Genes Linked to Esophageal Disease

Posted: Oct 18 in Reflux Disease by Staff

Scientists have recently discovered three key genes that have been linked to esophageal diseases. The scientists found that the three genes, ASCC1 , CTHRC1 and MSR1, are much more likely to have mutations in people that have esophageal cancer or Barrett esophagus, which is a precursor to esophageal cancer. The scientists looked at 116 cases of patients suffering from some form of esophageal disease. Of those 116 cases, 11 percent were found to have a mutation in at least one of the three genes.
That figure is high enough to indicate that the three genes are key players in esophageal health. That means that doctors at clinics like Georgia GERD clinics can screen patients for mutations in the three genes. Knowing that there is a mutation present in one of the three genes can help doctors decide whether or not procedures like transoral surgery are indicated. This discovery should also help researchers find ways to tailor specific treatments designed to compensate for the mutations present in the genes.
The news is especially exciting due to the extreme rise in the number of patients with esophageal conditions in recent years. For example, cases of esophageal cancer have risen by 350 percent in the last 40 years. Though these discoveries will not provide a cure overnight, they do give doctors and researchers a new sense of hope in the fight for their patients’ health.
The next step will be further studies to verify the results of this study. If the results are confirmed, then researchers can begin to design medications that take advantage of the findings. The end treatments that will result from this study will most likely be several years down the road, but for now patients can visit a Georgia GERD clinic to see what steps their doctors can take to help them today.