Aging may protect against cancer

The team led by Monte Winslow and Dmitry Petrov compared the development of the same cancer mutations in young mice (4-6 months) and elderly (20-21 months). 15 weeks after the start of the tumor process, the young animals had about three times as many tumors, the tumors themselves were several times larger, and the overall lung damage was much stronger.

“We expected the opposite. It is logical to think that the risk only increases with age. But the results showed that very old organisms have mechanisms that inhibit the development of cancer,” the authors of the study explain.

Cancer is usually associated with the accumulation of genetic errors. The older the cells, the more mutations there are, which means that the risk of a tumor is higher. But other changes occur with age:

• the work of genes is disrupted
• the structure of DNA is changing,
• processes are activated that … unexpectedly prevent tumor cells from growing.

The effect was especially noticeable when studying the PTEN gene, an important defender against cancer. When it was turned off, the tumors actually grew more actively, but only in young mice. The effect was much weaker in the elderly.

Age turned out to be not just a number, but a key factor that can change:

• the rate of tumor development,
• the response to specific mutations,
• and the effectiveness of targeted drugs.

That is, some modern treatments may work differently in young and elderly patients.

It is emphasized that in order to create effective therapies, models are needed that reflect not only the tumor, but also the natural age-related changes in the body.

The researchers plan to find out exactly which age-related processes inhibit cancer. If these mechanisms can be replicated in people of any age, it may open the way to new treatment strategies.

“It seems that aging has a protective side. And, perhaps, it can be used in therapy,” the authors say.