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it made our new year says mr. <unk> |
this test was the first to predict <unk> whether an individual could expect to develop cancer |
equally important the initial discovery of the gene that controls <unk> cell growth made by a boston doctor named <unk> <unk> has opened a field of cancer study which in recent months has exploded |
it turns out that studying a <unk> but uncommon tumor made possible some fundamental <unk> about the most basic workings of cancer says samuel <unk> director of the national cancer institute |
all this may not be obvious to the public which is concerned about advances in treatment but i am convinced this basic research will begin showing results there soon |
to date scientists have <unk> two of these <unk> |
dr. <unk> made his retinoblastoma discovery in N |
then last spring researchers reported finding a gene called p53 which if <unk> turns healthy colon cells <unk> |
soon after that report two other research teams uncovered evidence that the same damaged p53 gene is present in tissue from lung and <unk> cancers |
colon lung and <unk> cancers are the most common and <unk> forms of the disease <unk> killing almost N americans a year |
right now about a dozen laboratories in the u.s. canada and britain are racing to <unk> other suspected <unk> genes |
they have about seven candidates |
researchers say the <unk> of tumor-suppressor genes alone or in combination appears crucial to the development of such <unk> as cancer of the brain the skin kidney <unk> and <unk> |
there is evidence that if people <unk> defective versions of these genes they are especially prone to cancer perhaps explaining finally why some cancers seem to <unk> certain families |
the story of tumor-suppressor genes goes back to the 1970s when a <unk> named alfred g. <unk> jr. proposed that retinoblastoma stemmed from two separate genetic defects |
he <unk> that in the eye cancer an <unk> inherited a damaged copy of a gene from one parent and a normal copy from the other |
the tumor he suggested developed when the second normal copy also was damaged |
but there was no way to prove dr. <unk> 's <unk> theory |
back then scientists had no way of <unk> out specific genes but under a <unk> they could see the N <unk> of <unk> in the cells that contain the genes |
occasionally gross chromosome damage was visible |
dr. <unk> found that some children with the eye cancer had inherited a damaged copy of chromosome no. N from a parent who had had the disease |
under a <unk> he could actually see that a bit of chromosome N was missing |
he assumed the missing piece contained a gene or genes whose loss had a critical role in setting off the cancer |
but he did n't know which gene or genes had disappeared |
then a scientific team led by <unk> <unk> webster <unk> then at the university of utah found the answer |
the team used a battery of the newly developed gene <unk> <unk> of genetic material that can track a gene 's presence in a cell |
by analyzing cells <unk> from eye <unk> they found defects in the second copy of chromosome N in the exact area as in the first copy of the chromosome |
the finding <unk> medicine |
it was the first time anyone had showed that the loss of both copies of the same gene could lead to the <unk> of a cancer |
it was extraordinarily satisfying says dr. <unk> now at fox chase cancer research center in philadelphia |
i was convinced that what was true of retinoblastoma would be true for all cancers |
it was an <unk> claim |
but in baltimore dr. vogelstein a young <unk> <unk> at johns hopkins medical school believed dr. <unk> was right and set out to repeat the <unk> experiment in cells from other cancers |
his was one of two research teams in N to report dual chromosome losses for a rare <unk> cancer of the kidney called <unk> 's tumor |
dr. vogelstein next turned his attention to colon cancer the second biggest cancer killer in the u.s. after lung cancer |
he believed colon cancer might also arise from multiple hits on cancer <unk> genes because it often seems to develop in stages |
it often is <unk> by the development of <unk> in the <unk> which in some cases become increasingly malignant in <unk> stages <unk> from less severe to deadly as though a cascade of genetic damage might be <unk> |
dr. vogelstein and a <unk> student eric <unk> began months of <unk> and often frustrating probing of the <unk> searching for signs of genetic damage |
they began <unk> a confusing variety of genetic <unk> some existing only in benign <unk> others in malignant cells and many in both <unk> and malignant cells |
gradually a <unk> picture of cancer development emerged |
if both copies of a certain gene were knocked out benign <unk> would develop |
if both copies of a second gene were then <unk> the <unk> would progress to <unk> |
it was clear that more than one gene had to be damaged for colon cancer to develop |
their report galvanized other <unk> <unk> |
it was the confirming evidence we all needed that gene losses were critical to the development of a common tumor says ray white at howard hughes medical institute in salt lake city |
but dr. vogelstein had yet to <unk> the identity of the gene that if damaged <unk> a colon cell into <unk> <unk> |
they focused on chromosome N |
for months the johns hopkins researchers using gene <unk> <unk> <unk> down the length of chromosome N looking for the smallest common bit of genetic material lost in all tumor cells |
such a piece of dna would probably constitute a gene |
when they found it last winter dr. vogelstein was dubious that the search was over |
his doubts stemmed from the fact that several years earlier a princeton university researcher arnold levine had found in experiments with mice that a gene called p53 could transform normal cells into <unk> ones |
the <unk> dr. vogelstein found was in exactly the same spot as p53 |
