June 4, 2009 1:14 PM
Discovery: Down syndrome holds key to cancer treatment
A medical puzzle yields cancer clue
Downs gene starves growth of tumorsBy Stephen Smith, Globe Staff | June 1, 2009
It is a scientific riddle that has stumped, and deeply intrigued, specialists in cancer and genetics for decades: Why do people with Down syndrome so rarely develop life-threatening tumors?
The famed Boston scientist Judah Folkman puzzled over the question for decades, since encountering it on an exam as a young medical student.
Now, 17 months after he died, researchers in his lab at Children's Hospital Boston have found an answer, and their discovery could provide a beacon to scientists developing treatments and preventive medications designed to be broadly effective against cancer, wherever it resides in the body.
The scientists discovered that the extra chromosome carried by people with Down syndrome - which causes the condition's distinctive features - harbors a gene responsible for starving tumors of the blood they need to survive and flourish.
That had been Folkman's suspicion all along.
"Most people don't appreciate the fact that these individuals with Downs potentially hold a secret that might lead to quite substantial and revolutionary new treatments for cancer," said Dr. David Sweetser, who treats patients and researches cancer at MassGeneral Hospital for Children but was not involved in the Downs project. "The obvious hope is that this is going to give us information to help develop a tool that we could use to treat a whole variety of solid tumors."
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Comments
Wow. These very people, the ones that the pro-choice want to kill, are the ones that hold the key to conquering cancerous tumors. We should all listen to God more and value life.
Posted by: Sue from Buffalo | June 4, 2009 1:56 PM
Wow, what encouraging news! However, it also brings to mind some concerns and questions. Now keep in mind I don’t know much at all about genetics. The concern is as a nation most of our children/treasures with downs that are diagnosed during pregnancy are aborted. Could this give a new push to abort these babies? Follow me here: You go in for your "special testing" they tell you all the bad stuff about downs and you have never had any real life experience with anyone who has downs to weigh this information with. Then they give you your options but instead of just giving you your options they tell you what a service you would be doing to your nation if you decided to abort this "ball of defective cells" and donate the problem tissue to science for cancer research. After all you could be helping save millions of lives by making this small sacrifice. See where I am going with this? Maybe I am way off base here but could it happen?
Posted by: april | June 4, 2009 1:59 PM
I saw this on the down-syn list. Very interesting.
Posted by: Julana | June 4, 2009 2:57 PM
It's truly a remarkable discovery. I blogged about it too. My little effort to spread the word. :-)
http://billandria.blogspot.com/2009/06/down-syndrome-gene-could-fight-cancer.html
Posted by: Ria Haag | June 4, 2009 3:22 PM
What AMAZING news! Blessed be God - He always knows how to expand miracles and blessings!
I do April's point - already so many DS babies are declared non-human enough to be murdered without comment - it's the expected thing, now, practically. We must be vigilant to protect and speak for these babies!
Posted by: Milehimama | June 4, 2009 7:19 PM
April, they don't need any of the cells from aborted Down Syndrome babies to do their research. I don't think that came from the aborted people.
Posted by: Sue from Buffalo | June 4, 2009 7:26 PM
I've got to admit, unfortunately, when I read news like this, I have I have thoughts like April's. I don't know much about genetics either, but I envision scenarios, like the ones that we see with embryonic stem cell research, where embryos with Down syndrome are bred and then destroyed. I hate to be a downer on what sounds like it should be good news, but it's hard to be optimistic sometimes.
Posted by: Scarlett | June 4, 2009 8:37 PM
