Researchers have found that cancer cells in men may selectively eliminate certain gene-rich regions on the Y chromosome, in a process that may have an impact on tumor growth.
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The study, titled "Recurrent deletion and regulatory disruption of the Y chromosome in cancer," and published in the journal Communications Biology, explained that this deletion does not necessarily mean the complete loss of the chromosome.
The study was conducted under the joint leadership of Dr. Dan Theodorescu, a physician and researcher at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, and with the participation of researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Most men carry one X chromosome and one Y chromosome in their body cells. Although the Y chromosome is primarily associated with determining male sex, the genes on it perform other roles within cells related to growth, stress response, and immunity.
Loss of the Y chromosome is known as a common genetic change in men as they age, and it often appears in blood cells, but it also occurs within cancer cells.
The researchers analyzed genome sequencing and gene expression data for 160 male cancer cell lines within the "Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia".
They also developed a scale called the "Y-chromosome erosion scale" to measure the amount of chromosome parts lost rather than considering it as being fully present or completely lost.
The analysis showed that cancer cells do not necessarily lose the Y chromosome all at once, but can get rid of specific gene-rich regions while keeping other parts.
The team identified 24 protein-coding genes on the Y chromosome that are frequently lost in cancer cells.
They also found that 15 of these genes were missing in at least one of two independent datasets, which included bladder tumors and several other types of cancer.
When comparing the results with genetic data from healthy men within the "1000 Genomes Project," the researchers did not find the same deletions, supporting the idea that these changes occur during a person's lifetime and are not inherited genetic traits.
Theodorescu said that the loss of specific parts of the Y chromosome not only affects the genes contained within it, but its effects can extend to the entire cell, including pathways related to growth, stress response, and immune response.
Researchers believe that identifying the parts that cancer cells lose could provide a more accurate understanding of how tumors develop, and may help in the future to develop treatments that target these changes.
The study is an extension of previous research that linked the loss of the Y chromosome in cancer cells to the ability of tumors to evade the immune system. Other research has also indicated that the loss of the Y chromosome in tissues that appear normal may be an early indicator of changes associated with the risk of developing cancer.
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