Longevity Gene May Also Predict Better Outcome For Breast Cancer Patients

A gene known to promote longevity in animals has now been discovered to encode a tumor suppressor - a protein that helps prevent cancer, according to a study by a team of scientists from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The new gene, which was inactivated in two-thirds of patients studied, presents a potent new target for breast cancer therapy, the researchers say. In a study published in the April 16, 2004, issue of the journal Cell, scientists describe how the presence of the protein, named Forkhead box class O3 (FOXO3), is associated with better outcomes for breast cancer patients. Conversely, if FOXO3 was inactivated, patients had worse outcomes.