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Scientists have uncovered how tumours are able to grow despite significant damage to the structure and number of their chromosomes – the storage units of DNA – according to two new studies published in Cancer Cell and Cancer Discovery today. Healthy cells are programmed to self-destruct if there are mistakes in their genes that can’t be fixed, but cancer cells can carry on growing with these abnormalities. Over time, further genetic changes allow them to keep growing, spread, and become resistant to treatment. But this genetic chaos can be exploited, as too much genetic reassortment will push cancer cells into cancer cell death too. Led by Professor Charles Swanton, the Francis Crick Institute scientists, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, have now found two ways that cancer cells are able to survive and grow with this chaos.

See original article at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/press-release/2017-01-09-researchers-reveal-how-cancer-cells-cope-with-genetic-chaos-0