Scientists in Australia have discovered a new clue that could help explain why some people develop cancer.
Researchers from Flinders University have found that tiny loops of genetic material, called circular RNAs, may play a role in causing DNA damage that leads to cancer.
These circular RNAs are pieces of RNA that form a closed loop, and they exist naturally in the body. What’s new is the discovery that they can actually stick to DNA in our cells and possibly cause harmful changes. This process has been named “ER3D,” which stands for endogenous RNA directed DNA damage.
Professor Simon Conn, who leads the Circular RNAs in Cancer Laboratory at Flinders University, said this is the first time scientists have seen a common genetic molecule in the body that can change our DNA in this way. This could open up a new path for finding early signs of cancer and creating new ways to treat it.
To better understand the connection, the researchers looked at blood samples taken from babies (called Guthrie cards). They compared samples from babies who later developed leukemia to those who didn’t.
The team found that babies who got leukemia later in life had higher levels of a certain circular RNA in their blood. This suggests that having too much of this molecule may trigger cancer-related genes early in life.
Professor Conn explained how these circular RNAs work. They can attach to many different spots in the DNA of various cells. When this happens, it can cause the DNA to break. While cells have ways to repair these breaks, the repair is not always perfect. Sometimes it leads to small or serious mutations.
In some cases, the location of the damaged DNA changes inside the cell’s control center (the nucleus), which can cause two different pieces of DNA to stick together during the repair process. This can lead to something called a gene fusion, which may turn a normal cell into a cancerous one.
Dr. Vanessa Conn, the main author of the study, added that several circular RNAs can act together and break DNA in many places at once. This can lead to chromosomal translocation—when parts of different chromosomes swap places. This is known to be a cause of fast-growing and aggressive types of leukemia.
These gene fusions caused by circular RNAs are found in known mutation “hotspots” linked to leukemia. Australia has one of the highest rates of leukemia in the world, so this discovery is especially important there.
Until now, doctors have used these gene fusions to guide treatment because they usually mean a more serious disease. But the reason these mutations happened in the first place was unclear—until this research.
The scientists believe this new process, ER3D, might also be involved in other cancers and diseases, not just leukemia. Their research continues as they try to find out more about how circular RNAs work and how this discovery might lead to better cancer treatments and earlier detection.
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