The cistron PTEN is a neoplasm suppressor , making it one of the in force genes to have in the scrap against malignant neoplastic disease . But the latest research suggest that preventing cancer is just the rootage of all the amazing thing this factor can do .
unremarkably , the idiomatic expression “ too much of a good thing ” is all over medical science — even if something is beneficial at one dosage , there ’s zero warrant that increase the dosage will make it even better . But the initial research on PTEN propose that it might be a rare exception … at least , if you ’re a mouse . Crucially , it seems that tumor suppressor genes are n’t simply about stopping genus Cancer , and their full cooking stove of benefits is just await to be unsecured .
Researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center recently conducted an experiment in which they gave some mouse an extra battery-acid of the PTEN gene . In both mice and humans , PTEN is one of the central genes responsible for controlling cell ontogenesis , and signalize cells when it ’s time stop dividing and undergo cell death . As malignant neoplastic disease starts to spread , the PTEN gene is one of the first to be destroy so that the cancerous cellphone can start their runaway growth , and thus the tumor forms .
Giving the mice more than the naturally recommended window pane of PTEN kept them cancer - free , which propose that have multiple genomic written matter of the tumor suppressor allowed it to stand off any harmful mutations or attempted defusing . That ’s potentially good news for expatiate PTEN ’s persona in cancer bar , but the potentially great news is the side event of the extra factor .
The mice with the extra PTEN had a metabolic asymmetry , although it ’s the character of imbalance that hoi polloi in the midst of an obesity epidemic would be all too happy to have . The experimental mice ate more and yet rest thinner than the control group . The researcher also account that the shiner were less likely to be insulin - resistive and their livers had less fat in them than those of other mice . essentially , the mice were lean and healthier , even though they were eating more .
The researchers consider the source of this extra protection is establish in the brown blubber cells , which had become hyperactive and were burning scads of excess calorie . It seems the extra dosage of PTEN both increased the chocolate-brown fat cell activity and made it easy for those cells to form . accord to research leader Manuel Serrano , “ This tumor suppresser protect against metabolic price associated with ripening by turning on browned fat . ”
We ’re probably several eld out from fuck what benefits this finding might have for citizenry , but the early results are encouraging . The researchers have identify a compound inhibitor that can mimic the effects of the additional PTEN gene , mean it could be possible to enjoy all these benefits without rewriting your DNA . If that ’s the case , then this determination could provide the road to a drug that lets you revel your organic structure ’s instinctive protection against malignant neoplastic disease , obesity , and cardiovascular problem throughout our total lives — not just when you ’re young .
ViaCell Metabolism . Image by mathagraphics , viaShutterstock .
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