乳腺癌，这全世界妇女的“头号杀手”逼得数以万计的妇女切除乳房；丰胸，这一全球最流行的整形术不知牵动多少颗爱美的心。英国科学家为乳腺癌患者和急待丰胸的女人们带来福音，他们发现促进乳房增长的基因，不久将在实验室内培养乳房，再生乳房不是梦。
英国乳腺癌研究中心人员在研究多乳头病症时偶然破解促进乳房增长的基因，因此研究人员将此基因命名为scaramanga (史卡拉孟加基因)，源自一个长着三个乳头的虚构黑帮人物。该项研究刊登在最新一期《基因与发育》杂志上。
英国乳腺癌研究中心负责人埃伦·阿什沃斯教授表示，史卡拉孟加基因在乳房发育早期起到关键作用，它决定乳房的数量和生长的位置。如果史卡拉孟加基因突变，人体就会产生三个乳头，或者出现乳房不对称的情况。同时，scaramanga基因产生一种名为NRG3 的蛋白质，该蛋白质和乳腺癌有密切联系，正常情况下Neuregulin3（NRG3）蛋白质促进乳房细胞生长，一旦NRG3蛋白质分泌紊乱，就会将正常乳房细胞转化成癌细胞，引发乳腺癌。
研究人员称合理利用scaramanga基因，能在实验室内单独培养乳房，这将是乳房研究领域的重大突破。此前科学家尝试用干细胞技术培养乳房，但是效果并不理想，而scaramanga基因天然具有刺激乳房发育和乳头生长的作用，如果利用此基因单独培养脂肪组织，预计效果将比应用干细胞技术显著。利用史卡拉孟加基因培养乳房，能让切除乳房的患者再生乳房，还可以用于丰胸手术。
原始文献：
Beatrice Howard, Heena Panchal, Afshan McCarthy, and Alan Ashworth,Identification of the scaramanga gene implicates Neuregulin3 in mammary gland specification Genes Dev. 2005 19: 2078-2090. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] Supplemental Research Data
参考文献：
Gizatullin RZ, Muravenko OV, Al-Amin AN, Wang F, Protopopov AI, Kashuba VI, Zelenin AV, Zabarovsky ER.Human NRG3 gene Map position 10q22-q23.Chromosome Res. 2000;8(6):560.
有关NRG3的相关信息：
NRG3 neuregulin 3
Official Symbol: NRG3 and Name: neuregulin 3 provided by HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee
Gene type: protein coding
Gene name: NRG3
Gene description: neuregulin 3
RefSeq status: Provisional
Organism: Homo sapiens
Lineage: Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo
Gene aliases: HRG3; pro-NRG3
mRNA Sequence NM_001010848
Product NP_001010848 neuregulin 3
原文报道：
Scientists discover scaramanga gene's bond with breast cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer today announce that UK scientists have discovered that a gene – named after the James Bond villain Scaramanga – can trigger the development of breasts. This has important implications for breast cancer, as reported in the journal Genes and Development.
During the development of an embryo, formation of organs is tightly controlled by specific genes. In the case of breasts, this process controls the development of two breasts in humans but this can go awry, resulting in fewer, extra or misplaced breasts or nipples. However, little has been known about this how this process is governed, until now.
Today scientists at The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, at The Institute of Cancer Research, report that a gene called Scaramanga – aptly named after the three-nippled villain from the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun – is involved in triggering breast development.
"Identifying the Scaramanga gene is a real advance in our understanding of the early steps in breast formation. By learning more about this gene and the protein it produces, it will allow us to determine how normal breast development is initiated and, importantly, examine how this is connected with breast cancer," said Professor Alan Ashworth, Director of The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre.
By studying abnormal breast development in the lab, scientists at The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre identified the Scaramanga gene, which regulates the early stages of breast development, and influences the number and position of breasts. The realisation of the importance of their work came when they discovered that the Scaramanga gene produces a protein called NRG3 and that this provides a signal telling embryonic cells to become breast cells. They also showed that a synthetic form of NRG3 was able to initiate the formation of breast cells, confirming the protein's involvement in this intricate process.
Professor Ashworth continued: "Whilst proteins carefully control the development of breast cells in the embryo, inappropriate signals to breast cells during adulthood by these same molecules may cause breast cancer. We already believe that the protein produced by the Scaramanga gene is linked with breast cancer and the next steps are to study this in more detail."
Like the gene's namesake, Scaramanga, 1 in 18 people have an extra nipple**, which can resemble freckles or moles. This is a normal occurrence and does not mean anything is wrong with the person but it's important that this extra tissue is checked for abnormalities like all breast tissue.
This is just one example of the groundbreaking research, funded by Breakthrough Breast Cancer's generous supporters, taking place at The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre. The centre, Europe's only facility dedicated to breast cancer research, has been producing pioneering research for just over five years. It is based in the Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Building at The Institute of Cancer Research.
In less than five years, the centre has launched The Breakthrough Generations Study – the largest investigation ever into the causes of breast cancer, involving 100,000 women over 40 years – and has discovered a potential new targeted drug, called a PARP inhibitor, for women with a type of hereditary breast cancer, which is currently in clinical trials.
