Scientists in Australia have uncovered a new way cancer may begin in the body—through tiny circular pieces of genetic material called circular RNAs. These small RNA molecules, once thought to be unimportant, are now believed to play a big role in causing damage to our DNA and possibly triggering cancer.
This discovery, led by researchers at Flinders University, has opened up a completely new area of study in cancer research.
The research team, led by Professor Simon Conn, found that certain circular RNAs can actually attach themselves to the DNA inside our cells. Once attached, they can cause the DNA to break. While cells do have natural ways to repair broken DNA, the process isn’t always perfect. Sometimes, the repair leaves behind small mistakes—mutations—that can lead to cancer.
This newly discovered process is called ER3D, which stands for endogenous RNA-directed DNA damage. It’s the first time scientists have seen genetic material that is naturally found in our bodies acting in this way, potentially triggering cancer from the inside out.
To understand how this works, the researchers studied blood samples taken from newborn babies. They compared babies who later developed a blood cancer called acute leukemia to those who stayed healthy.
The results were striking—babies who later got leukemia had much higher levels of a certain circular RNA right from birth. This suggests that these RNAs may be setting the stage for cancer long before any symptoms appear.
Professor Conn explained that circular RNAs can attach to many spots in a cell’s DNA. This creates breaks in the genetic code. Although cells try to fix these breaks, the repair process sometimes mixes up parts of the DNA.
In some cases, two separate genes may accidentally fuse together. This gene fusion is known to be one of the causes of aggressive forms of leukemia and is also seen in other cancers.
Dr. Vanessa Conn, the lead author of the study, noted that more than one circular RNA can act at the same time, causing even more DNA breaks. This increases the chance of serious changes in the cell’s genetic structure.
One particularly dangerous event, called chromosomal translocation, happens when pieces of DNA from different chromosomes fuse together. This is a well-known trigger for the rapid growth of cancer cells.
What makes this discovery even more important is its connection to leukemia “hotspots”—places in the DNA where mutations are commonly found in leukemia patients. Until now, scientists didn’t know exactly what caused these hotspots to mutate. This new research shows that circular RNAs may be the hidden force behind them.
This finding is especially relevant to Australia, which has the highest reported rates of leukemia in the world. Understanding how circular RNAs cause these gene changes could lead to better early detection tools and possibly new treatments.
Even though the current study focused on leukemia, the researchers believe that ER3D may also play a role in other cancers and diseases. The team at Flinders University is now working on uncovering more about these RNAs and how they affect our health. If successful, their work could lead to new ways to spot cancer early or even stop it from developing in the first place.
This research, published in the journal Cancer Cell, marks a major step forward in understanding how cancer might begin at the genetic level—and how we might one day stop it.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about vitamin D and bowel cancer, and a cautionary note about peanuts and cancer.
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