New research shows how gene mutations fuel the growth of bile duct cancer, a rare but aggressive type of liver cancer that has been on the rise in the United States.
The paper in Cell Reports details the cooperation of two known cancer genes, Arid1a and Kras, and how they disable tumor suppressor activity. When both genes are mutated—particularly Arid1a—the pathways that usually shut down tumor activity cannot perform.
The goal is to use the data to find drugs that could restore the normal function of a mutated Arid1a, to stop cancer’s growth. The pre-clinical investigation is specific to cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, which is the second most common type of liver cancer….