Sydney (Australia), 5 sep (EFE).-A group of Australian scientists discovered that a new type of hereditary genetic defect is present in the people who are prone to suffer preleucemia and acute leukemia, reported today means premises.
This flaw – that predisposes people to develop mielodisplásticos syndromes (MDS), known as preleucemias, and acute myeloid leukemia – consists of a mutation in the gene GATA2.
This gene regulates the activities of others involved in the production of cell white.
“The discovery of this gene allows to identify, monitor and treat people that are very likely (to suffer acute leukemia) in advance,” said the local agency AAP Hamish Scott, of the Centre for biology and pathology of cancer Australia of South.
Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, characterized by the inability of the bone marrow to produce healthy, cells usually develop severe anemia and require constant of blood transfusions
About a third of those affected with the SMD develop acute leukemia, a disease that if it is not detected in time can kill the life of the patient in a few weeks or months.
But with the discovery of the genetic defect scientists can develop new tests to diagnose both diseases and seek new forms of treatment.
Biology and pathology of Cancer Center already developed tests to detect the gene, while in United States is developing clinical trials related to these diseases.
This discovery was made possible by genetic testing of a family of the city of Adelaide which had blood disorder and that it is the largest related with this genetic defect known to date, added AAP.
Research, which was published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics, was funded by the National Council of health and medical research, the Council of the South Australia cancer, Leukemia Foundation and the University of Adelaide.
A researcher changes the culture medium for tumor cells in his lab. EFE/file
