Running Head : Ramandeep Kaur – 134993187

A germ – free childhood could trigger leukemia, scientist suggests

Germ free childhoods followed by infections later in life can trigger the onset of childhood
leukemia , a new study suggests. The paper, published in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer,
finds that acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer is caused
by a two – step process. The first step is a genetic mutation before birth that predisposes a child
to the risk of developing this form of leukemia. The second step is exposure to certain infections
later in childhood, after clean early childhoods that limited exposure to infections. More
specifically, children who grew up in cleaner household during their first year and interacted less
with other children are more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia , the paper says. The
author institute of Cancer Research Professor Mel Greaves, suggest the cancer could be
preventable. Greaves reviewed more than 30 years of research, including his own, on the
genetics, cell biology, immunology, epidemiology and animal modeling of childhood leukemia
and reached this conclusion. Greaves said he had long wondered “ why or how otherwise healthy
children develop leukemia and whether this cancer is preventable.” This body of research is a
culmination of decades of work, and at last provides a credible explanation for how the major
type of childhood leukemia develops. The research strongly suggest that this cancer has a clear
biological cause, and is triggered by a variety of infections in predisposed children whose immune
systems have not been properly primed. However , other experts warm that more specifics needs
to be confirmed and emphasize that hygiene and safety are still crucial. Acute lymphoblastic
leukemia, known as ALL, is a form of blood cancer that is most often diagnosed in children ages
zero to 4 years old, though older children and adults can also be diagnosed. It develops quickly ,
over days or weeks, building up in the blood and spreads to other parts of the body , including
the lymph nodes, liver and nervous system. The main form of treatment is chemotherapy . Rates
of the disease are increasingly globally. One study estimated there were 53,000 cases worldwide
in 2016. Around 5,960 new cases of ALL are estimated to occur in the United States in 2018, with
1,470 deaths according to the American Cancer Society. Each year , around 810 people are
diagnosed in the UK , according to Cancer Research UK. While a genetic mutation plays a role in
predisposing someone to the disease , just 1% of children born with this mutation go on to
develop the disease , according to the paper. Rates are more common in advanced , affluent
societies , which suggests the second step could be caused by factors relating to modern life.
Previous claims have linked electromagnetic waves and other environmental factors to the
disease , but Greaves dismissed this link in his paper. The body of research “ busts some
persistent myths about the causes of leukemia, such as the damaging but unsubstantiated claims
that the disease is commonly caused by exposure to electro- magnetic waves or pollution.
Greaves instead believes that when a baby is exposed to infections during its first year, its
immune system is strengthened. But later infections , without the initial priming, can trigger
leukemia in those with the genetic mutation. Population studies have found that early exposure
to infection in infancy such as day care attendance and breastfeeding can protect against ALL,
probably by priming the immune system, according to the study. Greaves emphasized that
Running Head : Ramandeep Kaur – 134993187

infection as a cause applies only to ALL. Other type of leukemia , including infant leukemia and
acute myeloid leukemia, probably have different causal mechanisms.