Researchers have identified a set of cells in the cervix that are responsible for human papillomaviruses (HPV) related cervical cancers, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The groundbreaking discovery was made by researchers from A*STAR’s Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) in collaboration with clinicians from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BHW).

In addition, the researchers found that once removed, the cells do not regenerate. These findings will significantly help in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cervical cancer.

In Singapore, cervical cancer is the 7th most prevalent cancer among women, with around 200 cases being diagnosed each year. Women infected with HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer as the virus causes cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). CIN (pre-invasive cancer) are pre-cancerous lesions which, if left untreated, can progress and potentially become invasive cancer.

Dr Christopher P. Crum, Director of Women’s and Perinatal Pathology in the Department of pathology at BWH, explained:

“It has been a decades-old mystery why cervical cancers caused by HPV arise only from a discrete region of the cervix, known as the ‘squamocolumnar junction’, despite the presence of the virus throughout the genital tract. The discovery of these cells finally resolves this mystery and will have wide-ranging impact from developing more meaningful animal models of early cervical carcinogenesis to clinical implications.”

The cells, located at the squamocolumnar junction of the cervix, express biomarkers that are found in all forms of invasive cervical cancers associated to HPV. According to the researchers, the biomarkers of these cells can provide a way of distinguishing potentially dangerous pre-cancerous lesions from benign lesions.

Dr Wa Xian, lead researcher at IMB, said:

“Our study also revealed that this exotic population of cells does not reappear after ablation by cone biopsy. This finding helps to explain the low rate of new HPV infections in the cervix after excisional therapy and also raises the distinct possibility that preemptive removal of these cells in young women could reduce their risk of cervical cancer. This could be an alternative to current vaccines which only protect against HPV 16 and 18.”

These findings confirm the teams earlier work, in which they discovered that a small set of cells at the junction of the esophagus and stomach were associated to precursors of esophageal cancer (Barrett’s metaplasia). This was the first time researchers discovered that some cancers originate from a unique set of cells that are different from the other cells that reside around them.

Dr Frank McKeon, Senior Group Leader at GIS, explained: “Our previous work on esophageal cancer opened up the possibility of ‘preventative therapy’ to stamp out the disease by eliminating this small group of cells. This recent work in the cervix further validates this concept and raises important possibilities for early intervention to prevent malignancies linked to a very small populations of these unusual, discrete population of cells.” Professor Birgitte Lane, Executive Director of IMB, said: “This compelling study lends further weight to the importance of specific target cell populations underlying cancer. It is a powerful example of what can be done by combining skilled pathology with modern molecular genetics to uncover important new information, even in such a well-studied disease as cervical cancer.” Professor Ng Huck Hui, Acting Executive Director of GIS, commented:

“This study is a fine example of how A*STAR research institutes can integrate our research capabilities to better collaborate with an international partner like the Brigham and Women’s Hospital to carry out excellent research with strong clinical and translational applications.”

Written By Grace Rattue