AsianScientist (Apr. 28, 2011) – A joint multinational collaboration of scientists, epidemiologists, and clinicians from Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Australia, and the United States has identified genetic differences that may indicate a likelihood of developing a particular type of blood cancer known as follicular lymphoma.
Follicular lymphoma is a member of the group of blood cancers known as non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) or a collection of diverse blood cancers known as lymphomas.
Following an extensive genomic study published in PLoS Genetics, the researchers consistently found differences in the region of DNA known as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) which signaled for an increased predisposition to contracting diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, another subtype of NHL.
Interestingly, a region in the vicinity of HLA provided a defense mechanism against follicular lymphoma, but the interactions between different regions is still not fully understood.
These findings are important since blood cancers are the eighth most common cancer among men and the third most common cancer among children and young adults in Singapore, said Associate Professor Adeline Seow from the National University of Singapore.
The researchers hope that further understanding of the genetic origins of blood cancers will someday lead to the development of more potent anti-cancer agents.
The article can be found at: Smedy KE et al. (2011) GWAS of Follicular Lymphoma Reveals Allelic Heterogeneity at 6p21.32 and Suggests Shared Genetic Susceptibility with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.
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Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
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