Gene clue to lung cancer

[LaurenG]

A gene identified by University of Cincinnati researchers could be used to identify people at high risk for developing lung cancer.


Smokers with the gene could be directed toward earlier, more aggressive lung cancer checks, said Marshall Anderson, the cancer biologist who led the study, while younger people with the gene could be discouraged from smoking in the first place.

Discovering the gene, dubbed RGS17, "could change clinical diagnosis and treatment as radically as the discovery of the breast cancer genes did," Anderson said. "A proven genetic test could help us identify people at risk before the disease progresses."

<snip>

Tobacco smoke is the primary environmental cause for lung cancer, but science has shown there's a strong genetic component as well, Anderson said. Less than a fifth of heavy smokers develop lung cancer, he said.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090418/NEWS01/904190351/1055/NEWS

[snappyturtle]

1. This is interesting because in the original report on the dangers of smoking

circa 1960(?) was a statement that said not all smokers develop lung cancer. Maybe now we know this is because of the genetic factor and yet we have been led to believe that everyone who smokes will develop lung cancer and yet the original warnings were more in line with increased risk. Smoking is like playing Russian roulet and however, I don't like the fear card that has been played for years over this topic. We all know of people who have been heavy smokers for many years. I had two grandfathers who both smoked and lived to be 94 and 96. I think this totally negative outlook that has been adopted as the absolute truth has most likely hampered the original intent of the warnings. :shrug:

Let the flaming begin! :popcorn:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Gene most likely affects the role of an antioxidant enzyme....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18566111


http://tih.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/18/5/215
Despite large-scale anti-smoking campaigns throughout the world, the number of smokers remains high and cigarette smoking continues to represent a life-threatening health risk. Until a smoke-free society is achieved, reduction of cigarette smoke toxins may reduce the health burden. Current cigarette filter techniques are limited to the reduction of volatile tar constituents by dilution and by condensation on the filter surface. Vast quantities of harmful constituents, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic (aromatic) amines, free radicals and reactive oxygen species, are inefficiently retained in the filter.

We investigated whether neutralisation of free radicals in cigarette filters is feasible and accompanied by a reduction in smoke toxicity. Addition of the bioflavonoid pine bark extract Pycnogenolfi to cigarette filters depleted free radicals in a dose dependent manner. This was paralleled by a reduction of toxicity and mutagenicity in rodent test models. In this model system, the acute toxicity of cigarette smoke was markedly reduced by up to 70% in rodents with 0.4 mg Pycnogenolfi in filters. Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke for 75 days revealed that Pycnogenolfifilters significantly reduced mutagenicity by up to 48% and decreased pathological changes in lung tissue.