HEALTH REPORT - Melanoma Research

HEALTH REPORT - September 4, 2002: Melanoma Research

By Nancy Steinbach

(Photo - U.S. National Cancer
Institute)
This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Scientists have discovered a genetic² change that can cause malignant³ melanoma, the most serious kind of skin
cancer. The cancer then spreads through the body. Malignant melanoma kills almost forty-thousand people
around the world each year.

The new research was reported in the publication Nature. The work was done by
medical scientists involved in the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust
Sanger Institute in Cambridge, England. The aim of the Cancer Genome Project is
to find which of the thirty-thousand human genes⁴ are involved in cancer.

Genes contain material called D-N-A. The order of the D-N-A in a gene¹ is
represented by a series of letters. A change, or mutation⁵, happens when the order of
the letters changes. Mutations happen in two ways. Chemicals, radiation or viruses
can damage D-N-A. Damage also can result from mistakes before cells divide.

Most of these mutations are harmless. However, sometimes a mutation in a gene

will cause cells to act in an unusual way. For example, a changed gene will cause a
cell to divide when it should stop dividing. Or the cell will move away from its normal place and into another
organ. This is how cancer begins. Experts say it takes about twenty-five years from the time of the first gene
mutation until a cancerous growth appears in adults.

Cancer Genome Project researchers have been examining human genes to find the abnormal⁶ genes that cause
cells to become cancerous. The change that causes malignant melanoma is the first one they have found. It is in
the gene called B-R-A-F, one of a group of genes that must all be turned on for a cell to grow and divide.

Scientists say when a gene causes a cell to grow and divide it is “turned on.
”
Normally, it then “turns off”
and stops the cell from dividing any more. The Genome Project scientists found that the mutation makes the gene
stay turned on all the time. It causes the cells to divide and never stop. This leads to cancer.

The researchers say the finding could lead to effective drugs to treat melanoma. They have already started
searching for drugs to make the gene turn off and stop the growth of the cancer. But they also say that people
should try to prevent malignant melanoma from developing by staying out of the sun as much as possible.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

3 malignant   

adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的

参考例句：

• Alexander got a malignant slander.亚历山大受到恶意的诽谤。
• He started to his feet with a malignant glance at Winston.他爬了起来，不高兴地看了温斯顿一眼。

4 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

5 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

6 abnormal   

adj.反常的，不正常的，不规则的

参考例句：

• This warm weather is abnormal for February.二月里这种温暖的天气不太正常。
• That is simply abnormal.那简直是反常的。