CANBERRA, July 27 (Xinhua) — Australian scientists have discovered a new target protein that could enable more precise and effective treatments for Hodgkin Lymphoma, a common blood cancer.
Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) revealed that the protein H2A.B, found normally only in sperm-producing cells, is hijacked by cancer cells in Hodgkin lymphoma patients, according to an ANU statement.
ANU Professor David Tremethick, who led the study, described H2A.B as “a rogue switchboard,” actively reshaping gene expression, but since it’s mostly absent in healthy tissues, targeting it could kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones.
“It’s not just sitting on the DNA, it’s actively reshaping how genes are read, how proteins are made, and even how the cancer cell’s internal machinery is rewired to promote tumor growth,” Tremethick said.
Co-author ANU Associate Professor Tatiana Soboleva said H2A.B is one of few proteins like it with the potential to be “druggable” to block its cancer-promoting actions.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, was the first to reveal how H2A.B lets cancer cells take over gene networks normally active only during reproduction, the authors said.
The ANU team found that H2A.B partners with the SWI/SNF protein complex to activate genes, and blocking this partnership could stop its cancer-promoting effect. ■