A large tumor atlas created by Dana-Farber researchers and collaborators found age-related differences in colorectal cancer cells and gene activity that may help explain why the disease can be more aggressive in younger adults.
Published October 29 in Nature Medicine, the study analyzed 189 tumors from patients ages 29 to 94. The study included 54 people diagnosed before age 50. Using a method called single-nucleus RNA sequencing, the team measured gene activity in more than 850,000 cancer cells and other cells in the tumors.
Instead of only comparing younger and older patients, researchers tracked biological patterns across the full age range. They also accounted for factors such as tumor location, stage, sex and previous treatment. Tumors from younger patients had a higher proportion of stromal cells compared with epithelial cells.
They also showed age-related gene-activity patterns in epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The researchers found patterns of interaction between cells that may be connected to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. This process is associated with cancer progression and spread.
The findings provide a detailed resource for further research. However, they do not yet establish what causes the differences. They also do not show how the differences affect patient outcomes or responses to treatment.