A genetic “switch” that can trigger the onset of Leukemia has been discovered by the scientists, and they believe that the cure for the disease lies in this discovery.
The revolutionary treatment
A recent research held at the Gurdon Institute of Cambridge University, scientists have discovered a gene called JAK 2, which they say is the “master switch” that turns other genes
“on” and “off”.
Prof Sir David Lane, of Cancer Research UK, said: "These findings give scientists new opportunities to develop drugs to block Leukemia."
The drug under development could cause early menopause in women, but scientists in the Rome University have suggested that the process can be stopped by a leukemia drug called Imatinib.
Similar research had been carried out by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) and University of British Columbia investigators who had discovered what they called a way to put on the “breaks” of a cell, and as a result, halt all abnormal cell growth in the blood.
What is Leukemia
In simple words, Leukemia is the cancer of the blood cells; that is, the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells. It exists in two forms, namely chronic leukemia, and acute leukemia. As the name suggests, acute leukemia has worse prognosis, as it spreads rapidly throughout the body.
What causes Leukemia is still highly unclear, but a few suspected reasons are exposure to radiation (which could involve radiation therapy), smoking cigarettes, Down's syndrome, and chemotherapy.
Post new comment