The role of 'extra' DNA in cancer evolution and therapy resistance

(Henry Ford Health System) Researchers tracked genomic alterations detected in patient samples during tumor cell evolution in culture, in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models from the cultures, as well as before and after treatment in patients. In a recent paper in Nature Genetics, the team reports that tumor progression was often driven by cancer-promoting genes, known as oncogenes, on extrachromosomal pieces of DNA.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news