Cell Mutations Responsible for Cancer
Cell mutations could explain why some people become susceptible to cancer, according to a new research conducted by geneticists at Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton, UK.
Our body is a complex mosaic made up of cells with different
genomes. A survey of 29 different types of tissues revealed that a substantial
number of cells in our body already contain cancer mutations. The DNA errors
that happen during cell division or exposure to cigarette smoke can cause
cancer. Skin, lungs and oesophagus exhibit high levels of mosaicism.
The results are based on 6700 samples taken from 29 tissues
of about 500 people.
The new research is expected to in finding out how cancer starts
and how it can be detected earlier.
Researchers have the challenge of sorting out which cells become tumors
and which are normal. This would be vital for successful early detection of
cancers, according t CristianTomasetti, an applied mathematician at John
Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
Photo Courtesy: Gerd Altman, Pixabay
Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6444/eaaw0726
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