Scientists studied the genes of the intestines and liver to understand why cancers occur only in specific tissues, focusing on genetic defects that allow cancer to hijack a signaling system that determines when and where cells should stop growing. This system, known as the WNT pathway, is used by cancer cells to form tumors.
The study showed that a protein called nucleofosmin (NPM1), which is involved in regulating cell growth, was found at high levels in bowel cancer and some liver cancers as a result of genetic errors in the WNT pathway.
Scientists have indicated that inhibiting the NPM1 protein could open the door to developing new treatments for specific types of cancer.
Professor Owen Sansom, lead researcher from the University of Glasgow and director of the Institute of Cancer Research Scotland, said: "Since the NPM1 protein is not essential for the health of normal adult tissues, inhibiting it may be a safe way to treat some cancers, such as some hard-to-treat bowel and liver cancers."
He added: "If the NPM1 protein is removed, cancer cells have difficulty producing proteins correctly, which allows tumor suppressors to be activated and cancer growth to be prevented."
The team hopes that these results will help in developing treatments for other types of cancer in the future.
The study was published in the journal Nture Genetics.
