Major Cancer Protein Amplifies Global Gene Expression, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study

Scientists may have discovered why a protein called MYC can provoke a variety of cancers. Like many proteins associated with cancer, MYC helps regulate cell growth. A study carried out by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and colleagues found that, unlike many other cell growth regulators, MYC does not turn genes on or off, but instead boosts the expression of genes that are already turned on. These findings, which will be published in Cell on Sept. 28, could lead to new therapeutic strategies for some cancers.