The list of different factors that can affect the risk of cancer is long, from air pollution, increasing it to drinking milk, which reduces it. Now, a new study suggests that its possibilities of obtaining the disease are established at least before it was born.
Directed by a team from the Van Andel Institute in the United States, researchers behind the study found that what happens during development in the uterus may be related to the risk of cancer, both in the reduction and increase of that risk, depending on of the stage.
In particular, they identified two epigenetic states – Genes programming patterns – which affected the risk of cancer in genetically modified mice. The team focused on the trim28 protein in its role as an epigenetic controller: the way it turns on or off the genes without altering the underlying DNA sequences.
The strengths of these gene patterns influenced whether the risk of cancer rose or went down for mice later in life. It is not clear what was causing epigenetic variations in mice, but shows that even genetically identical mice can end with variable levels of cancer risk, depending on their development.
“Our findings show that cancer roots can begin during the sensitive period of development, offering a new perspective to study the disease and the possible new options for diagnosis and treatment.” says Icharia Panzeri, molecular biologist of the Van Andel Institute.
The team also found that the type of cancer was different among the groups. The cancers that were developed in the state of lesser risk were more likely to be cancers of liquid tumors, such as leukemia or lymphoma. In the state of greatest risk, they were more likely to be cancers of solid tumors such as lung or prostate cancer.
The way in which these two epigenetic states (or other states) could be developing is not clear: it is possibly random, but we have also seen previous studies link external prenatal factors (such as Exposure to alcohol in the uterus) to the risk of cancer.
“Because most cancers occur later in life and are understood as mutation or genetic diseases, there has not been a deep approach to how development could shape the risk of cancer.” says J. Andrew Pospisilik, director of the Epigenetic Center of the Van Andel Institute. “Our findings change that.”
“Our identification of these two epigenetically different states opens the door to a completely new world of study in the foundations of cancer.”
Of course, a better knowledge of the foundations can lead to new ways to explore in terms of treatments, although this research is still in its early stages, and cancer cases continue to increase sharply, it could be vital to unlock more than secrets of the disease.
“Everyone has a certain level of risk, but when cancer arises, we tend to think about it as bad luck.” says Panzeri “However, bad luck does not explain why some people develop cancer and others do not.”
“The most important thing, bad luck cannot be directed to treatment. Epigenetics, on the other hand, can be attacked.”
The investigation has been published in Nature cancer.
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