UK (Commonwealth Union) – Cervical cancer affects women of all ages and is most frequently linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). A study has found that cervical cancer can be separated into two distinct molecular subgroups, where one is far more aggressive than the other. One of the widest ‘omics’ study of its kind, was conducted by scientists at the University College London (UCL) and the University of Southampton.
The science of omics refers to a variety of sections of biology such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics and more. Omics has played a significant role in a variety of sectors of biotechnology such as medical biotechnology and industrial biotechnology.
Scientists state the breakthrough discoveries are a “significant step forward” for gaining knowledge of the disease and provide a tantalizing new clue in providing the most fitting treatments for each patient. Despite screenings in the UK, approximately 850 women die every year from the disease.
The researchers applied a multi-omics approach, analyzing and contrasting a combination of various markers, including DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites, in 236 cervical squamous cell carcinoma incidents, the most frequent form of cervical cancer, accessible in a public US database.
This evaluation indicated that the US cancers fell into two distinct ‘omics’ sub-groups, referred to as C1 and C2. Further evaluations showed that C1 tumors had a greater number of specialized white blood cells, referred to as cytotoxic T cells, reputed for being potent serial killers of tumor cells. The results indicated that patients with C1 tumors would have a stronger immune response within the tumor micro-environment.
Scientists found that, as in the US cohort, nearly a quarter of patients from Norway and Austria fell into the C2 subtype and that again, C1 tumors contained a greater number of killer T cells than C2 tumors. Significantly, the data also revealed C2 had increased clinical aggression, with worse findings for patients. The variations in outcomes between patients with C1 and C2 tumors was very similar all over the cohorts for America and Europe.
Researchers hope to use the findings to find the best possible treatments.
