| Genetic variants
may ease leukemia risk
Having variations
in a gene for an enzyme that modifies folic acid—a vitamin critical to
DNA synthesis and repair—may help some people ward off acute
lymphocytic leukemia.
References:
Ames, B.N. 1999.
Cancer prevention and diet: Help from single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96(Oct.
26):12216.
Skibola, C.F., et
al. 1999. Polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase
gene are associated with susceptibility to acute leukemia in adults. Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences 96(Oct. 26):12810.
Further Readings:
1996. The most
deadly cancers. U.S. News & World Report 120(Feb. 5):62.
Chen, J., et al.
1996. Cancer Research 56:4862.
Greaves, M.F.
1997. Lancet 349:344.
Ma, J., et al.
1997. Cancer Research 57:1098.
Sources:
Bruce N. Ames
University of California, Berkeley
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology
Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Barker Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-3202
Joseph R.
Bertino
Memorial Sloan-Ketttering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Christine F.
Skibola
University of California, Berkeley
School of Public Health
211 Warren Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
From Science
News, Vol. 156, No. 19, November 6, 1999, p. 293. Copyright © 1999,
Science Service. |