Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with limited treatment options. It typically comes with an especially poor prognosis due to its lack of symptoms until advanced stages and its ability to resist many anticancer therapies. Identifying genes involved in its development may lead to earlier diagnoses and improved treatments. Now, a research team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has found that a mutation in a particular gene is associated with hereditary forms of pancreatic cancer in one family studied. Approximately 10% of pancreatic cancer is believed to be hereditary (see discussion of pancreatic cancer in former US President Jimmy Carter's family below). The research group also uncovered a mechanism by which mutations such as the one they identified may contribute to the development of tumors. In their study, which was published online on August 12, 2019 in Nature Genetics, the researchers sequenced the genomes of a family in which multiple members had pancreatic cancer. The analyses revealed a mutation in the RAS oncogene family-like 3 (RABL3) gene. The article is titled “Mutations in RABL3 Alter KRAS Prenylation and Are Associated with Hereditary Pancreatic Cancer.” To assess the effects of this gene mutation, the investigators recapitulated it in zebrafish, a model which offers large populations for studying the impact of newly discovered genetic mutations on cancer risk. The fish carrying the mutation developed cancers at an accelerated rate and with greater frequency. Additional studies revealed that the protein expressed by RABL3 interacts with components of the RAS signaling pathway, which has been implicated in various forms of cancer and other conditions.Login Or Register To Read Full Story