Portions of DNA that behave like ‘James Bond villains’ and promote the spread of cancer. This is the discovery of scientists at the University of Stanford, in the United States, as reported by The Guardian newspaper. The study, we read, turns the spotlight on DNA elements that could also contribute to the resistance of tumors to the drugs taken by the patient.
The discovery of these fragments of genetic material – known as extrachromosomal DNA or ecDNA – appears set to play a role in developing therapies and treatments for some of the most aggressive cancers affecting people today.
“The discovery of how these fragments of DNA behave inside our bodies is something that changes the picture,” says Professor Paul Mischel of Stanford University in California, one of the leaders of the study. “We believe they are responsible for a significant number of the most advanced and most serious cancers affecting people today. If we can stop their activities, we can stop the spread of these cancers.”
The genetic material at the center of the study survives outside the chromosomes. The existence of these smaller units has been known for years, but their role in relation to cancer is only now being discovered. “We found that ‘elements of’ extrachromosomal DNA act like cancer genes that have somehow separated from an individual’s chromosomes and started behaving in ways that bypass the normal rules of genetics,” said Howard Chang, scientist at the Stanford University. “They act like the bad guys in a Bond movie. In the beginning, in a movie, you see different explosions, killings and disasters happening and you don’t know why they are happening or who is responsible. Then, at some point, it finally turns out who the bad guy is, who turns out to be responsible for all this chaos.”
Until now, scientists could observe tumors spreading with unexpected speed or becoming resistant to initially effective drugs. “Now, finally, we have revealed the agents of these events. It is extrachromosomal DNA,” added Chang.
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