hunting down for mutations and Cancer
The stream substitution class in
medical research applies that the case of most cancers is a chromosomal
mutation. E.g., According to the National Human Genome Research Institute
(NHGRI), an institute at the NIH, "all cancers are established on
mutations in dead body cells." As a
matter of fact,
chromosomal mutation hunting is big business concern. Just
consider the NIH budget allocated to discoveries of mutations, the number of
biotech companies chasing genetic mutations, the magnitude of the licensing
agreements between biotech and pharmas aimed to utilize fresh broke mutations,
and the amount of stories in the media on mutations and their alleged
"associate" to disease. All the same, <b>this immense cause and
billions of dollars has brought about few breakthroughs and fiddling does good
to the populace. The argue for this modified succeeder is bare. <b>The
drive of cancer isn't a chromosomal mutation.
The story of the BRCA1 gene is
irregular case of chromosomal mutation hunt.
The Mystery of BRCA1
FactorsAt large, bring forth proteins,
which are the units of cells. The absorption of the protein is tightly
regulated. A mutated gene brings forth an abnormal absorption of its protein,
which may lead to disease. In 1994, Mark Skolnick, PhD, discovered the BRCA1
gene (BRCA1 is short for BReast CAncer 1). Adopting the discovery, scientists
detected an abnormally low level of the BRCA1 protein in breast cancer tissues.
The BRCA1 protein is a cell cycle suppressor, which means that the protein prevents
cell replication. This observance created many excitement. At the time, men of
science believed that they were on the verge of finding the cause of bosom
cancer. The reasoning was that breast cancer patients must have a mutated BRCA1
gene, which would explain the lessened production of the protein, and the
overweening replica of breast cancer cells in tumors.
In the United States, 180,000 cases of
breast cancer are diagnosed each year. However, the BRCA1 gene is mutated in
less than 5% of these cases. In more than 95% of breast cancer patients the
gene is not mutated.
So here is the mystery. If the gene is
not mutated in the great majority of the breast cancer patients, why are the
tumors showing low levels of the BRCA1 protein? Today, this is one of the
biggest mysteries in cancer research.
The BRCA1 gene is not unique. Many
normal (non-mutated) genes exhibit a mysterious abnormal (increased or
decreased) production of proteins in cancer. Moreover, studies also report
abnormal gene expression of normal genes in other diseases, such as
atherosclerosis, obesity, osteoarthritis, type II diabetes, alopecia, type I
diabetes, multiple sclerosis, asthma, lupus, thyroiditis, inflammatory bowel
disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and graft versus
host disease.
The Discovery
A virus is a collection of genes. To
replicate, some viruses settle in the nucleus of the host cell and use the cell
machinery to replicate. What is the effect of a viral gene on the production of
cellular proteins?
Think of a gene as an assembly line of
a protein. Like all assembly lines, the gene has two parts, a conveyor (the
gene coding section), and a control panel (the gene promoter/enhancer). Imagine
a cellular shop that assembles a product called BRCA1. One of the many buttons
on the control panel is called N-box. Pressing the button increases production.
However, only a small number of operators (called transcription factors), those
who pass a special certification (called the p300 test), have permission to
press this button. What happens when a
virus opens a shop across the street from the cellular shop (called latent
infection) to produce its viral products? The control panel in the viral shop
also has an N-box button. To start production, the virus begins to hire away
some of the certified operators. What is the effect of this "hiring
away" on the number of available BRCA1 units? The number decreases.
Moreover, the decrease becomes apparent even before the virus starts production
(the "hiring away" is what creates the effect, not the viral
proteins). The viral assembly line competes with the BRCA1 assembly line for
the certified operators, and by hiring them away prevents the cellular shop
from producing the optimum, or "healthy" number of BRCA1 units. The
lower number of BRCA1 units leads to excessive cell replication and breast
cancer. (See a more technical description in a recent paper published in the
European Journal of Cancer.)
The infection with the latent virus
causes abnormal production of other genes, and as a result, the development of
other chronic diseases. This sequence of events easily explains why people who
suffer from obesity are also more likely to suffer from diabetes, cancer, and
heart disease, and why a recent large scale study found that a low-fat diet
does not protect against breast cancer.
It also explains another surprising observation that male pattern
baldness is associated with heart disease and prostate cancer. In general, this
sequence of events easily explains the numerous observations indicating a
co-existence or co-morbidity of some chronic diseases.
This discovery was first described by
Dr. Hanan Polansky in his book, Microcompetition with Foreign DNA and the
Origin of Chronic Disease, published by The Center for the Biology of Chronic
Disease.
To summarize: the cause of cancer, and
other chronic diseases, is not a genetic mutation, it's an infection with a
latent virus.
Reaction of the Scientific Community
What is the scientific community
saying about Dr. Polansky's discovery?
Consider what the famous heart surgeon
and "Living Legend," Michael E. DeBakey, said about the discovery,
"The theory underlying the basic concept concerning the origin of chronic
diseases presented by Dr. Polansky is most interesting, indeed fascinating …
Perhaps a symposium could be held to provide a forum for further discussions
and critiques of this fascinating theory."
Elena N. Naumova, PhD, Associate
Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Tufts University
School of Medicine, said, "Dr. Polansky's work compellingly demonstrates a
framework that could bring together researchers from different fields. His
proposed theory will work its magic by clarifying ambiguous definitions,
identifying similarities and differences in various biological processes, and
discovering new pathways … I believe that Dr. Polansky's book will catalyze the
scientific learning process, promote interdisciplinary cross-fertilization,
stimulate development of treatment strategies and drug discovery, and leave the
reader inspired."
Sivasubramanian Baskar, PhD, Senior
Scientist from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, said, "At first, I wish
to congratulate Dr. Hanan Polansky for his scientific bravery to take such a
unique, novel approach to further stimulate our understanding of the origin and
establishment of chronic diseases. The philosophy underscored is an excellent
one ... The amazing correlation between theoretical predictions and observed in
vivo effects seems to bring us a step closer to a deeper understanding of such
complex biologic processes."
Marc Pouliot, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine,
Université Laval, Canada, said, "The concept of microcompetition will
change our approach in the study of chronic diseases and will furthermore give
scientists a higher level of understanding in biology. Presentation of this
concept undoubtedly provides a new set of opportunities for attacking chronic
diseases … They lead the way to new approaches in chronic disease
treatment."
Howard A. Young, PhD, Section Head,
Cellular and Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Experimental
Immunology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, said, "In summary, Dr.
Polansky is to be applauded for his attempt to provide a unifying basis for
chronic diseases. His theories are stimulating and offer a basis for
experimental testing and possible treatment."
Michael J. Gonzalez, PhD, Professor,
Medical Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, said, "I know this book will
profoundly impact medical research, drug discovery, as well as natural
therapies. I also believe it will benefit the scientific community and society
in general by providing further means of treatment for conditions in which only
palliative care is available."
You can find more reactions and the
biographies the scientists reacting to Dr. Polansky's discovery on the
publisher's (see link below).
<b>Hope for Cure and
Protection</b>
The significance of Dr. Polansky's
discovery cannot be overstated. For the first time, we can start to feel a
little better about these diseases. With his discovery, pharmaceutical and
biotech companies can now start to design medications that will target the
cause of the disease rather than its symptoms, and therefore, cure the sick and
protect the healthy from these deadly diseases.