Researchers crack 'code' for high incidence of esophageal squamous cancer

The team of Professor Zhao Happy of the Radiation Therapy Center of Fudan University's Affiliated Cancer Hospital has for the first time found that the important reason for the high risk of esophageal squamous cancer in Asian-American species such as China - the "embryo mutation" of the NFE2L2 gene has a higher risk than that of other species, and early screening and preventive intervention of esophageal cancer is possible. The study was published online
(Nature Communications).China is a country with a high incidence of esophageal cancer, with 50% of cases in the world, of which 90% are of squamous type, while in the United States, the incidence of esophageal cancer is low, and the pathological type is mainly adenocarcinoma. In addition to the effects of lifestyle habits and carcinogens, what other causes are there that cause people with such large differences in the incidence and pathology of esophageal cancer?
Zhao's happiness team tried to analyze the genetic material DNA (gene) in human cells from the root causes, and then excavate the genetic differences between different species of esophageal cancer. "If the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer can be found at the genetic level, it will provide a new strategic basis for the prevention and treatment of Chinese types of esophageal cancer." Zhao said happily.
Professor Zhao's research collaboration lasted 6 years, in collaboration with Professor Han Liang of MD Anderson Cancer Center, a well-known cancer research institution in the United States, and Professor Liu Wei of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Fudan University's School of Basic Medicine. During this period, the team sequenced more than 300 cases of Chinese esophageal squamous cancer with a full external progeny group and/or target sequencing to "map" the chinese esophageal squamous cancer gene map; (TCGA, The Cancer Genome Atlas) database compared esophageal squamous cancer data and analyzed the "passwords" in the two maps to find the "culprits" that cause differences in esophageal cancer and pathological types between two different species.
", we found that the three genes TP53, EP300, and NFE2L2 had higher mutation frequency than those of American esophageal squamous cancer patients, chinese and other Asians with esophageal squamous cancer. Professor Zhao told China Science Daily, "There are already studies to prove that these genes are closely related to the development of tumors, they show higher frequency of mutations in esophageal cancer patients, obviously suggesting that the genes of esophageal cancer patients in China have significant uniqueness; Thealso found for the first time that the "embryonic mutation" of the NFE2L2 gene in Asian-American species such as China was significantly higher, three times higher than that of white Americans. "Embryonic mutation" exists in reproductive cells and can be passed down from generation to generation, leading to the phenomenon of "human aggregation" of this mutation. This NFE2L2 gene protects cells from oxidative damage, reducing the risk of potential cancer; The high proportion of "embryonic mutation" also makes the risk of oxidative damage of human cells higher, and the risk of cancer is also increased accordingly.
"Vitamins and other nutrients can activate the cell's self-protection mechanism, for the body to support the "umbrella" to reduce a variety of food drugs and environmental channels caused by cancer risk," Professor Zhao said, "but the prevalence of vitamin intake and poor eating habits, so that the fragile esophageal mucosa is more vulnerable to damage; While esophageal mucosa inflammation is a typical precancer lesions of esophageal squamous cancer, the high risk of esophageal mucosa inflammation makes the chinese people have a higher risk of esophageal squamous cancer. InZhao's view, "to explore the genetic differences between different species can provide a basis for the prevention, screening and early diagnosis of esophageal cancer in China." "Highly aggregated NFE2L2 gene "embryo mutation" is likely to help in the early prevention of esophageal cancer, if the NFE2L2 gene embryo line mutation can be screened in Chinese people, and preventive intervention, will make esophageal cancer prevention and early screening possible.
"-based" targeted therapy drugs will play an increasingly important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. It also provides new targets for the development of new targeted drugs for esophageal cancer. "If people with NFE2L2 gene embryo line mutations can be screened in Chinese and preventive interventions can be made possible for the prevention and early screening of esophageal cancer. In addition, the development of targeted drugs for the NFE2L2 gene, depending on the characteristics of genetic mutations, will provide more opportunities to cure patients with this type of esophageal cancer. (Source: Science Network Huang Xin Wanghui)