For the first time, scientists have unpicked mutational processes in the stomach lining, some of which are the earliest stages of cancer. They also uncovered hints of a potential new cause of stomach cancer that needs further research. 🔎
By sequencing stomach lining samples from people with and without gastric cancer, researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, The University of Hong Kong, and their collaborators found that:
· Despite regular exposure to the acidic contents of the stomach, the gastric lining is protected from any toxic effects.
· Cells with ‘driver’ mutations in cancer genes take up almost 10% of the gastric lining by age 60.
· Some people, but not all, had mutations resulting in three copies of certain chromosomes. This unusual discovery hints towards exposure to an unknown mutagen.
Mike Stratton, co-lead author, explains further:
“Ten years ago, we knew very little about the fundamental processes of mutations that are occurring in our bodies. Now, with advanced genome sequencing technologies, we can investigate somatic mutations in all cell types, across various normal tissues. This enables us to look back at the evolution of our cells over a lifetime, to understand the key mutational processes that can lead to cancer. At the Sanger Institute we are leading the way in investigating the causes and consequences of somatic mutations, and exploring the possibility that somatic mutations may also contribute to diseases other than cancer.”
Read the full story ⤵️
https://lnkd.in/e6sS2qbj
Image credit: Grace Collord
