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Circulating DNA-Markers of High Risk for Lung Cancer in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A A Ponomaryova1, V V Boyarko2, L Wang3
1Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia. anastasia-ponomaryova@rambler.ru.
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine
|June 2, 2026
Summary
Researchers identified epigenetic markers RARB, ZNF260, and DCDC1 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Hypermethylation of these genes in blood plasma DNA may indicate lung cancer risk.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Oncology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant risk factor for lung cancer.
- Early detection and risk assessment for lung cancer in COPD patients remain challenging.
- Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, are implicated in cancer development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate specific genes (RARB, ZNF260, DCDC1) as potential epigenetic biomarkers for lung cancer risk in COPD patients.
- To investigate the association between gene hypermethylation in liquid biopsies and lung cancer development post-therapy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of extracellular DNA in blood plasma from 26 COPD patients using liquid biopsy technology.
- Assessment of DNA methylation status for RARB, ZNF260, and DCDC1 genes.
- Post-therapeutic monitoring to correlate methylation patterns with lung cancer incidence.
Main Results:
- Hypermethylation of RARB, ZNF260, and DCDC1 genes was detected in the extracellular DNA of COPD patients' blood plasma.
- Post-therapeutic monitoring revealed that hypermethylation of RARB and/or ZNF260 was associated with lung cancer development in 23% of cases.
- These epigenetic changes suggest a link between gene methylation and increased lung cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic analysis of RARB, ZNF260, and DCDC1 genes via liquid biopsy shows promise for lung cancer risk assessment in COPD patients.
- Hypermethylation of these specific genes may serve as a predictive biomarker for lung cancer development.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore their clinical utility.
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