A genetic discovery could pave the way for earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer and personalised treatments, scientists claim.
Researchers have identified six “messenger” molecules that are found in ovarian cancer cells but not healthy cells. Detecting them could help with early diagnosis before symptoms appear. A number of the molecules are also linked to unique proteins that could be targeted with new drugs, according to researchers from the University of California, San Diego.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a molecular cousin of DNA that carries information from the genetic code to protein-making machinery in cells.
The advantage of using mRNA rather than DNA for diagnosis is that it is much more visible, said the researchers, whose findings are reported in the journal Proceedings of the National