Fudan University Researchers Link Cerebral Cortex Architecture to Major Ancestry Gaps in Blood Cancer Risks

Fudan University study finds that differences in the cerebral cortex explain why blood cancers are more common in Westerners than Han Chinese.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 30, 2026, 6:26 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from EurekAlert!

The Neurological Underpinnings of Global Hematologic Disparities

Long-standing questions regarding why Western populations face significantly higher rates of specific blood cancers compared to Han Chinese individuals may finally have a biological explanation rooted in the brain. Professor Peng Liu and his colleagues at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, have provided the first genetically informed evidence connecting the architecture of the human cerebral cortex to cancer susceptibility. Their research indicates that the role of the brain in the development of extracerebral tumors has been historically overlooked, shifting the focus of oncology from purely environmental factors to central nervous system biology.

Mapping the Genetic Links Between Cortical Traits and Myeloma

Using a sophisticated method known as Mendelian randomization, the research team analyzed expansive datasets from the ENIGMA3, CHIMGEN, and FinnGen cohorts. The results established a specific causal link between the surface area of the pars triangularis and multiple myeloma. Specifically, a one-standard-deviation increase in this cortical surface area was associated with a higher risk of the malignancy. According to the study, Western populations naturally carry genetic variants that favor these larger surface areas, which correlates with the ten-fold higher incidence of the disease compared to populations in East Asia.

Identifying Structural Markers for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The study further identified that the thickness of two specific frontal regions, the rostral anterior cingulate and the rostral middle frontal cortices, is linked to chronic lymphocytic leukemia risk. The researchers observed that greater thickness in these areas yielded significantly higher odds ratios for the disease. These structural differences were not merely incidental but were supported by rigorous sensitivity tests designed to eliminate the risk of pleiotropy and weak-instrument bias. This suggests that the physical dimensions of the frontal lobe may act as a silent predictor for hematologic health outcomes across different ancestries.