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With The Support Of Lustgarten Foundation, Researcher Discovers A Gene That Causes Familial Pancreatic Cancer

Main Category: Pancreatic Cancer
Also Included In: Genetics | Conferences
Article Date: 13 Dec 2006

Teri Brentnall, MD, of the University of Washington, today announced the breakthrough discovery of a gene, which, when mutated, causes pancreatic cancer in families. This discovery may allow for earlier detection of the disease as well as for intervention in patients who are at a high-risk because two or more members of their family have the disease. It also has promising implications for better understanding the sporadic instances of pancreatic cancer that occur in the general population. The announcement was made at a press conference, which was broadcast live on the Web.

Critical funding during the early stages of Dr. Brentnall's work was provided by The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the world's largest private foundation dedicated exclusively to supporting pancreatic cancer research.

Said Dr. Brentnall, "The Lustgarten Foundation believed in our research ideas when many others did not, and they put their money where their beliefs were. With their support, my team and I found a key that may help unlock the mystery of pancreatic cancer. We are excited and eager to use this discovery to further our understanding of this devastating disease. I want to thank Charles Dolan, Dr. Vizza, Kerri Kaplan and the entire Lustgarten Foundation team for their support of our research efforts."

Said Dr. Robert Vizza, President of The Lustgarten Foundation, "One of the most devastating aspects of pancreatic cancer is that far too often it is detected after it has spread. Dr. Brentnall's discovery of this gene opens up promising new avenues of research regarding two of the most important objectives in the fight against pancreatic cancer - early detection and treatment."

Said Dr. Robert Mayer, Director, Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, professor at Harvard, and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of The Lustgarten Foundation, "One key reason pancreatic cancer is so deadly is that we don't have any means of screening or early detection. Finding an abnormal gene that appears in families with pancreatic cancer, and perhaps in others, offers us hope that we can improve the outcome for patients suffering from this terrible disease."

Said Kerri Kaplan, Executive Director of The Lustgarten Foundation, "The Lustgarten Foundation is thrilled that our support for Dr. Brentnall's research has resulted in this breakthrough identification of a gene that causes pancreatic cancer."

About Dr. Brentnall's Research

For the past 10 years, Dr. Brentnall and her team at the University of Washington's Research Laboratories have been working on one of the major "mysteries" of pancreatic cancer - why the disease occurs in two or more family members in at least 10% of all pancreatic cancer cases, and why the risk increases with each member of the family who is affected.

Brentnall's team suspected that a certain gene was responsible but they did not know which one. In order to unlock the mystery, Dr. Brentnall and the team first identified a family ("Family X") with extremely high occurrences of pancreatic cancer and, therefore, a seemingly genetic disposition towards the disease. They then developed new methods for detecting the disease at its earliest stages. This not only allowed them to detect pre-cancer before it became cancer and spread - something previously impossible through old screening methods - it also allowed them to determine which family members carried the lethal gene. By comparing the DNA profiles of the individuals in the family who had pre-cancer to those who were disease-free, Dr. Brentnall discovered that a certain gene, called Palladin, when mutated, is responsible for causing pancreatic cancer.

About Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in individuals ages 40 to 60. Currently, pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect, resistant to treatment, and is usually discovered after it has spread. Ninety five percent of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will die from it, the majority within 12 months of diagnosis.

About The Lustgarten Foundation

The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research was founded in 1998 through the efforts of Marc Lustgarten, former vice chairman of Cablevision who died of pancreatic cancer in 1999, and Charles F. Dolan, chairman of Cablevision. Since its founding, The Lustgarten Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $15 million in support of pancreatic cancer research. For more information regarding the Foundation, its work and the application process for grants, contact Ms. Kerri Kaplan, Executive Director, The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, N.Y. 11714; phone: 516-803-2304, fax: 516-803-2303, Web site: http://www.lustgartenfoundation.org.

Lustgarten Foundation
http://www.lustgartenfoundation.org

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With The Support Of Lustgarten Foundation, Researcher Discovers A Gene That Causes Familial Pancreatic Cancer

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