Firefighters Have an Increased Chance of Having Gene Mutations Associated with Brain Cancer, Study Says

New research shows that firefighters diagnosed with gliomas tend to have a particular set of genetic mutations that aren’t so common in individuals engaged in other occupations. In the past, those specific gene mutations had been linked to haloalkane exposure. Haloalkanes are chemicals often used in fire extinguishers and fire retardants.

This study is the first one ever to confirm that haloalkane exposure is a possible risk factor heralding the development of gliomas. Gliomas have proven to be difficult to treat.

The study lead, Prof. Elizabeth Claus, based at Yale School of Public Health, explains that their study is the first one to point out one of a few preventable risk factors connected to the environment in efforts to find ways to limit the likelihood of glioma development.

She adds that she, together with other research teams, have spent many years investigating possible risk factors to glioma development but they had come up with nothing. This contrasts with the case for other cancers like ovarian, breast or lung cancers that have several identified environmental factors increasing the risk for the development of those cancers.

Claus says the findings of their study provide vital information in the quest to understand the ways in which haloalkanes impact human health on a long-term basis. She explains that the study findings provide a basis for implementing strategies aimed at limiting the occupational dangers of using these compounds in one’s professional capacity.

In a prior study, Claus’ team obtained more than 1,000 glioma samples to search for mutations they could link to environmental or genetic risk factors. They found that a portion of the samples analyzed exhibited mutation factors previously connected to haloalkane exposure in research.

For example, a Japanese study linked haloalkane exposure to several cases of bile duct cancer in office workers at a print factory in Japan. The patients had similar mutations to those seen by Claus and her team in their earlier study. The challenge was that her team lacked information on the occupational history of their study subjects.

In this latest research, they focused on glioma samples from 17 individuals who had a long history of working as firefighters. These subjects were participants in a UC San Francisco study investigating gliomas over a 30-year duration. They observed a mutation signature common in individuals that had served as firefighters.

To confirm their findings, they examined 18 samples from people with gliomas but with a history of different occupations. They discovered that the mutation signature also existed among patients in occupations prone to haloalkane exposure. These included machine maintenance and car painting.

While haloalkane exposure is now being minimized by improved preventive methods, Claus says a lot more can be done, especially for occupations in which limited awareness of haloalkane exposure hazards exist. The findings can also aid the search for better glioma treatments given that no significant progress has been made in this field over the past 4 decades.

Companies like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) engaged in developing brain cancer treatments could benefit from the insights revealed by this research.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

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