WA researchers discover cancer gene

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Western Australian researchers say they have made a world first discovery that could boost the chances of successfully treating life threatening cancers.

A team from the WA Institute for Medical Research has found a gene called RGS5 can reverse the growth of blood vessels inside a tumour.

Associate Professor Ruth Ganss says cancer treatment had previously focused on killing blood cells within tumours.

"What my work actually shows is we need not have to actually kill the blood vessels," she said.

"We may just modulate them so that conventional drugs can act better in the tumour environment."