Dr Alexander Crozier

Protein lost in lung cancer reveals hidden layer of gene control

Scientists at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, have uncovered an important way that cells keep their genes under control. The discovery could help explain one of the earliest molecular changes that occurs during the development of lung cancer. The study, published in Science Advances, reveals that a protein called LIMD1, which is frequently lost in lung cancer, plays a much bigger role in controlling gene activity than scientists previously realised. The findings uncover a previously hidden layer of gene regulation and may provide new insight into how normal cells begin to lose control during the earliest stages of cancer.