Cancer Treatment Breakthrough: New Study Reveals How Our DNA Could Hold The Cure – News18
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Scientists found that telomeres can stop cancer cell growth by halting cell division or inducing cell death, per a study led by Tony Cesare at CMRI in Sydney.
Telomeres may prevent cancer by stopping cell division or causing cell death.
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found that telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, may have the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells. This finding, revealed in a recent study published in Nature Communications, could open the door to a new strategy for treating cancer by targetting telomeres directly.
For years, researchers have known that telomeres play a key role in aging and cell division. Telomeres are short segments of DNA located at the ends of chromosomes, acting like protective shields for genetic material. Every time a cell divides, telomeres become shorter, and when they shrink to a critical length, the cell stops dividing – a process linked to aging. However, this new research, conducted by scientists in Australia, suggests that telomeres are not only involved in aging but may also serve as an active defence mechanism against cancer.
The study was led by Tony Cesare of the Genome Integrity Unit at the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) in Sydney. Cesare explained that while it was previously believed that telomeres simply shorten over time in a passive manner, the new findings suggest that telomeres can actively respond to cellular stress. When telomeres sense damage or instability in chromosomes, they can trigger a response that resembles cellular aging, causing the cell to stop dividing or even self-destruct. This natural defence mechanism could prevent damaged cells from becoming cancerous.
“Our data shows that telomeres are very active,” said Cesare, adding, “They can detect stress and initiate a cellular response that mimics aging. This reaction is essentially a strategy to prevent cancer from developing.”
Telomeres act as a safeguard by halting the cell cycle or inducing programmed cell death when they detect damage. This prevents the replication of potentially cancerous cells. Cesare emphasised that this discovery uncovers an anti-cancer function of telomeres that was previously unknown.
The implications for cancer treatment are significant. If scientists can develop therapies that target telomeres to control their activity, they could potentially stop cancer cells from multiplying. This would offer a new line of attack against a disease that remains one of the world’s leading causes of death.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 2 crore new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, and nearly 97 lakh people died from the disease. Statistics show that one in every five people is at risk of developing cancer in their lifetime, with one in 9 men and one in 12 women succumbing to the illness.
Cesare and his team believe that by harnessing the protective role of telomeres, scientists could create innovative treatments that work by cutting off the ability of cancer cells to grow and divide. “If we can find a way to exploit this natural defense mechanism, we might be able to develop more effective and targeted cancer therapies,” Cesare said.
This discovery marks a major shift in the understanding of telomeres and their role in cellular health. While previous research focused primarily on their role in aging and cell division, the new findings suggest that telomeres could become a powerful tool in the fight against cancer.
