HELSINKI, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Finnish scientists have found a new method to treat virus-induced lymphomas, Finnish media reported Friday.

    Researchers at the University of Helsinki have discovered by activating a pathway present in a certain gene, TP53, they can turn cells against tumors.

    This is a new treatment for lymphomas induced by Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) such as primary effusion lymphomas (PELs), which have a reported median survival time shorter than six months after diagnosis.

    The TP53 gene is crucial because it encodes a transcription factor that protects cells from tumor development by inducing cell-cycle arrest via a complex network of signals known as the p53 pathway.

    In laboratory tests on mice, researchers found that they could destroy tumors within a span of two weeks.

    The study has been published in the March edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.