According to a researcher, gender distinctions have an impact on the development and management of cancer.
A gene that affects how well cancer cells can expand and avoid the immune system has been found to be located on the Y chromosome. Getty
The Y chromosome may be key in explaining why males frequently experience more severe cancer outcomes than women, according to two research that were recently published in the journal Nature.
In the majority of mammalian species, the Y chromosome initiates male development.
El primero de estos estudios, dirigido por el Dr. Ronald DePinho del MD Anderson Cancer Centre en Houston, Texas, se centró en el cáncer de colon, el segundo tipo más mortal en todo el mundo.
El Dr. DePinho afirma que se ha observado una mayor frecuencia de metastasis y una tasa de supervivencia más baja en los machos, lo que refleja los resultados observados en los humanos.
El culpable parece ser un gen sin control en el cromosoma Y.
“This gene plays a part in driving tumor invasion and immune escape, providing a potential explanation for sex-specific differences in the progression of Kras-driven colorectal cancer”, afirma el Dr. DePinho.
Encontramos un gene en el cromosoma Y que aumenta la agresividad del cáncer de colon en los hombres. Este gene tiene un impacto en otros proteínas que ayudan a las células cancerígenas a propagarse y evitar el sistema inmunitario.
Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, and his team looked into the effects of missing the Y chromosome, a phenomenon seen in numerous cancer types.
They discovered that bladder tumours lacking the Y chromosome were more aggressive and displayed a suppressed T cell-mediated immune response.
T cells, which are a component of the immune system, are created from stem cells in the bone marrow. These shield the body against disease and might aid in the battle against cancer.
Loss of the Y chromosome was linked to a worse outcome in a study of 300 male bladder cancer patients.
Dr. DePinho provided The National with his analysis even though he was not involved in this study on bladder cancer.
Due of the large number of genes it carries, he added, “understanding the implications of the Y chromosome’s loss can be challenging.” The Y chromosome can play various roles in various cancer types.
Potential approaches for creating medicines that are especially suitable for men are provided by these studies.
Dr. DePinho noted that more preventative interventions may be needed for male colorectal cancer patients, particularly those with Kras mutations.
Due to the cancer cells’ capacity to avoid the immune system, conventional immunological therapy may not be as effective in these guys.
for the implications of their discoveries for immune evasion, Dr. DePinho stated: “Males with Kras-mutant colorectal cancer might need drugs that neutralise the repressive functions of the identified Y chromosome gene, KDM5D, for successful immune therapies.”
