A gene that helps control the aging process by acting as a cell’s internal clock has been linked to cancer by a major new study.

Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in London have found a genetic variant that influences the aging process among four new variants they linked to myeloma, one of the most common types of blood cancer.

The study more than doubles the number of genetic variants linked to myeloma, bringing the total number to seven, and sheds important new light on the genetic causes of the disease.

Myeloma affects about 4,700 patients each year, and is caused by genetic mutations in white blood cells, which normally help fight infection and injury. Less than four in 10 sufferers survive the disease for more than five years, and three in 10 die within one year.

One genetic marker found by the researchers is linked to a gene called TERC, which regulates the length of the telomere caps on the ends of DNA. In healthy cells, these caps erode over time causing tissues to age, but some cancer cells appear to be able to ignore the aging trigger in order to keep on dividing. If further studies can confirm the link, TERC could be a target for future myeloma treatment plans.

The researchers found the new markers by comparing the genetic make-up of 4,692 myeloma patients with DNA from 10,990 people without the disease. A previous UK study led by the same team found three genetic variants, which lead to increased risk of developing myeloma.

The research team found the new genetic variants by combining their samples with others from researchers in Germany. The combined results gave the scientists more data and greater statistical accuracy.

Study co-leader Professor Richard Houlston, Professor of Molecular and Population Genetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, said, “Our study has taken an important step forward in understanding the genetics of myeloma, and suggested an intriguing potential link with a gene that acts as a cell’s internal timer.”

“We know cancer often seems to ignore the usual controls over aging and cell death, and it will be fascinating to explore whether in blood cancers that is a result of a direct genetic link. Eventually, understanding the complex genetics of blood cancers should allow us to assess a person’s risk or identify new avenues for treatment.”

The research, published in the journal Nature Genetics, was mainly funded by the charities Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and Myeloma UK, with additional support from Cancer Research UK.