[최보식의언론=박상현 기자]
KBS News Acquisition
It is known that physical aging is the most dangerous factor in the development of cancer. According to a study by the US National Cancer Institute, the average age at which cancer develops is 66 years.
The BBC, which has reported extensively on the risk of cancer in the elderly population alongside the news of King Charles’ cancer, reported on the 10th that people aged 70 or over account for the majority of new cancer cases found in the UK. .
There are many reasons why the risk of developing cancer increases as we age. The simplest reason is that the longer a person lives, the more damage accumulates in cellular DNA for a variety of reasons. Exposure to ultraviolet rays, chronic inflammation, environmental toxins, alcohol, smoking, and microbial infections are some of the most common reasons. Furthermore, as our cells age, their efficiency at repairing cellular damage decreases, and as a result, tissues accumulate DNA mutations in unique ways. The more mutations that accumulate in the body, the greater the risk of uncontrolled cell division or cancer.
Richard Siow, head of aging research at King’s College London, said: “Fundamentally, the repair mechanisms that can prevent the development of cancer decline as we age.” “he told the BBC.
The researchers found that mutations accumulated in this way impair the ability of immune cells to suppress and destroy tumor cells.
Meanwhile, Narita and his research team tested various cancer-causing genetic mutations that become more common with age. According to this study, mutations in various cancer-causing genes appear to cause cellular aging. In other words, old, damaged cells divide and stop growing. An excessive accumulation of senescent cells can change the surrounding environment in many harmful ways, causing chronic inflammation, which can cause further damage and increase vulnerability to cancer. However, this process is just one example that shows that aging can impact cancer risk.
Some cancer biologists suspect that just as humans age, memory declines and forgetfulness increases, individual cells may lose memory and forget how to behave properly as they age.
Luca Magnani, an epigeneticist at the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK, explains that this is a working theory for breast cancer potentially triggered by hormonal changes starting with menopause. According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), 8 out of 10 breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50.
“The general hypothesis in the field is that these cells start to proliferate even if they don’t lose their memory,” Magnani told the BBC.
Anti-aging scientists are currently conducting early-stage clinical trials exploring various chemical mixtures that selectively kill and eliminate aging cells without harming healthy tissue.
Tests of chemical mixtures called senolytics are currently underway on frail elderly survivors of their battle with cancer. The goal is to see if it can improve immune function and overall health in older adults being tested. If successful, the potential applications of these sanolytics will be greatly expanded, the BBC reported.
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