Y Chromosome Loss May Explain Short Life Span and Higher Risk of Cancer in Men

Humans have 23 distinct chromosome pairs, one of which is the sex chromosomes. Since the sex chromosomes are XX in women and XY in men, the genes on the Y chromosome are only found in men, although men share the genes on the X chromosome with women. Until now it was known that the gene difference in the Y chromosome only leads to a gender difference.

It was revealed that the Y chromosome, beyond determining the sex, causes cells found in males to function differently from cells found in females.

He stated that the information obtained as a result of the research in question, if studied, could shed light on why some diseases occur differently in men and different in women.

It is generally known that men have less overall average life expectancy than women. According to the findings of a recent study by Uppsala University researchers, there is a relationship between loss of Y chromosome in blood cells and short life span and high mortality from cancer in other organs.

Average life expectancy in men is lower than in women, and the rate of cancer formation and death from cancer is higher in men than in women. However, the mechanism and possible risk factors behind this gender gap are largely unknown. Damages in our DNA in normal cells accumulate throughout our lives and are effective in the emergence of diseases such as cancer or diabetes. A group of international researchers analyzed DNA in blood samples from more than 1600 older men, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Genetics. They found that the most common genetic change was the loss of the Y chromosome in white blood cells (white blood cells).

The male group has been studied for years, and researchers have been able to uncover the relationship between loss of Y chromosome in white blood cells and shorter lifespan.

Leading the study, Lars Forsberg, a researcher in the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University, said: “Regardless of the cause of death, men with a loss of Y chromosome in most of their blood cells have a short life span. We also found a relationship between Y chromosome loss and the risk of death from cancer. ” said.

The Y chromosome is found only in males, and genes found on the Y chromosome have so far been largely associated with sex determination and sperm production.

“You’ve probably heard that the Y chromosome is small, insignificant and contains very little genetic information,” said Jan Dumanski, a professor of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University. Actually, this is not a correct statement. Our results show that the Y chromosome plays an important role in suppressing tumor cells and may explain why men develop cancer more often than women. We believe that in the future, Y chromosome analysis will become a useful and general marker for predicting the risk of developing cancer in men. ” said.