World Cancer Day 2021
Cancer has been both metaphorically and physically under the public microscope for decades — with 9.6 million deaths globally in 2018 alone, it’s no wonder that scientists have been on the hunt for better treatments, possible cures, and preventions. However, when other diseases are successfully treated, cured, and sometimes eradicated using modern science, then why is Cancer so hard to defeat, once and for all?
What Causes Cancer?
Even though scientists aren’t 100% certain of the exact causes of certain types of cancer, they have determined a list called ‘The Hallmarks of Cancer’, which covers some of the base causes of cancers.
The Environment
One of the three key causes of cancer, is the environment that we put ourselves in. Now, this isn’t just the world around us — although air pollution can be a contributor to certain lung cancers. This also includes behaviors and habits. This includes smoking cigarettes, consuming certain foods and drinks in excess, such as smoked/processed meats and alcohol.
There is a LOT of information and misinformation out there about what can cause cancer, so it’s best to use our own judgement. For example, habits like smoking or being overweight are well-known causes of common cancers (as well as other diseases), so it’s best to consult your GP if you have any specific concerns about environmental causes of cancer.
The Hereditary Component
When a new human being is conceived, half of the DNA of both parents are mixed together to make a whole new person. In doing this, we get certain traits from both parents, depending on the chromosome splitting in the egg/sperm cells and whether or not the traits are dominant (only one gene required) or recessive (two genes requires).
Cancers start due to an irregularity in genetics, meaning that if this irregularity is a part of the base genetic code of one or both parents, it could mean that the resulting child is more inclined to suffer from the same type of cancer later in life. For example, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can be mutated, leaving the person incredibly susceptible to developing breast cancer at some point in their lives.
Nowadays, some well known gene mutations (such as the CFTR gene for cystic fibrosis, or TP53 gene mutations with prevent cell regulation) can be screened for when a child is being conceived via IVF, and the affected embryos can be discarded if it is the parent(s) wish. However, there isn’t much else that can be done with current, legal scientific techniques to cure genetic cancers once a person is developed past the embryo stage.
The Cell Replication Issue
The final one of the three key hallmarks of cancer, is cell replication. Every single second inside all of our bodies, our cells are replicating. This means that a full process of duplicating our genes, splitting those apart properly, and finally replicating fully to make an identical cell. However, every time one of our cells replicates, there is the potential for mistakes — primarily, genetic mutations.
We have a protein called P53 (coded for with the TP53 gene mentioned above), who’s key role is to ‘screen’ our newly replicated cells for any genetic mistakes. If a big mistake is found, where it could potentially be harmful, the P53 protein inside this cell send out a biochemical red-alert, and causes the cell to destroy itself before it can cause any damage. However, for whatever reason, P53 can miss some errors. This can be because of a TP53 mutation, or because the mistake is a type of error that the P53 protein happens to miss. This means that the mutation is allowed to stay, and this cell can continue to replicate — sometimes uncontrollably, causing a cancerous tumour.
What Can Be Done?
Cancer research has been a vital scientific field for decades, with new discoveries being made every year. The University of Wolverhampton has a research department dedicated to the research of different types of cancer.
Dr Mark Morris leads a research group within the Research Institute In Healthcare Science (RHIS) investigating the molecular biology and genetics of cancer development. The researchers that are based at the University of Wolverhampton have been studying 24 breast cancers that had ultimately spread to the brain, along with samples from the original breast tumour, and found some genes with faulty switches.
Study author Dr Mark Morris from the University of Wolverhampton, said:
“Each year the number of *people whose breast cancer spreads to the brain is increasing. While we know many of the genetic changes behind breast cancer, we know very little about why the disease can spread to the brain. By identifying the genes that are switched off or on in breast cancers before they spread to the brain we hope to be able to develop a blood test to spot this change. There’s also potential for our findings to be used as a starting point to develop treatments that might prevent the spread.”
Breast and brain cancer metastasis is just one of the cancer types being researched at the University of Wolverhampton, with other cancer research focuses including Ovarian cancer and Colorectal cancer.
If you’re interested in studying cancer, or potentially becoming involved in some of the pioneering cancer research at the University of Wolverhampton, take a look at the Genetics and Molecular Biology course, as well as Biomedical Science and the Medicine and Clinical Practice courses.
By Phoebe Hinton-Sheley
*Paraphrased for easier understanding