A "family tree" has been compiled for prostate cancer
Biologists have revealed the genetic roots of prostate cancer
An international group of geneticists for the first time deciphered the complete genomes of "rebellious" cells from cancerous tumors in the prostate and found out what genetic changes lead to their appearance and how carcinoma spreads through the body, according to an article published in the journal Nature (The evolutionary history of lethal metastatic prostate cancer – VM).
"When we talk about cancer, we are most afraid of how it spreads through the body – metastasis is the cause of 90% of deaths associated with the development of cancer. Our genome-wide study has helped to look into the molecular nucleus of cancer and reveal the secrets of how cancer cells evolve. Now we can start working on the development of therapies to combat carcinoma," said Peter Johnson from the Cancer Research Center of Great Britain in London (in a press release, The Institute of Cancer Research Scientists drill down to the genetic root of prostate tumour development – VM).
Johnson and his colleagues at the center found out that prostate cancer is much more dangerous and complicated than we used to think. It turned out that during its development, not one, but several genetically isolated groups of "rebellious" cells appear at once, some of which can independently move around the body and form metastases in almost any part of the body that is not directly connected to the prostate, and move from one region to another.
In addition, the cells that have left the tumor continue to mutate and evolve in a new "place of residence", which should greatly complicate their search and destruction. Nevertheless, the geneticists themselves believe that the data they have collected will help to find the common roots of these malignant changes and use them for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate carcinoma.
"The peculiar genealogical trees that we have collected according to our data show that most of the oncogenic mutations are common to all secondary tumors in each patient's body. These shared genetic roots could potentially be the Achilles heel of metastases. Many of these mutations are located in the genes responsible for suppressing tumors, and when developing therapies, we should pay attention to them," concludes another author of the article, Ultan McDermott from the Sanger Institute (UK).
That's it (unclear, but impressive :) these "family trees" look like in the diagram,
given in the article Following cancer's journey on the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute website – VM.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru03.04.2015