"The Y chromosome primarily carries genes that provide instructions for male sex differentiation and fertility. But it also carries some known to suppress tumor growth - a protective ability that is lost if those genes are damaged or destroyed."
"Luis Antonio Corchete Sánchez, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and co-author of a recent review article on the issue in the journal Trends in Cancer, likens Y-chromosome gene loss to library books sent through a paper shredder: 'You've lost those books forever; you can never recover that information.'"
"By the time they're 70 years old, about 40 percent of men have lost at least some of the Y chromosome in their blood cells. In addition, the chromosome is frequently lost in tumors."
The Y chromosome, the smallest human chromosome with the fewest genes, plays a significant role in cancer development. Men experience higher cancer incidence and severity than women in shared anatomical sites, including bladder, gastric cardia, and larynx. While lifestyle factors like diet and exercise contribute to this disparity, recent research suggests Y chromosome loss in tumor cells provides additional explanation. The Y chromosome carries genes that suppress tumor growth; when these genes are damaged or lost, this protective ability disappears. Approximately 40 percent of men over 70 have lost some Y chromosome material in blood cells, and the chromosome is frequently lost in tumors. Understanding this mechanism could lead to new therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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