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Harvard Medical School
February 25, 2005
PATHOLOGY: Fish Model for Melanoma Fingers Culprit Mutations
Tiny fish may offer the best chance of discovering genes that trigger the development
of melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Leonard Zon and colleagues
have developed a zebrafish model of the disease that is based on the expression
of a highly active form of the human gene BRAF. These animals develop
numerous skin moles, which can turn cancerous if additional mutations are introduced.
By crossing the BRAF model with other fish lines, Zon aims to uncover mutations
and signal transduction pathways that regulate melanocyte tumorigenesis. The
model is described in the Feb. 8 Current Biology.
GENETICS: Spotlight Shines
on Tag-team Gene Regulation
Different gear may equip the same person for very different tasks, the way that
a business suit and briefcase are used toward different purposes than a down
jacket
and
skis.
Similarly,
the
same
genome
can be outfitted to make the many different types of cells required for healthy
bodies. HMS researchers have completed the most detailed examination of the proteins
that package DNA and their chemical modifications, which can alter the function
of genes without changing their underlying sequence. In the Jan. 28 Cell, Bradley
Bernstein and his colleagues report novel structures that hint at an important
role in controlling how the genome is translated into living cells.
ONCOLOGY: Body’s Own
Angiogenesis Inhibitors Check Tumor Growth
Angiogenesis inhibitors, which block blood vessel formation, have become a hot area of research for cancer treatment. A recent study led by Raghu Kalluri suggests that natural angiogenesis inhibitors in the body actively work to keep tumors from growing. The findings, published online Feb. 14 in Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, show that in mice lacking these defensive molecules, tumors progress much more rapidly than they normally would. This line of research is bringing about a new approach to cancer treatment and prevention that focuses on boosting the body’s natural defenses against cancer’s spread. The research team included (from left) Hikaru Sugimoto, co–first author Malin Sund, and Mary Soubasakos.
DEVELOPMENT: Mechanical
Forces Speed Up Growth of the Lung
Twenty years ago, Donald Ingber formulated a theory that mechanical forces help shape the lungs’ extraordinary labyrinth of buds and branches. Now, Ingber, Kimberly Moore, and colleagues report in the February Developmental Dynamics that they have found a way to experimentally demonstrate the theory in whole developing organs. Using their approach, they were able to speed up and slow down budding and branching in embryonic mouse lungs—a discovery that could lead to new approaches to treating a host of human lung diseases, most notably those affecting newborns.