New study finds genetic mechanism in men that can lead to cancer
A recent study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center backed by “la Caixa,” explains a fundamental biological mechanism that makes men more prone to developing cancer, which is the loss of function in specific genes of the sex-determining Y chromosomes, present only in males. Many previous studies have hypothesized that men are at higher risk of cancer, but this study has successfully pinpointed a cause. The research was carried out in collaboration with the Pompeu Fabra University, the University of Adelaide and the Estonian Genome Centre. The researchers used information from 9,000 individuals to study the Y-chromosome gene function in patients with different types of cancer.
Their findings suggested that the risk of cancer increases with the loss of function of six essential Y-chromosome genes in many types of cells. Juan Ramón González, Head, Bioinformatic Group in Genetic Epidemiology, ISGlobal, and coordinator of the research has commented that recent studies have indicated that complete loss of the Y-chromosome, which is essential for fetal sex differentiation, happens in the cells of some men with aging. However, the loss of the Y-chromosome has earlier been linked with a higher incidence of cancer; the reasons for this association are not completely understood.
Understanding these biological differences between men and women in cancer is critical for developing personalized lines of therapeutics and prevention. González explains that men are not only at higher risk of cancer than women; they also have a worse prognosis; in fact, these differences partly account for men’s lower life expectancy.
Recognizing the factors that make men more vulnerable to cancer is a crucial line of research that can potentially lower the risk in the population. The authors suggest that the suppression of the Y chromosome can occur due to a loss of function in the chromosome, which corroborate the previous findings, or as a result of other mechanisms triggered by the chemical inactivation of the same areas. González states that certain environmental exposures, for instance, to tobacco or other harmful substances, could affect chromosome function and lead to epigenetic modifications.
