Hope For Cancer Patients, New Treatment Strategy Targets Rogue DNA
NDTV
The research, which analyzed data from over 15,000 UK cancer patients, identifies ecDNA as a key factor in cancer progression and drug resistance.
US and UK scientists have conducted a groundbreaking study that has ignited hope for treating some of the most aggressive forms of cancer. The research, published in Journal Nature Genetics, has identified a novel approach to targeting rogue DNA fragments that fuel tumour growth and resistance to chemotherapy.
Scientists discovered that many difficult-to-treat cancers contain extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), small loops of genetic material that are essential for tumor survival and treatment resistance. By analyzing data from nearly 15,000 UK cancer patients across 39 different tumor types, researchers found that over 16% of these cancers exhibited ecDNA.
This discovery sheds light on how ecDNA drives cancer progression and resistance. Encouragingly, the study also identified a promising drug candidate that is currently undergoing early-stage clinical trials. This drug has the potential to selectively eliminate cancer cells containing ecDNA, preventing the rapid development of drug resistance.
