A team of researchers studied the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), brain cancer rare but irremediable, in order to understand why it mainly affects men.
By inhibiting or over-activating the production of certain proteins in mice, scientists have been able to prove that female individuals have more proteins called “suppressors.” tumors ‘To fight tumor cell proliferation than males.
The retinoblastoma protein (pRB) would be particularly activated in female mice, which would explain the predominance of GBM in males.
If many diseases differ between the sexes, it is above all a question of sex hormones. Here, the researchers highlighted the sexually specific nature of GBM cancer, which could call into question the effectiveness of treatments, which are still poorly adapted to the patient’s sex.
However, these experiences would benefit from being extended to other types of Cancer on human cell models, for more certainty as to the importance of the activation of the pRB protein in humans.
Source: The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sexually dimorphic RB inactivation underlies mesenchymal glioblastoma prevalence in males, Tao Sun, Nicole M. Warrington, Jingqin Luo, Michael D. Brooks, Sonika Dahiya, Steven C. Snyder, Rajarshi Sengupta and Joshua B. Rubi .
