PQ - 7 How does the lifespan of an organism affect the molecular mechanisms of cancer development, and can we use our deepening knowledge of aging to enhance prevention or treatment of cancer? Background: The development of most common adult cancers is related to increasing life span and aging; however, the lifespan of animals that get cancer are remarkably different. Mice live only 2 years, dogs perhaps 20, and humans 80. Yet all three suffer cancers that appear to driven by similar mutations in evolutionarily related proteins. Conversely many long-lived animals, such as the sea turtle, appear to have very low rates of cancer incidence. How does the etiology of cancer drive tumor formation in one time frame in some animals and a different one in others? In addition, some types of tumors arise in particular ages. What predisposes some tumors to develop most commonly at these times? A better understanding of these relationships could reveal fundamental regulatory events that control cancer development and progression, offering new means of cancer prevention or early stage detection. Feasibility: Some of the basic biological processes that control aging have been described, and our knowledge of the molecular drivers of aging continues to improve. For example, the clock gene, PER, is an oncogene is some cancers. As processes implicated in aging are studied in conjunction with animal tumor models, we will be able to understand how key characteristics of tumor development are modified. Similarly, the molecular profiles of related tumors that occur at characteristically different life stages may show distinct patterns that could point to some of the variables that control how tumor incidence can be linked to the properties of aging tissues. Implications of success: Understanding which features of aging change the rate of tumor incidence promises to identify potential biological processes that could be targets for prevention and therapy. Deeper knowledge of the molecular links between aging and cancer incidence can also identify new markers for early diagnostic tests and risk assessment. |
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