FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Suzanne Morris 804-924-5679
U.VA. RESEARCHERS REPORT ON DISCOVERY AND LOCATION OF UNIQUE GENE IN BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., January 31 -- Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have identified a new gene, SPAN-X, that could eventually lead to better diagnosis and treatment for certain cancers. The team discovered that SPAN-X occurs nowhere in the body except in the normal testis. Recently, it was found that SPAN-X is also present in tumors of various types, including skin, breast, prostate and ovary. These findings are reported in this month's issue of Biology of Reproduction.
"In the testis, SPAN-X is found in the nuclear membrane of developing sperm, which suggests it may play an important role in the maturation of the sperm nucleus. This is a highly specific function, and we were surprised to find that this gene is also present in certain cancer cells," Anne Westbrook, a research associate at U.Va and leader of the team that discovered the new gene.
Previous research has shown that certain proteins are testis-specific -- they are found in the testis but nowhere else in the body. These proteins are introduced for the first time during puberty. To protect them from being attacked as a foreign invader, the male body has adapted to hide these proteins from the immune system. However, since these proteins are not protected from the immune system when they are produced by cancer cells, researchers believe they will be good targets for anti-tumor therapy.
"We aren't sure yet what role SPAN-X might play in diagnosing or treating these cancers, but the finding raises interesting questions about the role of SPAN-X in tumor progression," Westbrook said.
"Based on our findings, it seems possible that as some tumors become cancerous and develop irregularly, they may begin to mimic the way genes are expressed during sperm formation," said John Herr, in whose laboratory the research was performed. Herr is director for the Center for Research in Reproductive Health in the U.Va. Department of Cell Biology.
This finding is likely to open several new avenues of research. The researchers will explore several possibilities in hope of identifying treatment targets for specific cancers.
Currently, they are looking at a large number of stored tissue samples to see how frequently SPAN-X is present in different cancers. If particular levels of SPAN-X are associated with a specific type of cancer, it could eventually lead to a test that would allow for earlier diagnosis of that cancer, Herr explained.
In addition, Herr said that greater understanding of how SPAN-X functions in both normal and cancer cells could help determine if it may be a useful component of a cancer vaccine or if blocking its function cold slow down or stop cancer.
For more information on this research, please contact John Herr at (804) 924-2007.
# # #
January 31, 2001
RSS