A University of Cincinnati researcher has identified a genetic mutation in mice that may explain why some people face higher risk of developing colon cancer.

        The findings were published in today's edition of Science magazine by Dr. Joanna Groden, a top UC genetics researcher who has become prominent for her work using mice to track down causes of cancer.

        Colon cancer is the nation's fourth most common type of cancer, striking more than 107,000 people a year and leading to more than 48,000 deaths a year, according to the American Cancer Society.

        Dr. Groden's work with genetically engineered mice reveals a link between colon cancer and a rare inherited disorder called Bloom syndrome, which can cause small stature, male infertility, and immune system problems in people.

        Dr. Groden found that mice become unusually susceptible to colon cancer if they carry just one of the mutated genes that can lead to Bloom syndrome, even though with just one malformed gene the mice don't actually develop Bloom syndrome. This could mean that people who carry the same mutated gene, called the BLM gene, also face a higher risk of developing colon cancer.

        Indeed, another study published in today's edition of Science, also co-authored by Dr. Groden, reports that the mutation has been found among Ashkenazi Jews — a group known to have high cancer rates. Carriers of the mutated BLM gene have a twofold to threefold increase in colon cancer risk, the study reports.

        Eventually, these findings could lead to better screening tests and targeted treatments for colon cancer, Dr. Groden said.

        Dr. Groden is the principal investigator for UC's mouse model center, one of 19 such centers nationwide participating in the National Cancer Institute's Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium.

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