Scientists have discovered more about the mysterious role of epigenetics, the study of how genes change, in controlling the way cancers develop.
Often called “dark matter”, it could alter the way cancer is detected and treated, research from The Institute of Cancer Research suggests.
And it could lead to new forms of tests for the disease which would help tailor treatments.
But this is a long way off, with research still at an early stage.
When most people think of genetics, they think of structural changes to the DNA code that are passed down through the generations.
As a result, there has been a huge focus on how these gene mutations drive the growth of cancers.
Epigenetics is the study of how an individual’s behavior and environment can cause changes that affect the way their genes work.
Your epigenetics change as you age, and in response to where you live and how you live.
Epigenetics does not alter the DNA code, but it can control access to genes, and is increasingly seen as playing an important role in the development of cancer.
Prof Trevor Graham, director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: “We’ve unveiled an extra level of control for how cancers behave – something we liken to cancer’s ‘dark matter’.”
He said that there can be “tangles in lines of DNA” as they fold up in each cell and this can change which genes are read.
“It’s not going to change clinical care tomorrow but could be an avenue for developing new therapies,” Prof Graham said.
Genetic testing for cancer mutations, such as BRCA which increases the risk of breast cancer, for example, only offers part of the picture of someone’s cancer.
“By testing for both genetic and epigenetic changes, we could, potentially, much more accurately predict which treatments will work best for a particular person’s cancer,” Prof Graham said.