02.02.2011, 16:32 3308

Protein that protects against prostate cancer found

Scientists have discovered a naturally-occurring protein that appears to protect against prostate cancer, the agency reports.

Almaty. February 2. Kazakhstan Today - Scientists have discovered a naturally-occurring protein that appears to protect against prostate cancer, the agency reports.

The Imperial College London team found that a protein called FUS inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. Patients with higher FUS levels also tended to live longer and have less aggressive cancers, they discovered, The Telegraph reported.

Prostate cancer kills 10,000 men in Britain a year. Current hormonal therapies only work for a limited time while chemotherapy is often ineffective, said Dr Charlotte Bevan, from the university's department of surgery and cancer.

She said: "There's a real need for new treatments. These findings suggest that FUS might be able to suppress tumour growth and stop it from spreading to other parts of the body where it can be deadly.

Greg Brooke, the lead author, added: "If FUS really is a tumour suppressor, it might also be involved in other cancers, such as breast cancer, which has significant similarities with prostate cancer."

Dr Helen Rippon from The Prostate Cancer Charity, which part funded the research, said the study provided "an important clue" for distinguishing the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer early on.

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