• Question: How exactly do particular fusions between genes affect cancer prognoses?

    Asked by hollyg to Anouk, Chris, Judith, Leisha, Seyyed on 19 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Chris Kettle

      Chris Kettle answered on 19 Jun 2012:

      Fusions of genes can bring otherwise dormant gees under the control of genes tat are always turned in. Look at cml ( chronic myeloid leukaemia). The abl gene from chromosome 9 is translocated to te BCR region of chromosome 22. Here the chimeric protein is always turned on leading to uncintrolled cell division and and an increase in blood elks.

      In PML-rara, a similar ene fusion occurs which results in the patient not being able o have a proper blood function and death can result from. Blood clotting in the veins.

      Essentially, the fusions put a gene involved in cell division under he control,of a gene that is always turned on (=housekeeping gene)

    • Photo: Judith Sleeman

      Judith Sleeman answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Cancer of a particular cell or tissue type can arise as a result of many different types of DNA damage, so not everyone with, for example, prostate cancer, will have the same cause for the cancer.

      Cancer can be caused by a gene fusion that makes a protein made up of part of one gene and part of another. This can be very damaging for the cell. Particular gene fusions, as Chris says, are sometimes associated with particular types of cancer. I’m not an expert in cancer prognosis (I don’t even have a medical degree!) but I think that some of these fusions are more damaging to the cell than others. So, if you have a particular type of cancer with gene fusion A you might have more chance of recovery (a better prognosis) than if you have the same type of cancer but with gene fusion B. I don’t think it’s that cut-and-dried, though, as many factors can influence how likely you are to recover from cancer.

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