Aging May Suppress Tumor Growth, new Study Finds, Challenging Cancer Theories
BOSTON, MA – A groundbreaking study published in Nature Aging reveals a surprising link between aging and cancer: the aging process itself may actively suppress tumor initiation and growth. This finding overturns long-held assumptions about the relationship between age and cancer risk, and coudl pave the way for more effective, age-adapted cancer therapies.
Researchers discovered that loss of PTEN function - a gene often associated with the formation of hamartomas and an increased cancer risk – led to aggressive tumors in young mice. However, in older mice, the effect of PTEN loss was considerably diminished.Gene expression analysis showed that molecular signatures of aging persisted even in rapidly dividing older tumors, suggesting the same mutation can have different outcomes depending on age.
“This is the first conclusive demonstration that the aging process can suppress tumor initiation and growth, and that it influences how suppressor genes such as PTEN act,” researchers stated in the published study.
The research arrives as cancer incidence, including lung cancer, is rising among younger adults, even without traditional risk factors like smoking. The American Cancer Society estimates 226,650 new lung cancer cases and 124,730 deaths in the United States alone this year.
While acknowledging biological differences between mice and humans, researchers emphasize genetic similarities make these findings a crucial starting point for future inquiry, as genes like PTEN are present across all mammalian species.The team calls for a reevaluation of current oncology research models and exploration of age-related processes for potential therapeutic applications.
“These discoveries open a direction of research that could redefine the understanding of the complex relationship between age and cancer and could contribute, in the long term, to therapies better adapted to each stage of life,” the research team concluded. They also stress the importance of developing more accurate cellular and animal models that reflect the biology of aging organisms to create effective, age-adapted therapies.
