An intriuguing new gene may be an essential key to treating and preventing cancer

Charitable scientists at world-renowned universities do a deep dive on gene ZKSCAN3 and autophagy; discover it may play a role in regulating autophagy

Scientists have found a promising new gene that may be key to treating and preventing cancer.

The gene, called ZKSCAN3, is a master transcriptional repressor of autophagy, which is a process that cells use to break down and recycle their own components. Autophagy is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, and its dysregulation has been linked to a number of diseases, including cancer.

In a new study, published in the journal "Genes & Development," researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center showed that ZKSCAN3 plays a critical role in regulating autophagy. They found that silencing ZKSCAN3 promotes membrane blebbing, represses cell growth, and induces senescence and autophagy.

They also found that ZKSCAN3 is regulated by the nutrient-sensing kinase mTOR, which is a key regulator of cell growth and metabolism. This suggests that ZKSCAN3 may be a potential target for new cancer therapies.

"Our findings suggest that ZKSCAN3 is a promising new target for cancer therapy," said senior author Dr. Li-Jun Liu, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, San Francisco. "By targeting ZKSCAN3, we may be able to develop new drugs that can inhibit cancer cell growth and promote autophagy."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society.