A new UK study has identified a gene signature that predicts poor survival from ovarian cancer. The study also identified genes which help the cancer develop resistance to chemotherapy — offering a new route to help tackle the disease.
The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, examined the role of HOX genes in ovarian cancer resistance and whether a drug known as HXR9 which targets HOX, could help prevent the resistance from developing.
The HOX gene family enables the remarkably rapid cell division seen in growing embryos. Most of these genes are switched off in adults, but previous research has shown that in several cancers, including ovarian cancer, HOX genes are switched back on, helping the cancer cells to proliferate and survive.
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