Key New Finding in Study of Burkitt’s Lymphoma

According to a new study, new molecular insight into the treatment of Burkitt’s lymphoma may now be available. The hope is that these new findings will allow medical personnel to get a better understanding of how to treat one of the most vicious and aggressive tumors around.

As per the report, the specific emphasis of the research was placed on a genetic locus. This, of course, is a piece of DNA with one or multiple genes which is the location of a gene or DNA sequence on a given chromosome.

The particular locus in question encodes two vital tumor suppressor genes, p14 and p16. Further, it is usually canceled out in various tumors due to genetic mutations.

This research was conducted by the Sbarro Health Research Organizatio for Biotechnology. The nonprofit research center for cancer, cardiovascular and diabetes research is located in the College of Science and Technology at Temple University.

“We discovered a completely new mechanism for INK4/ARF protein inactivation,” said Annalisa Roberti, lead author of the paper. “Since in Burkitt`s lymphoma these two proteins are not inactivated at the genetic level, their inactivation could be pharmacologically reversible. The reactivation of p16 and p14 in our model and our ability to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis through the Rb- and p-53 pathways opens new prospects for the understanding and treatment of Burkitt’s lymphoma.”

“This is an additional piece of the complex puzzle in which the Rb family, which includes Rb2/p130, plays an important role. The new discovery in our laboratory presents additional evidence that more and more, Rb is becoming to be viewed as a guardian of our genome,” noted Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Founder of SHRO and Director of the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine.

These latest findings are simply the first steps in a long process designed to help individuals suffering from Burkitt’s lymphoma.