University of Bergen researchers identify new mechanism for childhood cancer

Researchers at the University of Bergen have identified a previously unknown mechanism that may explain the development of cancer in children. The study, published in ‘Frontiers in Immunology’, reveals that some children produce an unusual number of abnormal autoantibodies that target essential proteins responsible for DNA repair.

Unlike adult cancers, which often result from a lifetime of accumulated mutations, pediatric cancers such as leukemia, neuroblastoma, and osteosarcoma tend to arise in less mature cells with fewer environmental mutations. These autoantibodies can enter living cells and inhibit the activity of the proteins meant to correct genomic errors, effectively turning the immune system against the body’s own genetic protection mechanisms.

Lead author Dr. Ola Myklebost noted that these findings could pave the way for early detection methods, potentially allowing for interventions to prevent cancer development during adolescence. The research involved analyzing proteomes from blood and tissue samples of children and adults with various cancers, including sarcoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.