In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 8 ( 2019-04-09)
Abstract:
Many diseases, such as certain cancers, run in families. Often, this is because several related individuals inherit a version of a gene that is faulty and causes the condition. But in a number of families with high rates of cancer, scientists are unable to pinpoint such disease-causing gene versions. Instead, it is possible that individuals inherit healthy genes that are not read and interpreted correctly by the cells. This could be because of epigenetic changes, modifications that do not alter the genetic code but can instead turn genes on or off temporarily by adding or removing certain marks on the genetic information. For a long time, researchers thought that epigenetic changes could not be passed from one generation to the next, but recent studies have revealed this is actually possible. However, it had never been shown that this could be associated with having a higher risk of developing cancer. Now, Lesch et al. show that epigenetic changes passed from male mice to their offspring make these animals more likely to develop tumors than typical mice. In the experiments, mouse sperm were genetically engineered to have a mutation in a gene called Kdm6a (also called Utx by cancer researchers), which controls the placement of epigenetic marks. Male mice carrying a defective Kdm6a gene were then mated to normal females. The resulting offspring developed more tumors than mice produced from normal sperm, even though they inherited a normal copy of the Kdm6a gene from their mother. Lesch et al. also show that the offspring have epigenetic marks similar to the ones found in the mutant sperm. This may change whether genes that stop or promote tumor formation are switched on or off. Certain cancer treatments work by targeting epigenetic changes. The results by Lesch et al. therefore call for more research into whether cancer patients exposed to these drugs could transmit these modifications if they have children soon after the end of their treatment. Ultimately, knowing more about how epigenetic changes are involved in inherited diseases may start to provide answers to families affected by cancer.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.003
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10.7554/eLife.39380.014
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10.7554/eLife.39380.004
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10.7554/eLife.39380.005
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10.7554/eLife.39380.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.009
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10.7554/eLife.39380.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.018
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10.7554/eLife.39380.019
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10.7554/eLife.39380.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.017
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.020
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.029
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.030
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.021
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.022
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.023
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.024
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.025
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.026
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10.7554/eLife.39380.027
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10.7554/eLife.39380.028
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10.7554/eLife.39380.031
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10.7554/eLife.39380.037
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10.7554/eLife.39380.038
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.039
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.040
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10.7554/eLife.39380.032
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.033
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.034
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.035
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.036
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10.7554/eLife.39380.041
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10.7554/eLife.39380.042
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10.7554/eLife.39380.043
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.044
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.056
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.39380.057
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2019
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
