'Rogue' DNA rings reveal earliest clues to deadly brain cancer's growth

'Rogue' DNA rings reveal earliest clues to deadly brain cancer's growth

An international team of scientists has revealed how rogue rings of DNA that float outside of our chromosomes—known as extrachromosomal DNA, or ecDNA—can drive the growth of a large proportion of glioblastomas, the most common and aggressive adult brain cancer. The discovery could open the door to much-needed new approaches to diagnose glioblastoma early, track its progress and treat it more effectively.

Hidden DNA Loops Linked to Early Spread of Brain Cancer

Scientists have discovered that rogue DNA rings, called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), appear early in glioblastoma and drive its rapid growth and resistance to therapy. By combining patient data, imaging, and computational modeling, researchers found that ecDNA often carries the EGFR cancer gene and its aggressive variants.

“‘Rogue’ DNA Circles Uncover Earliest Insights into Deadly Brain

‘Rogue’ DNA Rings Offer Groundbreaking Insights into Early Development and Aggressiveness of Glioblastoma A pioneering international research effort has uncovered how circular, extrachromosomal DNA rings—termed ecDNA—play a critical role in propelling the growth and treatment resistance of glioblastoma, the most lethal and prevalent form of adult brain cancer. These rogue DNA elements, which exist independently […]

Rogue DNA rings reveal earliest clues to deadly brain cancer’s growth

In a new study, published today in Cancer Discovery, the eDyNAmiC team, led by Paul Mischel at Stanford University, and collaborator Charlie Swanton at the Crick, integrated genomic and imaging data from people with glioblastomas with advanced computational modelling of the evolution of ecDNAs in space and time.