Researchers have identified that a chromosome instability gene - USP24 - is frequently missing in pediatric patients with neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer.
The finding, published in the journal Cancer Research, provides important insight into the development of this disease.
To identify new therapeutic approaches, the team examined the role of a set of enzymes known as deubiquitinating enzymes (DUB) in this disease. They chose this family of enzymes because they could be targeted using drug therapy.
The team used this method to identify two genes - USP24 and USP44 - with the biggest potential to affect the outcomes of young patients with neuroblastoma.
"We observed low levels of USP24 in children with neuroblastoma whose tumours were highly aggressive, leading to early progression or recurrence of the disease," the researcher said.
Using genetically engineered mice that lack the USP24 gene, they found that USP24 plays an important role in protecting cells against errors in chromosome distribution that take place during cell division.
(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT).
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