A joint research group consisting of 19 institutions nationwide*, including the National Cancer Center, found that individual differences in genes that determine susceptibility to lung adenocarcinoma are more likely to occur in non-smokers, and lung adenocarcinomas with mutations in the EGFR gene are more likely to develop in non-smokers. It was revealed that it is strongly related to the susceptibility to cancer.
Lung adenocarcinoma, which occurs most frequently among lung cancers, has a relatively weak relationship with smoking, which is a risk factor for lung cancer, and about half of cases occur in non-smokers.Risk factors other than smoking have not been identified, making it difficult to identify risk groups and prevent the onset of the disease.In particular, in Asian countries including Japan, many cases of lung adenocarcinoma occur due to mutations in the gene called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor).
The joint research group compared genetic polymorphisms in approximately 1 Japanese patients with lung adenocarcinoma and approximately 7 patients without lung cancer, and determined which genes are preferentially carried by patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We identified individual differences inWe performed whole-genome sequence analysis of peripheral blood DNA from 15 patients with lung adenocarcinoma and investigated the relationship between individual genetic differences and telomere sequence length.
As a result, 19 individual differences in the genes that determine the susceptibility to lung adenocarcinoma in Japanese people were identified, and some of these are related to lung adenocarcinoma with mutations in the EGFR gene, which often occurs in non-smokers. It was found that there is a strong relationship with susceptibility.
In addition, individual differences in some genes have been shown to increase susceptibility to lung adenocarcinoma by elongating telomere sequences, which exist at the ends of chromosomal DNA and are involved in genome stabilization.It is known that the length of telomeres at the ends of chromosomes is related to cell lifespan and genome stability.
The results of this study are expected to provide clues for the prevention and early detection of lung adenocarcinoma in non-smokers.
*In addition, Aichi Cancer Center, RIKEN, University of Tokyo, Shiga University of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Akita University, Saga University, Nagoya University, Shinshu University, Participating companies include Fukushima Medical University, Gunma University, Kyoto University, Tohoku University, Iwate Medical University, Okayama University, and Stargen Co., Ltd.
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