Startling Discovery: Cancer Can Arise Without Genetic Mutations

Researchers have discovered that cancer can originate solely from epigenetic changes, not just genetic mutations. This revelation, demonstrated through experiments with Drosophila, shows that induced epigenetic dysregulation can cause a permanent tumor state, challenging traditional views of cancer as primarily a genetic disease. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new study reveals that cancer can develop purely from epigenetic changes, challenging the conventional belief that genetic mutations are necessary for the disease.

A research team including scientists from the CNRS[1] has discovered that cancer, one of the leading causes of death worldwide, can be caused entirely by epigenetic changes,[2] in other words, changes that contribute to how gene expression is regulated, and partly explain why, despite an identical genome, an individual develops very different cells (neurons, skin cells, etc.)

While studies have already described the influence of these processes in the development of cancer, this is the first time that scientists have demonstrated that genetic mutations are not essential for the onset of the disease.

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