Low cancer rates for those with Down syndrome; Study could lead to new anti-cancer drugs
January 2nd, 2008
From Reuters, Agence France Presse:
People with Down syndrome get cancer at lower rates than most other people, and scientists say one explanation is that they have an extra copy of a gene that confers cancer resistance. The discovery of this quality in the gene, which lies on the 21st chromosome, could help in the development of new cancer drugs.
The study, published in the British journal Nature (subscription or payment required), used mice to examine the role of the gene in intestinal tumors.
Researchers led by Roger Reeves at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (above), showed that the gene Ets2 acts as a tumour suppressor in rodents with the human equivalent of Down’s syndrome.
… “Down syndrome is always considered a tragedy for families. But on the other hand, they bring this huge clinical clue,” said Dr. Judah Folkman, a cancer expert at Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
…”In medical school in 1953 we were taught — ‘oh, by the way, Down syndrome individuals are protected against cancer’. Everybody asked why and they said, ‘We think it is because they don’t live long enough (to develop it),’” Folkman said.
But now [people with Down syndrome] live into their 70s and they still develop cancer at a lower rate, he said.
See earlier post by Roger Reeves: “Many doctors misinformed about people with DS.”
Reeves’ page at Johns Hopkins.
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January 4th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Exciting news. No one ever mentions to new parents that their child has significantly lower chances for developing almost all kinds of cancer. However, Down syndrome is NOT “always considered a tragedy for families.” Yes, at the time of initial diagnosis most parents are understandably upset. But so many families go on to learn what a gift a child with Down syndrome is. Down syndrome can bring difficulties, but is certainly not a “tragedy.”