Research On Inherited Cancer Susceptibility

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30103, 10 April 1963, Page 16

Research On Inherited Cancer Susceptibility

Pure lines of rats and mice may give vital clues in distinguishing hereditary from other factors influencing certain types of cancer Work along these lines is being carried out in the Hugh Adam Cancer Research Department of the Otago Medical School and British Empire Cancer Campaign Society at Dunedin. Dr. F. Bielschowsky, director of the department, described the work. Pure lines of experimental animals are strains which have been brother-sister mated for so many generations that all individuals in a particular line are genetically practically identical When two groups of a single line are given different treat tnents, any difference in their reactions can be fairly safely attributed to the treatment. without any proviso that genetic factors might be at work, similarly, when groups from different lines

are given identical treatments, any difference in results can probably be attributed to genetic differences.

"It has long been known that genetic factors determine the susceptibility of animals to cancels, to a large extent,” explained Dr. Bielschowsky “This is lot seen very often in man, because of the wide genetic variability within most human populations The results of our work on pure lines of animals may help shed light on some human cancer problems

“One p'tre strain may be highly susceptible to tumours m one organ but not in another. while, with a second strain, it may be the other way round One strain may respond very poorly to a particular treatment while another may be highly sensitive.”

One effect being studied in the department, said Dr Bielschowsky, was the way in which susceptibility to cancers was modified by hormones. It had been found, for example, that the surgical removal of the anterior pituitary gland (hypophysectomy) from rats protected certain organs, such as the liver, against cancer-produc-ing agents' -The line being followed was to discover which ho-mones must be present to allow the liver of the rat to react to such agents in the normal manner. Other lines of research Involved the effects of the removal of various endocrine glands adrenal. thyroid, or pituitary —on tumour development.