The Study
Solubilization and characterization of the κ-opioid receptor type from guinea-pig cerebellum
This study looked at lung cancer tumors and found that three specific genes were often turned down in them. But it didn’t change anything to see if that caused the cancer—it just noticed a pattern. So we know these genes are usually low in these tumors, but we don’t know if that made the cancer happen or if the cancer made the genes low.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists found that three genes that normally stop cells from turning cancerous often stop working together in lung tumors.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This suggests that losing all three genes together may be a key early step in making lung cancer grow aggressively, especially in squamous type.
- 2In 39% of lung tumors, all three genes (RBSP3, NPRL2, RASSF1A) were turned off.
- 3RBSP3 was off in 85% of tumors, NPRL2 in 73%, and RASSF1A in 67%.
- 4In early-stage squamous lung cancer, RBSP3 and NPRL2 were completely turned off in every case.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Pharmacology
Year
1988
Authors
B. Francés, C. Moisand, J. Meunier
Related Content
Claims (5)
In both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell lung cancer, lower levels of the RASSF1A protein are consistently observed as tumors advance from early to advanced stages.
In non-small cell lung cancer, reduced RBSP3 gene activity is linked to the loss of gene segments and chemical modifications on the gene's regulatory region; these modifications occur in 80% of squamous cell carcinomas and 38% of adenocarcinomas with low RBSP3 levels.
In primary non-small cell lung cancer, 39% of tumors show reduced activity of three tumor suppressor genes—RBSP3, NPRL2, and RASSF1A—at the same time, with individual reductions occurring in 85%, 73%, and 67% of tumors respectively, suggesting these genes are turned off together in a specific chromosomal region during cancer development.
In all Stage I squamous cell lung cancers, the RBSP3 and NPRL2 genes show reduced activity, and this reduction occurs before the cancer is detectable by clinical methods.
In non-small cell lung cancer, three specific genes—RBSP3, NPRL2, and RASSF1A—are frequently turned off together at rates higher than random chance, and their activity levels are strongly linked to each other regardless of their physical location on chromosomes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.