but mr. levine had said the p53 gene caused cancer by promoting growth <unk> the johns hopkins scientists were looking for a gene that <unk> growth |
despite that when the johns hopkins scientists compared the gene they had found in the human cancer cells with the mr. levine 's p53 gene they found the two were identical it turned out that in mr. levine 's cancer studies he had <unk> been <unk> a damaged form of p53 a <unk> gene |
the discovery suddenly puts an <unk> gene right in the <unk> of cancer formation says robert <unk> a leader in <unk> research at <unk> institute in cambridge mass |
evidence now is emerging that the p53 <unk> gene is involved in other cancers too |
researchers in <unk> scotland have found that in N of N <unk> <unk> one copy of chromosome N was <unk> at the spot where gene p53 lies |
the scientists say that since <unk> cancer often strikes multiple members of certain families the gene when inherited in a damaged form may <unk> women to the cancer |
the p53 gene has just been <unk> in lung cancer |
in a report out last week john <unk> and colleagues at the national cancer institute say that about half the cells taken from lung cancer tissue they tested are missing this gene |
there also are reports from several labs as yet unpublished of missing p53 genes in tissue taken from kidney brain and skin cancers |
at the same time the johns hopkins team and others are rushing to pinpoint other tumor-suppressor genes |
dr. vogelstein hopes soon to <unk> one on chromosome N also involved in colon cancer |
ray white in utah and walter <unk> a researcher in great britain are close to finding another gene involved with some types of colon cancer thought to be on chromosome N |
dr. <unk> believes people who <unk> a defective gene somewhere on one of their two copies of chromosome N are especially prone to lung cancer |
recently he and others reported that the retinoblastoma <unk> gene may also be involved in some lung cancers as well as several other more common cancers too |
where these <unk> will lead scientists can only speculate |
already two major pharmaceutical companies the squibb unit of bristol-myers squibb co. and <unk> <unk> inc. are <unk> with gene <unk> to turn the anticipated cascade of <unk> into <unk> tests and maybe new <unk> |
some researchers say new cancer drugs to slow or reverse tumor growth may be based on the <unk> proteins normally produced by the genes |
the idea would be to <unk> to patients the <unk> proteins made by healthy versions of the damaged genes |
it may even be possible to replace defective genes with healthy versions though no one has come close to doing that so far |
in any case says dr. <unk> of the national cancer institute we 're <unk> the discovery of one of the most important steps in the <unk> of cancer |
many investors give michael foods about as much chance of getting it together as <unk> <unk> |
but now at least there 's a <unk> of hope for the stock |
burger king which breaks thousands of fresh eggs each morning is quietly switching over to an alternative egg product made by michael foods |
known as easy eggs the product has disappointed investors |
when the company this month announced <unk> sales of easy eggs the stock dropped nearly N N |
michael wo n't confirm the <unk> of any easy egg customers nor will it say much of anything else |
two minneapolis shareholder suits in the past month have accused top officers of making various <unk> statements |
these <unk> suits accuse the officers of failing to disclose that easy eggs were unlikely to sell <unk> enough to justify all of michael 's production capacity |
but at least burger king has signed on and says that by year end it wo n't be using any shell eggs |
the miami fast-food chain owned by grand metropolitan of britain expects to consume roughly N million pounds of <unk> eggs annually |
so there is reason to believe that michael 's hopes for a <unk> <unk> egg were n't all <unk> |
easy eggs are <unk> in a <unk> process |
still caution is <unk> |
a company official says michael 's break-even volume on easy eggs is around N million pounds a year apparently well above current shipments and a far cry from what the company once suggested was a <unk> market waiting for such a product |
perhaps to <unk> the analysts ' talk of <unk> michael today will take some of the skeptics on a tour of its new <unk> minn. plant |
there has been no announcement of the burger king arrangement by either party possibly for fear that mcdonald 's and other fast-food rivals would seize on it in <unk> advertising |
but burger king operators <unk> confirm using michael 's product |
other institutional users reportedly include <unk> which is moving away from fresh eggs on a <unk> basis |
the extent of <unk> 's use is n't known and <unk> officials could n't be reached for comment |
michael foods has attracted a good many <unk> the people who sell borrowed shares in a bet that a stock price will drop and allow the return of cheaper shares to the lender |
many analysts question management 's credibility |
the stock in my opinion is going to go lower not only because of disappointing earnings but because the credibility gap is certainly not closing says l. craig <unk> of <unk> <unk> |
mr. <unk> says that at a recent <unk> conference in new york he asked michael 's chief executive officer if the fourth quarter would be down |
the ceo richard g. <unk> replied yes but would n't elaborate |
the company did n't put out a public announcement |
a spokesman said later that mr. <unk> was being conservative in his estimate |
but the spokesman added that while michael will earn less than last year 's $ N a share it thinks street estimates of $ N or so are low |
analyst robin young of john <unk> & co. minneapolis calls himself the last remaining bull on the stock |
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