（C）Princeton University, Office of Communications, Brian Wilson（2008）
分子生物学講師Yibin Kang氏と研究班仲間
乳癌の転移と抗癌剤への反応，これら両方に密接に関わる遺伝子，MTDHが発見された。この遺伝子は，癌細胞が離れた臓器の血管に付着するのを助け，乳癌がこれらの臓器へ転移するのを促進する。さらに，治療に使われる多くの化学療法剤に癌が抵抗するようにしてしまう。MTDHは作用のしくみが明らかな数少ない遺伝子のひとつであり，そのため，今回の発見をもとに転移を抑制する薬剤が開発される可能性が高いという。また，MTDHは乳癌患者の30～40％で過剰に発現しているため，薬剤が開発されれば多くの患者が恩恵を受けると考えられている。（吉田素子）
A team of researchers(1) at Princeton University and The Cancer(2) Institute of New Jersey has identified a long-sought(3) gene(4) that is fatefully(5) switched on in 30 to 40 percent of all breast cancer(6) patients, spreading the disease, resisting traditional chemotherapies(7) and eventually(8) leading to death.
The gene, called "Metadherin(9)" or MTDH(10), is located in a small region of human chromosome 8(11) and appears to be crucial(12) to cancer's spread or metastasis(13) because it helps tumor(14) cells(15) stick tightly(16) to blood vessels(17) in distant organs(18). The gene also makes tumors more resistant to(19) the powerful chemotherapeutic agents(20) normally used to wipe out(21) the deadly cells.
In identifying the genetic mechanism(22) at play(23) in the metastasis of breast cancer, the scientists may have answered one of the biggest mysteries in cancer research and paved the way for(24) new drugs that could thwart(25) the gene's diabolical(26) actions.
"Inhibiting(27) this gene in breast cancer patients will simultaneously(28) achieve two important goals -- reduce the chance of recurrence(29) and, at the same time, decrease the risk of metastatic dissemination(30)," said Yibin Kang, an assistant professor(31) of molecular biology(32) at Princeton, who led the research. "Clinically, these are the two major reasons why breast cancer patients die from the disease."
The work is described in the Jan. 6 edition of Cancer Cell.
The discovery is important for several other reasons, according to Michael Reiss, another author of the paper and director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, a part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry(33) of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
(1) 研究者 (2) 癌 (3) 念願の (4) 遺伝子 (5) 宿命的に (6) 乳癌 (7) 化学療法 (8) 最終的に
(9) メタドヘリン（遺伝子の名称） (10) メタドヘリンの略称 (11) 8番染色体 (12) 重要な (13) 転移
(14) 腫瘍 (15) 細胞 (16) しっかりと (17) 血管 (18) 臓器 (19) ～に抵抗性の (20) 化学療法剤
(21) 死滅させる (22) 機序 (23) 進行中の (24) ～のために道を開いた (25) 阻止する (26) 悪魔的な
(27) ～の抑制 (28) 同時に (29) 再発 (30) 播種性転移 (31) 講師 (32) 分子生物学 (33) 歯科
