Gene That Can Be Used To Treat Cancer, Identified By Scientists

Researchers Enlisting Helps To Name The Gene

A new gene that aids the regulation of the body’s immune response to infection and cancer has been identified by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

Report had it that the gene has existed for 500 million years, but Cameron Stewart explained that its identification could lead to the development of new treatments for a “variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.”

“Our immune system produces proteins called cytokines that help fortify the immune system and work to prevent viruses and other pathogens from replicating and causing disease,” Stewart said in a statement.

The gene, called “C6orf106 or C6”, “regulates this process by switching off the production of certain cytokines to stop our immune response from spiralling out of control.”

Rebecca Ambrose, who was part of the CSIRO team that discovered the gene, said, “There are still thousands of genes that we know very little about.”

“It’s exciting to consider that C6 has existed for more than 500 million years, preserved and passed down from simple organisms all the way to humans.

But only now are we gaining insights into its importance.”

Researchers are enlisting the help of the community to name the gene, and a shortlist of names will be made available for final approval by a governing third party.