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Study Reveals “Seeds of Skin Cancer” – Gene Mutations Associated with Early Stages of Skin Cancer
PHILADELPHIA – Specific DNA mutations are correlated with the beginnings of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and other cancers, according to researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. After using an innovative approach to analyze skin samples and compare them to healthy skin on the same individuals, the team sequenced DNA and found mutations in NOTCH 1-3 – signaling pathways at the cellular level. The researchers also found no cancer-causing mutations in RAS genes, mutations which are common in other forms of cancer and in more progressed SCC, suggesting it’s not a factor in the early development of SCC. The research may illuminate potential ways clinicians can prevent and treat SCC and other skin cancers. The findings were published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.