Li Mao

Dr. Li Mao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cell Biology at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and said alterations on two chromosomes may help doctors predict which patients with a precancerous mouth condition ultimately will develop a malignancy. He believes the information could lead to a treatment that will prevent the cancer from occurring.

= Biography =

Previously, such studies were carried out by looking at the cells and tissues. But Mao and his coworkers looked deeper into the genes of the cells. Mao and his colleagues studied tissue taken from 37 patients who had oral leukoplakia--a condition that leads to oral cancer in some patients. Mao theorizes that the cancer occurred because the patients lost an important gene that suppresses the development of tumors. He said he is investigating two candidates for that suppressor gene rule. One particularly strong candidate is the FHIT gene found on chromosome 3. It has been linked to lung cancer in the effect that tobacco smoke has a lung cell. FHIT, for Fragile HIstidine Triad, was found in a region on chromosome 3 that is known to be particularly prone to translocations, breaks and gaps.(Houston Chronicle 5/30/96)

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