Women are conferred a greater resistance to cancer because there are some excellent cancer-fighting genes in the human genome ... so long as you look on the X chromosome. (Science Daily: Genetic explanation for cancer's higher incidence in males than females)
Females get two copies of the X chromosome whereas males get one X chromosome and a short Y chromosome. The article goes into some detail on how 'extra' genes on the second X chromosome for females will go dormant ... but not all of them. The fact it's not all of them seems to be the basis for greater resistance to cancer in females.
The new study explored whether this phenomenon -- fully functional tumor-suppressor genes on an otherwise idle X chromosome -- underlies the broader phenomenon of cancer's partiality toward male cells. The researchers dubbed such genes "EXITS," for Escape from X-Inactivation Tumor Suppressors.
"Under this theory, one of the reasons cancer is more common in males is that male cells would need a harmful mutation in only one copy of an EXITS gene to turn cancerous," Lane said. "Female cells, by contrast, would need mutations in both copies."
Females get two copies of the X chromosome whereas males get one X chromosome and a short Y chromosome. The article goes into some detail on how 'extra' genes on the second X chromosome for females will go dormant ... but not all of them. The fact it's not all of them seems to be the basis for greater resistance to cancer in females.
The new study explored whether this phenomenon -- fully functional tumor-suppressor genes on an otherwise idle X chromosome -- underlies the broader phenomenon of cancer's partiality toward male cells. The researchers dubbed such genes "EXITS," for Escape from X-Inactivation Tumor Suppressors.
"Under this theory, one of the reasons cancer is more common in males is that male cells would need a harmful mutation in only one copy of an EXITS gene to turn cancerous," Lane said. "Female cells, by contrast, would need mutations in both copies."
- Science Daily
So, gents, we're not just screwed, we're genetically screwed.
It's better being a female ... since then you can worry about breast cancer all your life. I wouldn't be cryin' too much, gents, about how genetics did you wrong. The intrigue in the article isn't so much the differential in resistance to cancer but rather the researchers don't seem entirely sure about the mechanism of gene suppression in the second X chromosome. They seem highly determined to discover how it works but, read for yourself, it does not appear they have that full knowledge yet.
Don't read that as criticism since science which doesn't raise yet more questions is relatively boring science usually.
My interest in genetics comes from my father's exemplary tenure in the field but the science interests me anyway in terms of the Basic Questions of what are we, what made us, etc. It's the same pursuit as Cadillac Man except he does it by trying to understand how the history did it and he knows American history to exceptional detail.
Ed: what does he conclude?
More questions. It's science, man.
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