The spread of cancer cells in the tongue may be reduced if a gene that regulates cancer cell migration can be controlled, according to a new study in the International Journal of Cancer (August 1, 2010, Vol. 127:3, pp. 505-512).
More than 90% of oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas that normally start on the gums, floor of the mouth, or tongue, and about 30,000 Americans are affected each year, said Xiaofeng "Charles" Zhou, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Illinois (UIC) at Chicago Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases and lead researcher of the study, in a press release.
While new cancers of all types have risen 8% in the last five years, oral cancer increased 21%, according to the American Cancer Society. Tongue squamous cell carcinoma, one of the most frequent oral cancers, rose more than 37% in this period.
While researchers have tried to identify altered genes that contribute to the aggressive nature of tongue squamous cell carcinoma, most previous studies have focused on protein-encoding genes, Zhou said.
The UIC study examined a noncoding gene called microRNA-138. MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNA molecules that control the expression of a target gene after the intermediary message for the gene has been transcribed into RNA, Zhou said. Several microRNAs are believed to stimulate the spread of various types of cancer.
The UIC study demonstrated that a reduced level of microRNA-138 is associated with enhanced ability of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells to spread, Zhou said.
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