Paris, combining the number crunching potency of computers with an exploration of the genetic code, scientists said on Sunday they had identified a new master gene in cancer as well as faulty genes implicated in breast and skin tumors.
The researchers, published by separate teams in the journal Nature Genetics, could open up avenues to identify people at risk and potentially, new drugs to block the mechanisms that let cancers proliferate, they hope. British based researchers said a gene called UTX, found in the X gender chromosome, played the role of ringmaster in 10 percent of cases of multiple myeloma and one in 12 cancers of the oesophagus. UTX controls an enzyme that contributes to the structure of DNA in our cells. The enzyme also acts as a switch, turning other genes on and off.
What is UTX
Ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat, X chromosome, also known as UTX, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the UTX gene. UTX has been linked with histone demethylation, a potential means of regulating cellular metabolism.
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