Scientists find key cancer danger gene

Scientists have discovered a gene that increases a man's risk of developing prostate cancer by 50 per cent.

They now plan to develop a simple test for the gene, which they believe is inherited.

Experts today hailed the development as a breakthrough in the fight against the disease, which is the most common cancer in men, and kills 10,000 men in Britain each year.

The news comes as the University of Sunderland revealed today it has developed a new urine test for prostate cancer. The urine test, which is being developed for GPs, measures the levels of a biological marker, which the team believes gives an indication of the likelihood of the cancer developing.

Prostate Cancer Charity chief executive, John Neate, said: "This is very exciting news.

The traditional blood tests for prostate cancer can give false-positive results and may mean that men go for unnecessary biopsies.

"If the new test can reduce this by its accuracy, then we welcome its advance."

The gene breakthrough, made by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, discovered that people with the gene, called KLF6, were 50per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer.

The study of more than 3,400 people targeted

those with a family history of the disease.

Blood samples were DNA tested for various genes believed to play a part in the disease.

"Our findings highlight a completely novel and previously unexplored pathway for the development of prostate cancer," said Professor John Martignetti, who led the research.

"We plan to investigate the potential of this gene as a diagnostic tool, an indicator of a patient's risk for prostate cancer."

However, experts warned that any new test could still be years away.

IVF embryos are grown in a dish before being transferred to the mother's womb or frozen and stored for future use.

The liquid the embryos are kept in during the first two to five days of life does not contain the growth hormones found in the mother's womb, scientists at the University of Adelaide found.

The fluid in the dish contains only a few amino acids and other nutrients, the researchers said in the journal Endocrinology.