Tumor-Causing Gene Causes The Right Kind of Tumors?

So, figure this one. A gene that we thought caused cancer turns out to not cause cancer, but instead it might possibly be a cure for cancer, and it cures your cancer by giving you tumors.

The important thing here is that said tumors are benign. At issue is a protein that was thought to feed cancer tumors by creating…well, tumors, although fairly benign ones. It was thought the benign tumors became nastier ones over time.

Now it’s looking like instead that the benign tumors are a side effect of what the genes turn out, namely proteins that suppress cancer. It’s still in the early stages, but it could be a major breakthrough.

[ via the cancer fighters at io9 ]