The School of Life Sciences of the University of Hyderabad has made a breakthrough in early diagnosis and identification of women prone to breast cancer. Speaking to Pharmabiz.com, Prof. P Reddanna, who is guiding the research project at the School of Life Sciences, said a group of enzymes in the human body called, Glutathione S-transferase (GST), could be employed for early diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

He said the GST group of enzymes was useful in the detoxification of xenobiotic (cancer causing) agents. Benzo(a)pylene in cigarette smoke or aflatoxins in infected peanuts were detoxified by some isozymes of GSTs.

However, in some individuals xenobiotics could not be toxified due to lack of the gene. These individuals were more prone to cancer. For example, he said, a chain smoker need not get lung cancer if the genes were present to detoxify the cancer-causing agents. At the same time a moderate smoker was prone to get lung cancer or any other cancer, if the genes were not present adequately.

Prof. Reddanna said laboratory studies had confirmed that the frequency of GST M1 gene deletion was almost double in breast cancer patients when compared to normal human beings. The research was carried out by taking 60 breast cancer and 58 normal human subjects. It was found that the frequency of such gene deletion was nearly 36% among the breast cancer patients and 18 % among normal individuals.

The high incidence of gene deletion was one of the reasons why cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy suddenly developed resistance and stopped responding. "This is where inhibitors of GSTs would be of use in overcoming the drug resistance," he said.

Established in the year 1974 as a Central University and wholly financed by the University Grants Commission, the University of Hyderabad is one among an exclusive group of top five universities in the country and given the status of "University with Potential for Excellence."

The School of Life Sciences had been established with an emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching and research in modern biology. The School consists of three departments, namely, Dept of Biochemistry, Dept of Plant Sciences and Dept of Animal Sciences.

The Dept of Animal Sciences at present carries out research in molecular biology of hormone action, animal biotechnology, neurochemistry and cellular neurobiology, biological oxidations involving prostaglandins and leukotrienes, biochemical toxicology and drug development, cancer biology, molecular parasitology etc. The research work of the faculty is being supported by various organisations like ICMR, UGC, CSIR, DST, DBT, Ministry of Health, the AP-Netherlands Biotechnology Programme, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and DAAD. The Dept has active interactions with leading biotech and pharma companies.