Researchers at the Menzies Research Institute, who form part of a large international prostate cancer research group called PRACTICAL, have contributed to the discovery of seven genetic markers linked to men's risk of developing prostate cancer.

Researchers at the Menzies Research Institute, who form part of a large international prostate cancer research group called PRACTICAL, have contributed to the discovery of seven genetic markers linked to men's risk of developing prostate cancer. The study was recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Genetics. 

This new ground breaking research has the potential to lead to improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment for prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men after non-melanoma skin cancers, and will affect one in eight Tasmanian men.

The international team of scientists led by researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in the UK and the University of Cambridge, analysed variations in the genomes of almost 38,000 men and found seven regions in the genome that increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. They are located at sites on chromosomes 2, 4, 8, 11 and 22.

One of the genes, NKX3.1, could be useful as a new target for treating prostate cancer. It helps control how cells die and when damaged can be a key element in developing cancer.

Drugs called HDAC1 inhibitors, that play a similar role to this gene, are currently in clinical trials and this research could help doctors target this treatment to men with variations in the NKX3.1 gene. 

Another gene, ITGA6, could also be a potential target for new drugs. It plays an important role in cell growth, movement and survival and when overactive it is associated with some prostate cancers.

Director of the Menzies Research Institute, Professor Simon Foote, believes these results will greatly improve current knowledge of prostate cancer.

"Scientists become very excited about these kinds of breakthroughs. Mapping the human genome is an epic task and each discovery helps consolidate existing knowledge. We hope these discoveries will lead to further clinical trials for new treatments and preventative measures," Professor Foote said.

Menzies' Dr Jo Dickinson, Senior Research Fellow and Member said that working together with such a large group of researchers enables significant breakthroughs to be made which will facilitate the development of advances in diagnosis and treatment of these complex diseases.

"Our participation in such a significant discovery also raises the international profile of Menzies and the Tasmanian community," Dr Dickinson said.

The collaborative team examined the genetic differences in 19,879 men with prostate cancer and 18,761 healthy individuals - using data from 21 studies worldwide including eight from Europe, nine from North America, one from China, and three from Australia. This looked at differences in over 43,000 SNPs, pieces of DNA that vary between individuals. 

This research takes the total number of regions of the human genome associated with an increased prostate cancer risk to over 20.  

Prostate cancer research at Menzies Research Institute is proudly supported by the Australian Cancer Foundation through the established of the Tasmanian Inherited Cancer Centre and through the Cancer Council Tasmania.

Released by:

Fiona Horwood
Communications Manager
Menzies Research Institute
Telephone:(03) 6226 7751

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