美國(guó)國(guó)家衛(wèi)生研究所的研究人員3月29日為一種“致癌”基因“平反”。他們指出,，這種名為MMP-8基因的實(shí)際作用是抑制黑素瘤等皮膚癌的發(fā)展,。
研究人員在英國(guó)《自然—遺傳學(xué)》雜志上報(bào)告說(shuō)，他們找到的這種基因是基質(zhì)金屬蛋白酶（MMP）基因中的一種,，以前人們?cè)J(rèn)為MMP-8是致癌基因,，但新研究表明，它實(shí)際上是一種腫瘤抑制基因,。
基質(zhì)金屬蛋白酶可以幫助人體降解某些蛋白質(zhì),，在修復(fù)皮膚曬傷和切傷等過(guò)程中發(fā)揮關(guān)鍵作用。不過(guò)長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),，科學(xué)家一直認(rèn)為所有基質(zhì)金屬蛋白酶基因都是致癌基因,，會(huì)增加罹患乳腺癌、結(jié)腸癌和黑素瘤等多種癌癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn),。
進(jìn)一步的動(dòng)物實(shí)驗(yàn)也證實(shí),，如果給實(shí)驗(yàn)鼠注射含正常MMP-8基因的細(xì)胞，它們沒(méi)有出現(xiàn)罹患黑素瘤的癥狀,。而如果給實(shí)驗(yàn)鼠注射含變異MMP-8基因的細(xì)胞,，它們就比較容易出現(xiàn)上述癥狀，且腫瘤會(huì)發(fā)生肺部轉(zhuǎn)移,。
研究人員指出：“這項(xiàng)研究表明,，對(duì)治療皮膚癌而言,，更好的途徑是開(kāi)發(fā)那些能恢復(fù)或增強(qiáng)正常MMP-8基因功能的藥物，或者開(kāi)發(fā)那些只抑制真正致癌的MMP基因的藥物,。”
黑素瘤是一種危險(xiǎn)性很大,、很難治療的皮膚癌，日曬過(guò)度是引發(fā)黑素瘤的主要原因之一,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Nature Genetics 29 March 2009 | doi:10.1038/ng.340
Analysis of the matrix metalloproteinase family reveals that MMP8 is often mutated in melanoma
Lavanya H Palavalli1, Todd D Prickett1, John R Wunderlich2, Xiaomu Wei1, Allison S Burrell1, Patricia Porter-Gill1, Sean Davis2, Chenwei Wang1, Julia C Cronin1, Neena S Agrawal1, Jimmy C Lin3, Wendy Westbroek1, Shelley Hoogstraten-Miller1, Alfredo A Molinolo4, Patricia Fetsch2, Armando C Filie2, Michael P O'Connell5, Carolyn E Banister6, Jason D Howard7, Phillip Buckhaults6, Ashani T Weeraratna5, Lawrence C Brody1, Steven A Rosenberg2 & Yardena Samuels1
A mutational analysis of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene family in human melanoma identified somatic mutations in 23% of melanomas. Five mutations in one of the most commonly mutated genes, MMP8, reduced MMP enzyme activity. Expression of wild-type but not mutant MMP8 in human melanoma cells inhibited growth on soft agar in vitro and tumor formation in vivo, suggesting that wild-type MMP-8 has the ability to inhibit melanoma progression.
1 National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
2 National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
3 The Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
4 Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
5 Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
6 University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
7 The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
