It has been found that an inherited defect in the interleukin-10 or IL-10 pathway can predispose infants and children to lymphoma. The interleukin-10 pathway is an anti-inflammatory pathway that makes sure that the intestines are operating regularly and efficiently. The IL-10 pathway also guards the intestine tract. When this pathway or when one of the pathway's receptors (IL-10R1 or IL-10R2) is inherited with a defect, a disorder called very early onset inflammatory bowel disease or VEO-IBD is the result. VEO-IBD occurs because the intestinal tract is not properly guarded by the IL-10 pathway.
What is lymphoma? Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphocytes in the immune system. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that fight infection in the body. Lymphoma occurs when the lymphocytes grow at a rate that is not normally healthy. Tumors of the lymphocytes can either occur in the cervical, axillary, or inguinal lymph nodes, however the cancerous lymphocytes can also spread to other parts of the body and cause tumors to grow outside of the lymphatic system.
Children in Necker Children's Hospital in Paris and children in Munich Children's Hosptial were studied in this experiment. When studying five children with VEO-IBD who also have been recently diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) between the ages of 5 1/2 years old and 6 1/2 years old, the doctors found that every single one of these children also had a IL-10 pathway defect. In Necker Children's Hospital, 53 other children that were being treated for VEO-IBD were studied. It was found that only the children of these 53 that had a defect in the IL-10 pathway also had lymphoma. What this study shows is that there is a connection between this anti-inflammatory pathway and the development of the lymphoma cancer. The understanding of the specifics of this connection has not yet been established.
I found this article very interesting because we so often attribute cancer to unknown causes. It was really intriguing how one specific defect in a single pathway or receptor can be targeted to understand one of the ways of getting lymphoma. This is a crucial understanding because now when children have VEO-IBD, doctors can check the IL-10 pathway and its receptors and understand and predict whether the child has a risk of getting lymphoma. This could also help doctors potentially find a way to correct this defect in children. But first, the logistics on how the IL-10 pathway and the formation of cancerous lymphatic tumors are connected would have to be figured out and understood.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131002103313.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146136.php
This article really showed how far we have come in terms of understanding cancers. I think that the focus on childhood cancer was what really intrigued me to read this post. With a pathway identified these children can be tested and treated earlier. With earlier treatment there is more of a chance that these children will live long and healthy lives. Breakthroughs like this make me proud to be a member of the science field and make genetics an exciting career.
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