Why Some Get Cancer and Others Don’t: A New Theory

maradon 333/Shutterstock

Cancer, that formidable adversary that touches the lives of far too many of us, has long been a puzzle for medical researchers. On the Templeton Wellness website, we’ve talked nonstop about the many factors that have been identified as significant contributors to cancer risk—including toxins, the environment, genetics, and epigenetics.

A recent discovery by researchers in Australia points to a lesser-known culprit hidden deep within our cells: circular RNAs (circular genetic fragments). The work echoes findings by German researchers in 2019 that delved into how circular DNA causes cancer in children. These findings open an important new avenue in medical and molecular biology research, offering new possibilities in cancer treatment and prevention.

As the field of cancer research progresses, circular RNAs (circRNAs) may play an increasingly crucial role in identifying individual cancer risks, designing personalized treatments, and eventually developing more effective and precise cancer management strategies.

How circRNAs Are Related to Cancer

CircRNAs are tiny molecules found within our cells that have a unique circular shape. Unlike the usual straight RNAs, circRNAs don’t have a clear starting or ending point, making them more stable and long-lasting in our cells. In the past, scientists didn’t pay much attention to circRNAs, but now many see them as important players in how cancer forms in the body.

Scientists are actively conducting studies on circRNAs to understand their specific roles in different forms of cancer.

Researchers have discovered that specific circRNAs can bind to DNA in our cells, leading to DNA mutations that can trigger cancer development. This is called endogenous RNA-directed DNA damage.

By studying neonatal blood tests of infants who later developed leukemia, for example, scientists have observed that certain circRNAs were present at higher levels in those infants even before any symptoms appeared. This suggests that the abundance of circRNAs in cells could be a crucial factor in determining why some people develop cancer while others don’t. Further research on circRNAs’ role in cancer could lead to better ways of identifying cancer risks.

Cancer is a complex disease with numerous contributing factors. Circular RNAs are only one piece of the puzzle—scientists are still working hard to fully comprehend their effect on cancer development.

Originally published TempletonWellness.com

Resources:

Conn VM, Gabryelska M, Toubia J, Kirk K, Gantley L, Powell JA, Cildir G, Marri S, Liu R, Stringer BW, Townley S, Webb ST, Lin H, Samaraweera SE, Bailey S, Moore AS, Maybury M, Liu D, Colella AD, Chataway T, Wallington-Gates CT, Walters L, Sibbons J, Selth LA, Tergaonkar V, D’Andrea RJ, Pitson SM, Goodall GJ, Conn SJ. Circular RNAs drive oncogenic chromosomal translocations within the MLL recombinome in leukemia. Cancer Cell. 2023 Jul 10;41(7):1309-1326.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.05.002. Epub 2023 Jun 8. PMID: 37295428.

Martincorena I, Campbell PJ. Somatic mutation in cancer and normal cells. Science. 2015 Sep 25;349(6255):1483-9. doi: 10.1126/science.aab4082. Epub 2015 Sep 24. Erratum in: Science. 2016 Mar 4;351(6277). pii: aaf5401. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf5401. PMID: 26404825.

Lei B, Tian Z, Fan W, Ni B. Circular RNA: a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers. Int J Med Sci. 2019 Jan 1;16(2):292-301. doi: 10.7150/ijms.28047. PMID: 30745810; PMCID: PMC6367529.

Li A, Wang WC, McAlister V, Zhou Q, Zheng X. Circular RNA in colorectal cancer. J Cell Mol Med. 2021 Apr;25(8):3667-3679. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.16380. Epub 2021 Mar 9. PMID: 33687140; PMCID: PMC8051750.

Li W, Liu JQ, Chen M, Xu J, Zhu D. Circular RNA in cancer development and immune regulation. J Cell Mol Med. 2022 Mar;26(6):1785-1798. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.16102. Epub 2020 Dec 5. PMID: 33277969; PMCID: PMC8918416.

Chen LL, Yang L. Regulation of circRNA biogenesis. RNA Biol. 2015;12(4):381-8. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2015.1020271. PMID: 25746834; PMCID: PMC4615371.