Oklahoma City, OK – Following the discovery of a new gene potentially associated with breast cancer, Oklahoma City researchers announced they are seeking candidates for an ongoing study to further analyze the genetics of the disease. This announcement follows the publication of a study in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet on May 19, 2001.
Potential candidates for the validation study are women who have a mother or sister with breast cancer. Please contact the study coordinator at 405-271-7458.
Led by Eldon Jupe, Ph.D., a team of OMRF/OUHSC researchers discovered an inherited variant of the human gene ‘prohibition,” which may be used to identify women genetically predisposed to higher risk of developing breast cancer. The group of researchers determined an association between the “T-allele” – or variant of the prohibitin gene – and breast cancer in women with a first-degree relative (mother or sister) with the disease. An even stronger association was found in a subset of women diagnosed at or before age 50.
“Our preliminary results are promising,” said lead researcher Eldon Jupe, Ph.D., senior scientist at OMRF. “However, we must confirm our findings in additional studies in order to ensure accurate data which could eventually lead to better genetic tests.”
OMRF has formed a company named ProhibiTx on the basis of this and other prohibitin patents. Dr. Jupe and Linda Thompson, Ph.D. of OMRF are co-founders of the company, and Dr. Jupe serves as Vice President for Research at ProhibiTx. Dr. Thompson is a consultant to the company and also serves on its scientific advisory board. David Ralph, M.B.A., Ph.D., serves as the president of ProhibiTx.
ProhibiTx has the support of a venture capital investment of $600,000 from the Oklahoma Life Sciences Fund (OLS) to develop the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of the patented technology. In addition, ProhibiTx has received funding from the Presbyterian Health Foundation.
