Cancers leave detectable early and rapid "chemical fingerprints" 🧬

A team of researchers has discovered that cancer leaves unique "fingerprints," offering a new avenue for detecting the disease earlier and with remarkable accuracy.

Every cell in our body produces proteins through microscopic factories called ribosomes. Long thought to be uniform, these ribosomes actually reveal an unsuspected complexity: tiny chemical modifications unique to each tissue and, in some cases, to certain diseases such as cancer.


According to a study published in Molecular Cell, these modifications form an "epitranscriptomic fingerprint" capable of betraying a cell's origin. The researchers, led by the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, discovered that these fingerprints can be used to differentiate normal cells from cancerous cells with impressive efficiency.

Cancer alters these ribosomes in a specific way. In certain types of tumors, such as lung cancer, the cells lose essential chemical markers, a phenomenon scientists call "hypomodification." These changes, invisible to the naked eye, can be detected using sequencing technology.

The method relies on the direct sequencing of ribosomal RNA, an omnipresent molecule in our cells. With a portable device, researchers can analyze these molecules in real time, without altering them. This technique, called nanopore sequencing, makes it possible to identify cancerous cells' specific fingerprints in just a few hours.

To demonstrate their approach's effectiveness, the researchers analyzed tissue samples from patients with early-stage lung cancer. Using the data collected, they trained an algorithm capable of distinguishing healthy tissue from diseased tissue with accuracy nearing 100%.

This breakthrough paves the way for rapid and non-invasive diagnostic tests. Scientists are particularly considering detecting these fingerprints directly in the blood, a much less invasive method than traditional biopsies. However, they emphasize the need for further research to validate these results on a larger scale.

Beyond diagnostics, this discovery raises fundamental questions about the role of ribosomes in cancer development. Understanding why these modifications occur could eventually lead to treatments capable of reversing the harmful effects of these changes.

For researchers, this is just the beginning. They hope to soon decode this "secret language" of cells, opening up new horizons in the fight against cancer.

What is an epitranscriptome?

The epitranscriptome refers to the complete set of chemical modifications that affect RNA in a cell without changing their base sequence. These chemical marks influence RNA functions, including their stability and ability to produce proteins.

In the case of ribosomes, these modifications, called epitranscriptomic marks, vary depending on the tissue or disease. They form a sort of "molecular identity card" unique to each cell type.

These modifications primarily involve the addition of chemical groups, such as methylations, on ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These subtle changes play a key role in cellular regulation.

By gaining a better understanding of the epitranscriptome, researchers hope to identify reliable biomarkers to detect diseases like cancer earlier and with increased accuracy.