Notch the Protector

As we age, our DNA acquires mutations. While the majority are harmless, some mutations can cause uncontrolled cell growth leading to cancer. By middle-age, the human oesophagus has developed into a patchwork of mutated cells. If those mutations do cause tumours, they can be hard to treat as symptoms appear once it has already started spreading. Researchers analysed the mutations in cells of the oesophagus in the over-50s. They discovered that most of them had mutations in a gene called NOTCH1. But this mutation was very rare in oesophageal cancers. To try and solve this mystery, the researchers removed Notch1 (pink) from mice (right) with oesophageal tumours (pictured, various colours) and tumour size was clearly reduced. Losing NOTCH1 appears to be a protective mutation against oesophageal cancer. If we can understand how this protection occurs, we could find new therapies that block NOTCH1 to treat these cancers.

Written by Sophie Arthur

Sophie Arthur

former Science Communications Officer MRC LMS

Formerly a stem cell biologist, Sophie has since moved into science communication working at the MRC LMS. She also writes an award winning science and education blog Soph talks science.

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• Image adapted from work by Emilie Abby and colleagues
• Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Nature Genetics, January 2023