SCIENTISTS in the region are linking up with researchers in Austria as part of a promising new approach to fighting cancer.

A team led by Professor Chris Hutchison at Durham University has been given a grant of £139,948 by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) to pursue research into the link between proteins in the nucleus of the human cell and cancer.

Prof Hutchison's research involves looking at the basic function of human cells.

Its findings could help to understand - and possibly suppress - many types of tumour, including testicular cancer.

The North-East team is working closely with Professor Roland Foisner, of the University of Vienna.

The two teams have shown that three particular proteins influence the function of a fourth protein, which is now understood to have an important role in preventing tumours forming.

This tumour-suppressing protein is known as the Retinoblastoma protein, or Rb, and was originally discovered through its association with childhood cancer of the eye.

When Rb is not present, or cannot function for some reason, all kinds of tumours can form.

The work of the Anglo-Austrian team now suggests that Rb will not work properly if the amounts of the other three proteins (called lamin A, lamin C and LAP2alpha) present in a human cell are changed.

Recent work by Prof Hutchison's group suggests that the amounts of these proteins do change when skin tumours develop.

Prof Hutchison said: "The nucleus houses nearly all of the genetic information in a human cell.

"Certain proteins in the nucleus control the way in which this genetic information is used and when these proteins are either mutated, or are not present, serious conditions such as heart disease, muscular dystrophy and cancer occur."

The grant from AICR will fund a researcher in Durham and Vienna and will allow researchers to travel between the two sites.