PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree

A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals

2013-11-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Graham Shaw
graham.shaw@icr.ac.uk
44-207-153-5380
Institute of Cancer Research
Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals.

The technique can identify the founding mutations from which a tumour evolved and then uses computer software to draw a map of the cancer's family tree.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute used DNA sequencing to identify a panel of mutations present across thousands of cancer cells in three patients with leukaemia. They then tested hundreds of individual cancer cells for each of the mutations to determine their genetic fingerprint and place them into cancer's family tree.

The study found that each patient's cancer had a distinct family tree, with a unique series of mutations driving their growth.

The findings could be used to identify the key mutations that occur early in the development of tumours, allowing doctors to use targeted treatments more effectively.

The study, published in the journal Genome Research, was funded by Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, the Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), and the Wellcome Trust.

Tumours grow through a process of Darwinian evolution, where cancer cells develop an advantageous mutation that allows them to survive and multiply, producing a population of cells which can mutate further.

Sequencing the whole genome of a cancer provides a tally of the many mutations that accumulate within it, but can fail to identify where mutations have branched off the evolutionary tree to produce distinct sub-populations of cells.

Targeted cancer treatments are designed to attack molecules produced by mutations, but if the targeted mutation occurs on an evolutionary branch and not the trunk, the treatment will fail as other branches dominate and treatment resistant cells spread.

The new technique used software to assign the cancer cell with the fewest mutations as the ancestral clone and place it at the root of the evolutionary family tree, with the other clones arranged as branches above it.

Professor Mel Greaves, Professor of Cell Biology at The Institute of Cancer Research, said: "The diversity of genetics within individual cancers reveals the otherwise hidden evolutionary histories of cancer cells. Our research highlights how mutations distribute into branching patterns that are unique to each patient. The diversity of these evolutionary tree structures helps explain why advanced cancer can be so resilient to treatment."

Professor Alan Ashworth, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, said: "The evolution of resistant cancer cells can be a problem for targeted therapy. If we can understand how this happens we may be able to devise better methods of treatment that slow or avoid relapse after treatment."

Dr Elli Papaemmanuil from the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute said: "Single cell genomics, the genetic study of individual cells, is becoming increasingly important for cancer research. It allows us to decipher the order and timings of mutation acquisitions, as well as providing insights into the biological mechanisms or exposures that result in mutations."

Professor Chris Bunce, Research Director at Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, said: "We are beginning to understand how unique and complex each patient's cancer is and the profound implications that this can have on the success of treatment. By cataloguing the variety of genetic faults found in hundreds of individual leukaemia cells in each patient, this study significantly advances our understanding of how cancers start and evolve. The efficient and accurate methods developed could be used in leukaemia and other cancers to predict how an individual's disease will progress, guide the personalised choice of treatment to target cancer at its root and monitor the risk of it coming back."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Evidence found for granite on Mars

2013-11-18
Evidence found for granite on Mars Researchers now have stronger evidence of granite on Mars and a new theory for how the granite – an igneous rock common on Earth -- could have formed there, according to a new study. The findings suggest a much ...

Columbia engineers make world's smallest FM radio transmitter

2013-11-18
Columbia engineers make world's smallest FM radio transmitter Team demonstrates new application of graphene using positive feedback New York, NY—November 17, 2013—A team of Columbia Engineering researchers, led by Mechanical Engineering Professor James Hone and ...

Researchers capture structure of key part of deadly Nipah virus

2013-11-18
Researchers capture structure of key part of deadly Nipah virus What began as a summer internship project designed for an undergraduate student evolved into a one-year study of one of the deadliest, but little known viruses. Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute ...

Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer

2013-11-18
Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer Study in the Journal Cell Cycle reveals new developments in prognosis LOS ANGELES (Nov. 18, 2013) – Many patients diagnosed with prostate cancer have indolent, slow-growing forms of the disease that are not life-threatening. ...

New research finds link between red cell distribution width levels and depression in heart patients

2013-11-18
New research finds link between red cell distribution width levels and depression in heart patients DALLAS – Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute have discovered a link between elevated red cell distribution width levels and ...

Long-term oral contraceptive users are twice as likely to have serious eye disease

2013-11-18
Long-term oral contraceptive users are twice as likely to have serious eye disease Research shows birth control use over three years could be a risk factor for glaucoma NEW ORLEANS – Nov. 18, 2013 – Research presented today, at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American ...

Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures: McMaster study

2013-11-18
Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures: McMaster study In many countries waits for hip surgery can be 24 hours or longer Hamilton, Nov. 18, 2013 – The speed of surgery after a hip fracture may have a significant impact on outcomes for older patients, ...

Program helps at-risk family members of patients with heart disease improve their own heart health

2013-11-18
Program helps at-risk family members of patients with heart disease improve their own heart health Randomized clinical trial Family members of patients with heart disease adopted healthier lifestyles and decreased their risk of a cardiovascular ...

Early surgery for hip fractures in older adults may improve outcomes

2013-11-18
Early surgery for hip fractures in older adults may improve outcomes Randomized controlled trial Early surgery for hip fractures in older people may substantially improve outcomes for patients, according to the results from a randomized controlled ...

Blood growth factor boosts effect of exercise in peripheral artery disease

2013-11-18
Blood growth factor boosts effect of exercise in peripheral artery disease A blood cell growth factor can boost the effects of exercise in improving mobility for patients with peripheral artery disease, a clinical study has shown. The results are scheduled for ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Cercus electric stimulation enables cockroach with trajectory control and spatial cognition training

Day-long conference addresses difficult to diagnose lung disease

First-ever cardiogenic shock academy features simulation lab

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

[Press-News.org] Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree
A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals