In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers have documented an exceptional case of a person who has survived 12 tumors, at least five of them malignant. The subject featured in the study first developed a tumor when he was still a baby, followed by others every few years.

The scientist discovered that all the tumors developed due to an inherited mutation in a gene called MAD1L1 from both parents. This gene is essential for the processes of cell division and proliferation. In contrast, the mutated gene also produced a strong anti-inflammatory response that suppressed the tumors.

In the medical analysis, the researchers and doctors used single-cell analysis to investigate tumor growth. They found that the blood sample of the subject contained several hundred chromosomally identical lymphocytes dividing from a single, rapidly proliferating cell.

They also hypothesized that the constant production of altered cells has generated a chronic defensive response in the patient against these cells, which helps the tumors disappear. The researchers noted that the discovery that the immune system is capable of unleashing a defensive response against cells with the wrong number of chromosomes can help in developing new therapeutic options.

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1016194 )