Scientists first deciphered the genome of 38 types of cancer: what will change in the treatment of cancer

For the first time, an international team of scientists has completely deciphered the genetic information of 38 types of cancer cells, compiling an exhaustive catalog of DNA mutations that lead to the development of cancer, reports with the BBC.

Фото: Depositphotos

The PCAWG study, an unprecedented scale study, took more than 10 years to complete. About 1300 geneticists from 37 countries took part in the work, and its results were published on Thursday in two dozen scientific journals.

According to the scientists themselves, the causes of cancer can be compared with a puzzle consisting of 100 thousand pieces. Until today, we tried to collect the general picture, having only one hundredth fragment on hand, and only now we can look at it in its entirety.

“With the information we gather about the origin and development of tumors, we can develop new ways to diagnose cancer earlier, develop more targeted therapies—and treat patients with greater success,” said PCAWG Steering Committee member Lincoln Stein.

The Russian BBC service briefly (in 100 words) and a little more (in 500 words) explains the essence of this unprecedented work and how it can revolutionize oncology.

On the subject: How to detect cancer in time: the first warning signs

In 100 words

The cause of any cancer is mutations in DNA. However, scientists know little about where exactly and why the genetic code breaks down, leading to the development of a cancerous tumor.

PCAWG project participants have fully deciphered the genetic information of cancer cells in nearly 2800 patients suffering from 38 different types of cancer.

As a result, several dozen discoveries were made - from the number and exact location of so-called driver mutations (that is, leading to tumor development) to unexpected genetic matches in cancer cells of various tissues.

Among other things, it turned out that a predisposition to certain types of cancer can develop several decades before diagnosis—sometimes in childhood.

In 500 words

Cancer is not one disease that occurs in different organs, but a common name for two hundred different diseases that follow the same pattern. One of the tissue cells mutates and begins to divide quickly and uncontrollably, forming a tumor.

The breakdown occurs at the gene level, but until now, in trying to understand its possible causes, scientists have mainly analyzed only “useful DNA” - that part of the genome in which proteins are encoded and which makes up only about 2% of all hereditary information.

The remaining part of the genetic code, known as “junk DNA,” was not of particular interest, since the information contained in it is not responsible for the production of proteins - the building materials of the cell - and was generally considered for a long time to be vestigial (that is, accumulated during the process of evolution, but having lost useful functions ).

The term “junk DNA” was introduced about 50 years ago and was later recognized as not entirely correct when it was discovered that some fragments of the “useless” genome perform other essential functions for maintaining cell life.

It was decided to decipher the entire genetic information of cancer cells in order to track changes in non-coding genes.

As a result, scientists have discovered thousands of genetic mutations and described more than 80 processes leading to the breakdown of the genetic code. Some of them are caused by age-related changes, others are inherited, others may be associated with bad habits or diet.

One of the main discoveries is that the same type of cancer can cause completely different sets of mutations. In lung cancer cells, up to 100 thousand mutated genes were found, and in some samples of childhood cancer, mutations could be counted on the fingers.

“The most surprising discovery is how different one patient's cancer genome is from another's,” said PCAWG Steering Committee member Peter Campbell.

However, unexpected coincidences were revealed. For example, the same driver mutation can lead to the development of breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men. This means that treatments designed for breast cancer can also be effective in treating prostate cancer.

Some of the discoveries made possible a much earlier diagnosis of the disease. In particular, it turned out that some types of cancer begin to form at the genetic level long before the development of the tumor, sometimes several years or even decades.

“This shows that we have much more early intervention [in the situation] than we previously thought,” says Campbell.

In addition, a catalog of mutations compiled from the results of the study will help to avoid making an incorrect diagnosis, which sometimes happens due to the coincidence of the symptoms of different types of disease.

On the subject: Revolutionary discovery: scientists have found a cure for all types of cancer

However, in 5% of cancer cell samples no driver mutations were identified at all, which means that the exact location of the critical breakdown of the genetic code has yet to be established.

“If we understand what happens to our healthy organs as we age, what causes mutations to accumulate, why some clones multiply endlessly and some die out, how this balance is affected by lifestyle, then we can come up with ways to intervene early to prevent or slow down the progression of incurable cancers,” concluded Professor Campbell.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Ten Important Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Taking Prescription Medicines

'Cocktail' of drugs: doctors have found an effective way to treat Chinese coronavirus

Super microbes and bacteria with superpowers: the scariest discoveries of 2019

DNA Zoo: US-based Ukrainian researcher recognized as one of the best innovators in the world

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.