Methylation of anti-oncogenes warns of cancer risk

An article published by researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern Medical Center) in Dallas in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention states that the degree of methylation of certain genes can serve as an accurate indicator of the risk of breast cancer in women.

Methylation is the process of attaching methyl groups to a gene – methane molecules devoid of one hydrogen atom. This reaction "turns off" the gene, making it "silent".

Previous studies have shown that in healthy cells of women with breast cancer, the RASSF1A gene is methylated, which prevents the development of tumors.

In the new work, scientists took cell samples from 164 women with breast cancer who have a high risk of developing it and women with a low risk of the onset of the tumor process. The researchers tested the methylation level of five genes that are designed to stop the development of breast cancer.

The study showed that the level of methylation of RASSF1A and other genes is constantly increasing before menopause. This suggests that this process can serve as a kind of indicator of cancer risk.

However, as the scientist notes, these "clocks" can go in the opposite direction.

"Having children at a young age, which is known to reduce the risk of breast cancer, is also associated with a decrease in the level of methylation in some genes... Methylation can be stopped or slowed down. We found that the birth of children starts the "clock" in the opposite direction," explains one of the authors of the work, Professor David Euhus (David Euhus).

At the same time, he notes that the level of methylation cannot serve as an indicator of cancer risk for women who are inherently predisposed to cancer, since in their case the risk of its occurrence is associated with a mutation in DNA, and not with methylation.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru according to the materials of RIA Novosti http://www.rian.ru/14.05.2008