NIH Researchers Identify Striking Genomic Signature
NIH Researchers Identify Striking Genomic Signature Shared by Five Types of Cancer
National Institutes of Health researchers have identified a signature in tumor DNA that occurs in five different types of cancer. They also found evidence that this methylation signature may be present in many more types of cancer. The specific signature results from a chemical modification of DNA called methylation, which can control the expression of genes like a dimmer on a light switch. Researchers hope to spur development of a blood test that can be used to diagnose a variety of cancers at early stages. The study appears today, February 5, 2016, in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.
