Major Discovery How Carcinogens Cause Cancer
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Health Fitness -> subcategory Disease Illness.
Major Discovery: Understanding How Carcinogens Trigger Cancer
Summary
The prevailing belief in medical research is that most cancers are caused by carcinogens damaging DNA. Despite significant investment from the NIH, private foundations, and pharmaceutical companies in uncovering DNA damage, few breakthroughs have been achieved. Surprisingly, the true cause of most cancers may not be damaged DNA.Unpacking the Genetic Mutation Hypothesis
A brief overview:
1. Gene Definition: A gene is an assembly line that creates proteins, made from DNA.
2. Proteins' Role: Proteins are crucial building blocks of cells.
3. What is a Mutated Gene?: It's an altered assembly line, often resulting in harmful modifications. While beneficial mutations are rare, most are damaging.
The current consensus attributes cancer to environmental carcinogens like tobacco and asbestos, which supposedly mutate genes, compromising our DNA “Achilles heel.” This notion has become so ingrained that the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) maintains that genetic mutations underpin all cancers. However, despite extensive efforts, this approach has yielded few public benefits. The real vulnerability might not lie in our genes' structural integrity.
The BRCA1 Gene Mystery
Typically, genes produce proteins, and any alteration in gene function can cause abnormal protein levels, potentially leading to disease. The BRCA1 gene, discovered in 1994, was linked to breast cancer due to observed low protein levels in affected tissues. Initially, researchers thought this was due to a mutated gene causing increased cell replication in tumors.
Although 180,000 breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the U.S., the BRCA1 gene is mutated in less than 5% of these cases. So, why do tumors frequently show reduced BRCA1 protein levels if the gene isn't mutated in most patients?
This phenomenon isn't unique to the BRCA1 gene. Other non-mutated genes also show abnormal protein levels in cancers and other diseases like atherosclerosis, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
Reevaluating Cancer's Origins
Dr. Raxit J. Jariwalla suggests in the European Journal of Cancer that cancer might not be initiated by genetic mutations. Despite longstanding knowledge of genetic instability in tumors, its exact role in cancer progression remains contentious. Often, no visible mutations are found where genes are dysregulated, challenging the genetic alteration hypothesis as cancer's starting point.
If genetic mutations aren't the primary cause, what initiates cancer? How do carcinogens trigger this process? For further insights, visit [http://www.causeofcancer.org/](http://www.causeofcancer.org/).
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Major Discovery How Carcinogens Cause Cancer.
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