Guardian

Women in England with ‘worrying’ breast lumps to be referred directly to specialists

Metaculus

When cancer survival rate exceeds 95%

Researchers from the UK and UK have found that treating the most aggressive cancers should focus on targeting extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), which are rogue DNA fragments that help cancerous tumors flourish and become chemotherapy-resistant.

They found ecDNA is present in over 17% of analyzed tumors, particularly in aggressive forms of breast, brain, and lung cancers, co-segregate during mitosis, allowing them to inherit multiple oncogenes, or cancer-prone ecDNA by daughter cells.

Nature

Besides oncogenes, this rogue DNA, which is found across 39 cancer types, also amplifies immunomodulatory and inflammatory genes, which contribute to treatment resistance, immune evasion, and cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

However, the researchers developed a CHK1 inhibitor — which helps repair damaged cells — to specifically target ecDNA-containing cancer cells, reducing tumor growth and preventing resistance.

NCBI

This comes amid similar research out of Munich, Germany, where researchers are developing microrobots to deliver treatments directly to tumor cells. Those scientists created soft microrobots, which they describe as similar to cells, that can be controlled wirelessly.

Dw.Com

DNA treatments are the future of cancer therapy by precisely targeting the root epigenetic changes that drive tumor growth without damaging healthy cells. Unlike traditional treatments like chemotherapy, which indiscriminately kills cells, epigenetic drugs can restore normal gene function by reversing harmful DNA modifications. This will make cancer treatment more efficient while also reducing negative symptoms.

Study: Agressive Cancer Can Be Treated by Targeting Rogue DNA

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Study: Agressive Cancer Can Be Treated by Targeting Rogue DNA

The Spin

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