DNA Damage Is the Latest Theory on Why Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk

DNA Damage Is the Latest Theory on Why Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk

Last year, researchers determined that people with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of cancer than the general population — but why they do was still a mystery.

Recent research has provided a deeper understanding and firmer theory as to what’s happening in a body with diabetes that increases the likelihood of cancer growth.

“It has been known for a long time that people with diabetes have as much as a 2.5-fold increased risk for certain cancers”. explained by a professor of molecular medicine at the City of Hope National Medical Center in California.

Essentially, DNA in a person with diabetes experiences more damage and isn’t repaired as frequently or successfully when blood sugar levels are high compared to a person with normal blood sugar levels.

*excess levels of insulin that stimulate cancer cell growth

*excess body fat that produces higher levels of adipokines, which promote cancer growth Trusted   Source

*excess hormone production that promotes chronic inflammation, which is linked to cancer

These theories may play a role, research has been unable to produce solid evidence to support them. This led to pursue a different theory focused on DNA damage and blood sugar levels.

Specifically, the research team honed in on a type of DNA damage referred to as “adducts” that develop more frequently in mice with diabetes compared to mice without diabetes.

While a mouse (or person) without diabetes would be generally successful in repairing this type of DNA damage, researchers found that high blood sugar levels directly interfered with the repair process.

Further, two specific proteins — mTORC1 and HIF1α — that play a crucial role in DNA repair were identified as having less activity in people with diabetes.