Researchers led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have identified and characterized a previously unrecognized key player in cancer evolution: clusters of mutations occurring at certain regions of the genome. The researchers found that these mutation clusters contribute to the progression of about 10% of human cancers and can be used to predict patient survival.
The findings are reported in a paper published Feb. 9 in Nature.
The work sheds light on a class of mutations called clustered somatic mutations — clustered meaning they group together at specific areas in a cell’s genome, and somatic meaning they are not inherited, but caused by internal and external factors such as aging or exposure to UV radiation, for example.
