Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Sanger Institute (UK) have discovered the first specifically male gene that protects against acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
The study, published in Nature Genetics, recounts the steps taken to reach this finding. First, the scientists observed that the loss of the UTX gene on the X chromosome (present in men and women) accelerates the development of acute myeloid leukemia. This anticancer gene has been known for years because its malignant mutations are linked to different types of tumors.
Later, they found that the UTY gene on the Y chromosome prevented mice lacking the protective UTX from developing leukemia. In other words, the UTY gene, specifically male, contributes to the failure of this cancer. Best of all, it also prevents other types of tumors from arising.
A door to new treatments
According to data from the José Carreras Foundation against Leukemia, AML represents 40% of all leukemias in the Western world. Its incidence in Spain is estimated at 15 new cases per million inhabitants per year. The average age of those who suffer from it is 64 years, and most patients are in the range of 60 to 75 years.
Treatments for AML have hardly changed in the past two decades, and there is a need to find new therapies. Hence, the discovery of the ability of the UTY gene to prevent disease is so important. According to Dr. Malgorzata Gozdecka, one of those responsible for the research, “it is the first specific gene on the Y chromosome that protects against acute myeloid leukemia. It used to be thought that the only function of the Y chromosome is to create the characteristics of the male gender, but our work indicates that it could also defend the body against different tumors, in addition to AML. “
According to the researchers, deciphering how the UTY gene helps prevent the development of acute myeloid leukemia may lead to the creation of new, more effective drugs to combat this disease, whose prognosis varies depending on the subtype of AML (there are eight) and age of the patient. According to the information provided by the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation, “young patients with standard-risk leukemias who receive an allogeneic family or unrelated donor transplant in first complete remission have a probability of cure of up to 65-70 %, while an elderly patient, with post-myelodysplastic or secondary leukemia that does not achieve complete remission with induction chemotherapy, has practically no cure options ”.
Image: Illustration of an X chromosome and a Y chromosome.
