Blocking Cancer-causing Gene Improves Radiation Effectiveness, Researchers Find

... Inhibiting a particular cancer-causing gene can enhance the cell-killing effects of radiation, a team of radiation oncologists and cancer biologists has found. Using a combination of zebrafish and antisense technology, they've shown that the drug flavopiridol works by blocking the activity of a gene, cyclin D1, which is overexpressed in about half of all breast cancers. Similar techniques in the future, the scientists say, may enable researchers to better gauge the effects of drugs. ...