Investigation into cancer gene

A team of scientists from the Monash Institute of Medical Research have honed in on a gene, which could contribute to the causes of stomach cancer.

The team, led by Associate Professor Brendan Jenkins, is looking at a gene called STAT3, which is over-active in the disease and how that affects molecules called miRNAs, which have been found to play a role in cancer.

The Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) has awarded the team more than $300,000 to investigate the causes of stomach cancer.

They will use this funding to try to identify the mechanisms behind this inflammation and stomach cancer. The will do this by using stomach cells grown in the lab and samples taken from stomach cancer patients.

Associate Professor Jenkins said the three-year grant from the charity will be a great help in furthering his research.

“This grant will help us to extend our investigations into the events downstream of STAT3 which promotes cancer,” Associate Professor Jenkins said.

“Identifying molecules, such as miRNAs, which are directly regulated by STAT3 will pave the way to eventually translate our laboratory findings into potential clinical and commercial realities, for instance by creating “disease signatures” which can be used as potential biomarkers for disease detection/monitoring or therapeutic targets.”

In Australia, stomach cancer affects 9.2 males and 4.5 females per 100,000 members of the population.

Stomach cancer is strongly linked to prolonged inflammation of the lining of the stomach and changes in the bacteria found there. Why those changes happen and how the inflammation occurs, is unknown.

Provided by Monash University