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Why do some forms of kidney cancer become more aggressive? That is the focus of recent research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Luigi Perrelli, MD, PhD. and Giannnicola Genovese, MD, PhD led the study. Their findings were published last summer in Nature Cancer. The team used CRISPR (the same technology used in new sickle cell treatments) to study renal cancer carcinoma, the most common type of the disease. They built a model that helped examine how chromosomes destabilize and lead to kidney cancer metastatic growth, aka become more aggressive.
“The researchers used CRISPR/Cas 9-based genome editing to generate RCC models lacking common tumor suppressor genes. They then targeted cell cycle regulator genes to mimic common chromosomal abnormality associated with metastatic RCC in humans, leading to a phenotype consistent with the human disease. This is the first immunocompetent somatic mosaic model for metastatic RCC, meaning the model accumulates different mutations that result in uncontrolled cell growth but still maintains a functional immune system.”
What Did They Find?
The team found that losing a cluster of genes called “interferon receptors” lessens the stability of chromosomes, setting up an environment that makes kidney cancer more treatment-resistant. The goal is to help scientists identify which genes in a patient have the potential to become more aggressive.
These findings are significant because while most patients with renal cell carcinoma are effectively treated through surgery, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy (or a combination of them), one-third of those diagnosed will see their disease progress and metastasize.
How Does This Impact the Black Community?
The American Cancer Society predicts that more than 81,000 people will be diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2024. More than half of them will be men. But in our community, we are twice as likely to receive a kidney cancer diagnosis, and there is less likelihood of survival for us. There are several factors impacting that. Risk factors for the disease increase if we smoke, are clinically obese, and have high blood pressure.
Plus, socioeconomic factors may limit access to the treatment we need. A review published in the Kidney Cancer Journal discusses disparities in treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These contributing factors limit the chances that we have the opportunity to undergo surgical nephrectomy, the best early-stage RCC intervention for the disease. They include:
- Unaffordability of discharge medications
- Lack of income
- Lack of insurance coverage
- Unequal access to quality care
- Attitudes toward surgery
That means there is a higher chance of kidney cancer in our community to be diagnosed later and potentially become treatment-resistant.
So, studies like the one at MD Anderson could potentially affect our future RCC survival rates.
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