gene predisposes a cell to cancerous changes.
The researchers, led by Professor Patrick Maxwell (Imperial College, London), found that kidney cells with faulty VHL were lacking a protein molecule that contributes to normal cell behaviour. The cells behaved as if they were receiving much less oxygen than they really were.
This research could have implications for other types of cancer, as low oxygen levels are common in tumours.
Esteban MA et al. Regulation of E-cadherin expression by VHL and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Cancer Research.