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In Brief
P53 Regulates Cell Energy PathwaysThe gene p53, which is frequently mutated in cancer may provide the energy that feeds cancer cells, a new study suggests.
Cancer cells get their energy from a shift in cellular metabolism–by breaking down sugars rather than using oxygen. A team led by Paul M. Hwang, M.D., of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Md., found that p53 regulates a cell's decision to breakdown oxygen more frequently than sugars. When the gene is mutated, as is often seen in cancers, cells may instead break down sugars, which feed cancer cells growth. The scientists suggest p53's role in a cells energy mechanisms may offer insight as to how p53 affects other processes like aging.
The study was published online May 25 in Science.
Women at High-Risk of Breast Cancer May Benefit from MRI Screening
MRI screening for breast cancer may be cost-effective for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, a study reports.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations place a woman at a 45% to 65% higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general population. The risk can be reduced with mastectomy, but many women prefer screening to the surgery. MRI screening detects cancer earlier than mammography, but it is 10 times more expensive.
Sylvia K. Plevritis, Ph.D., of Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif., and colleagues examined the cost-effectiveness of using MRI screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. They found that annual MRI screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers was cost-effective from ages 35 to 54.
The story was published in the May 24/31 issue of JAMA.
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