Scientists from Vanderbilt University have found that blocking the TCL1A gene can prevent the development of blood cancer in older people. The results of the research were published in the journal Nature.
Using data from more than 5,000 people, scientists identified the gene responsible for identifying the gene that triggers the division of malignant blood cells. Drugs targeting the TCL1A gene are likely to suppress the growth of cancer cells.
The authors noted that with age, dividing cells in the body acquire mutations. Most of these mutations are harmless, but more than 10% of older people develop mutations in blood stem cells that can lead to blood cancer and heart disease.
It also turned out that some people have a mutation in this gene that prevents TCL1A from turning on, which protects them from blood cancer.