A sensational new study from the Van Andel Institute in Michigan suggests that cancer risk may be established before birth, while a fetus is still in the womb. Published in the journal Nature Cancer, the research highlights the critical role of developmental epigenetics in shaping cancer risk.
Traditionally, cancer has been viewed as a disease primarily driven by aging and accumulated genetic mutations. While these factors are still important, this study sheds light on epigenetic errors—alterations in gene programming—as another major contributor to cancer development.
The researchers identified two distinct epigenetic states, or patterns of gene programming, in genetically modified mice. One state was linked to a lower lifetime cancer risk, while the other was associated with a higher risk. These epigenetic states also appeared to influence the type of cancer that developed: mice in the lower-risk state were more prone to liquid tumors, such as leukemia or lymphoma, while those in the higher-risk state were more likely to develop solid tumors, such as lung or prostate cancer.
Gene TRIM28 was found to play a pivotal role in determining which epigenetic state cancer-related genes would adopt. According to the researchers, this programming happens during fetal development, indicating that cancer risk may not solely depend on genetic mutations acquired over time but could also be shaped in the womb.
“Because most cancers occur later in life and are understood as diseases of mutation, or genetics, there hasn’t been a deep focus on how development might shape cancer risk,” explained J. Andrew Pospisilik, director of the Van Andel Institute’s Center for Epigenetics. “Our findings change that.”
Despite the groundbreaking nature of this discovery, scientists emphasized the need for further research to explore potential treatments and preventive measures based on developmental epigenetics.
