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A genetic mutation triggered by ultraviolet light might be the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to a new research. 

The mutation occurs in a gene called KNSTRN, which is involved in helping cells divide their DNA equally during cell division. 

Although KNSTRN has not been previously linked to human cancers, the study hints it may be one of the contributing factors. 

"This previously unknown oncogene is activated by sunlight and drives the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas," said Paul Khavari, MD, PhD, the Carl J. Herzog Professor in Dermatology in the School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Dermatology. "Our research shows that skin cancers arise differently from other cancers, and that a single mutation can cause genomic catastrophe."

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common cancer in humans and around 1 million new cases are diagnosed globally each year. According to the study, a particular region of KNSTRN is mutated in about 20 percent of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and in about 5 percent of melanomas. 

"Essentially, one ultraviolet-mediated mutation in this region promotes aneuploidy and subsequent tumorigenesis," said Khavari. "It is critical to protect the skin from the sun."

The study was published online in the Nature Genetics.