Scientists Discover How to Switch Off Cancer Genes

Scientists may have just found cancer's off switch.

Researchers at Monash University, working with Harvard, discovered how to permanently silence the genes that keep certain aggressive leukemias alive. The breakthrough could transform treatment from months of grueling therapy into shorter, gentler courses that still work after the drugs stop.

The secret lies in epigenetics, the cellular instruction manual that tells genes when to turn on and off. Cancer mutations corrupt these instructions, locking dangerous growth programs in the "on" position around the clock.

Dr. Omer Gilan and his team at Monash's School of Translational Medicine traced the mechanism to two key proteins: Menin and DOT1L. These proteins act like cellular bookmarks, helping cancer cells "remember" to keep growth genes switched on.

Daniel Neville, a PhD candidate who led the research, explained that targeting Menin erases this molecular memory. The cancer cells keep dying even after treatment stops, like a light switch that stays off once flipped.

"We have potentially identified a new way to exploit cancer's weaknesses," Dr. Gilan said. "But the most exciting part is that clinicians can harness our findings to improve response and reduce side effects for patients."

The team published their findings in Nature Cell Biology this month. Drugs targeting these proteins already exist, but scientists hadn't fully understood why they worked so well.

Why This Inspires

Shorter treatment windows mean patients could tolerate higher doses or receive additional therapies that weren't previously possible. For families watching loved ones endure months of chemotherapy, this represents hope for a less brutal path forward.

Associate Professor Shaun Fleming, a clinical hematologist at The Alfred hospital, says understanding how these therapies work at a cellular level allows doctors to use them more effectively and safely. The discovery applies specifically to acute leukemias with certain genetic errors, but the principle could extend to other cancers that hijack similar cellular machinery.

Monash University and The Alfred will test the approach in clinical trials starting later this year, moving from laboratory discovery to real patients in record time.

The research offers something rare in cancer treatment: the possibility of lasting results without lasting suffering.