Gene Identified As A New Target for Treatment of Aggressive Childhood Eye Tumor
Gene identified as a new target for treatment of aggressive childhood eye tumor St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project findings help solve mystery of retinoblastoma’s rapid growth in work that also yields a new treatment target and possible therapy A study from the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project found evidence that mutations in the RB1 gene led to epigenetic or reversible changes in the activity of other genes. (MEMPHIS, Tenn. — January 11, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — New findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) have helped identify the mechanism that makes the childhood eye tumor retinoblastoma so aggressive. The discovery explains why the tumor develops so rapidly while other cancers can take years or even decades to form. The finding also led investigators to a new treatment target and possible therapy for the rare childhood tumor of the retina, the light-s...