A type of mutation that 'switches on' inflammatory signalling pathways in human liver tumours is described in a paper in Nature. Similar mutations may occur in other inflammatory epithelial cancers.
Jessica Zucman-Rossi and colleagues studied human inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas (IHCAs), benign liver tumours with a strong inflammatory signature. 'Gain-of-function' mutations in the gp130 signalling component of the interleukin-6 receptor - a pro-inflammatory signalling pathway - were found in around 60% of IHCAs. The gp130 alterations were accompanied by mutations that activate beta-catenin, a molecule already implicated in the development of liver cancer. So it's thought that the two mutations cooperate to promote tumour formation. CONTACT Jessica Zucman-Rossi (Institut National de la Sante et la Recherce Medicale, Paris, France)
E-mail: zucman@cephb.fr Abstract available online. (C) Nature press release.
Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza
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