According to a recent article on the Indian news website ZeeNews.com, researchers in the United States have discovered that a protein that grows as people age has been linked to cancer.
“The single most important prognostic factor in cancer is increasing age,” said Dr. David Gius, a professor and radiation oncologist at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “It seems logical that the genes that play a role in aging – or perhaps better stated, anti-aging – would be connected to cancer.”
An experiment recently conducted on mice led to the discovery that the mice which lacked the SIRT-2 gene tended to develop tumors more easily than mice who had the gene. Additionally, female mice without the gene developed tumors in their breast tissue, while male mice who lacked the gene developed tumors in their stomach tissue.
Dr. Gius was quoted as saying that the discovery could help researchers in their fight against cancer, knowing that potentially, people who lack specific genes could be more susceptible to certain types of cancers.
Perhaps one day, this research will help sufferers of Alzheimer’s Disease and other illnesses common among assisted living seniors.