Scientists are claiming a breakthrough in the possible treatment of testicular cancer after studying development of the cells which can cause the disease.

The new study, published in the Human Reproduction journal, examined how human testes developed in baby boys before they were born and uses human tissue grafted into mice to study the development of the cells. Scientists already knew that testicular cancer developed from the abnormal development of germ cells in foetuses but until now didn’t know how or why this happened. The new study should allow experts to determine what factors interfere with normal germ cell development and allow the cancer to develop.

Professor Richard Sharpe from Edinburgh, who is supervising the study, said that there was now overwhelming evidence that growth and development in the womb played a vital role in determining the likelihood of disease in later life.

Though still relatively rare testicular germ cell cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged 15 to 44.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Scientists-hail-testicular-cancer-breakthrough.6454287.jp