Mutant Gene Might Cut Colon Cancer Risk

U.S. cancer biologists have identified a gene mutation that can reduce the number of colon polyps, thereby potentially cutting the risk of colon cancer.

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia used mice genetically prone to develop polyps and discovered that animals carrying one copy of the damaged gene, Atp5a1, had about 90 percent fewer polyps in their small intestine and colon.

Since people with large numbers of such polyps are at significantly higher risk to develop colon cancer, the researchers said their study might lead to new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat colon cancer.

The study, led by Associate Professors Linda Siracusa and Arthur Buchberg, is reported online in the journal Genome Research.