Dr Conor Kearney, head of the Molecular Immunology Laboratory, answers our questions about the link between DNA and cancer on this DNA Day.
April 25th is DNA Day, a commemoration of the day when James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin and colleagues published papers in the journal Nature on the structure of DNA in 1953.
Since its discovery over 70 years ago, DNA has become central to medical research. In cancer research, understanding DNA allows for more precise and personalised medicines to be developed.
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for all known living organisms. Sequences of nucleotides, adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G), make up genes, which are segments of DNA that contain the information needed to produce proteins and other molecules essential to life.
We take this opportunity to ask Dr Conor Kearney, head of the Molecular Immunology Laboratory, a few questions about the link between DNA and cancer.
What role do genetic mutations play in the development of cancer?
“Genetic mutations in our DNA, whether inherited from our parents or acquired during life due to lifestyle and environmental factors, are central to cancer development.
Inherited mutations may predispose individuals to certain cancers. Acquired mutations (often linked to ageing and external factors) are responsible for the majority of cancer cases.
Understanding these mutations helps inform cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.”
Immunotherapies, the gold standard of cancer treatment, use the body’s immune system to fight cancer. How can our DNA negatively impact the benefits of immunotherapy?
“The likelihood of cancer immunotherapies being beneficial is strongly influenced by the genetic characteristics of both the tumour and the individual.
There are many genetic factors that affect the immune system’s ability to recognise and destroy cancer cells, including:
- The amount of mutations present in a tumour (tumour mutational burden)
- Changes in the length of short DNA sequences (microsatellite instability)
- Cell surface protein expression (immune checkpoint expression)
- DNA repair mechanisms.
By understanding a patient’s genetic profile, healthcare providers can more effectively predict whether immunotherapy will be a good treatment option, leading to more personalised and successful cancer treatment strategies.”
How has DNA sequencing technology allowed you to make progress in your research?
“A type of DNA sequencing called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) allows us to process large amounts of genetic information. NGS can also be used in combination with a genetic engineering technology allowing us to make very specific edits to genetic information; this technique is called CRISPR.
This allows us to quickly understand how certain genes control the responses to targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapies. We can also develop new therapies using this information.”
Are there specific genes you focus on in your work that are known to drive cancer?
“We are particularly interested in genes that promote poor responses to diverse types of cancer immunotherapies. Identification of these genes allows us to design new therapies.
Our team have identified many of these types of genes, and we are currently investigating ways to target the proteins created by these genes for new therapies, particularly immunotherapies for diverse solid cancers.”
Learn more about the Molecular Immunology Laboratory and the Lab’s recent breakthrough.