Chemotherapy alters DNA and accelerates the aging of healthy cells | cancer

The blood cells of a 3 -year -old child with cancer have shown genetic wear equivalent to that of an 80 -year -old person after chemotherapy. Therefore, stressing new evidence that vital drugs leave lasting damage in healthy cells – a change that can persist a whole VIAe.

Chemotherapy can permanently damage the DNA of healthy blood cells. Furthermore, causing their premature aging and potentially increasing the risk for patients to develop secondary cancers later, according to recent research.

“DNA damage lasts a lifetime,” said Dr. Therefore, Daniel Landau, oncologist and hematologist, who did not participate in the study. Similarly, “The greatest concern is probably the increased risk of developing other cancers following exposure to previous chemotherapy.

The blood cells of a child have aged several decades in a few months

The study. For example, recently published in Nature Geneticsexamined how chemotherapy affects chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging healthy blood cells at the genetic level.

The researchers compared blood samples from 23 people. Nevertheless, aged 3 to 80, having received chemotherapy, with samples from 9 people who have never been diagnosed with cancer. Nevertheless, The group under chemotherapy had received an average of 21 different treatments. However, including platinum agents and alkylating agents, drugs that kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA.

In one case. Furthermore, the team discovered that a 3 -year -old boy who suffered chemotherapy had 10 times more changes in his blood than healthy children of the same age. For example, His blood cells seemed genetically older than those of an 80 -year -old person who have never received chemotherapy.

“Although traditional chemotherapy can be effective in reducing tumor load. However, it also has a significant risk of collateral damage to healthy tissues, as well as increased risk of mutational changes and resistance in chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging cancer cells,” said John Oertle, medical director, who did not participate in the study.

Genetic signs of treatment

The study revealed that anticancer drugs leave distinct genetic traces in normal blood cells that persist long after the end of treatment. Therefore, fundamentally altering the way these cells work and age.

Using advanced DNA sequencing. mathematical modeling, researchers have isolated blood stem cells and mature blood cells to examine all of their genomes. They identified four specific types of DNA damage. called mutational signatures – genetic markers that reveal the cause of cellular damage. Eleven signatures were found only in the blood of patients who received chemotherapy. four of whom had never been documented before. These signatures are like permanent “genetic scars” left by anti -cancer treatment.

These discoveries could help explain why cancer survivors are often faced with higher risks of heart disease. diabetes, stroke and dementia later in their chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging lives. “Sample stem cells are never completely recovered and can develop other problems much later in life,” said Dr. Landau.

The effects of chemotherapy drugs vary

Not all chemotherapy drugs caused the same amount of DNA damage. For example, cyclophosphamide, used to treat multiple myelome and breast cancer, caused fewer changes than other drugs in its category.

Conversely, the most mutagenic agents of the study showed long -term toxicities “measurably more important”. Bifunctional alkylating agents – chemicals with two reactive groups that damage DNA to kill cancer cells with rapid division – such as Melphalan. Chlorambucil, mainly used to treat bone marrow cancer, are associated with higher risks of secondary cancers than cyclophosphamid.

Procarbazine. which has been linked to a particularly high risk of secondary cancer and infertility, is no longer used in the treatment of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma for this reason, researchers wrote. They added that these differences could chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging reflect “subtle differences” in the way in which the various chemotherapy agents damage DNA. the capacity of the cell to repair these damage.

A call to develop more targeted therapies

The results highlight the efforts already underway to develop more targeted anticancer treatments. “The best we can do is to dose chemotherapy appropriately and, when possible, to use alternatives,” said Dr. Landau. “We often use other agents, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapies, in place of chemotherapy. »»

John Oertle described the study as a new “alarm signal”. stressing that if traditional chemotherapy has saved lives, the field must evolve towards safer and more targeted therapies that support natural body defenses in order to reduce long -term side effects and preserve global health.

“For the moment. however, there are not proven methods to protect blood cells from the genetic effects of chemotherapy,” said Dr. Landau.

“The question of whether there chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging are mechanisms to protect specific cells exposed to chemotherapeutic agents is an area that requires more research. ” said Dr. Krushangi Patel, oncologist, who has not participated in the study.

Not all patients with cancer have shown DNA modifications. which suggests that factors such as the duration of treatment, the number of different drugs used or the time sold since treatment can influence the results. “The question of whether these changes induced by chemotherapy in the architecture of the population depend on the long term and/or the multiplicity of treatment. or if they simply occur with the passage of decades after treatment,” wrote the researchers, “requires a more in -depth investigation”.

The team also recognized the limits of the study. including the small number of participants and the possibility that blood tests carried out outside the human body could affect the results.

Regarding the relatively small size of the study chemotherapy alters dna accelerates aging sample. John Oertle said that if more research is still welcome, mechanistic overviews and consistency with previous discoveries make this study both reliable and significant.