Oncogenes commonly amplify on circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) molecules in cancer. We show that ecDNA shapes each of the foundational principles of Darwinian evolution — random inheritance by descent, enhanced variation through random segregation, and selection — and thereby promotes rapid genome change, treatment resistance and poor outcomes for patients with cancer.
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References
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This is a summary of: Lange, J. T. et al. The evolutionary dynamics of extrachromosomal DNA in human cancers. Nat. Genet. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01177-x (2022).
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Deciphering the evolutionary dynamics of extrachromosomal DNA in human cancer. Nat Genet 54, 1455–1456 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01183-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01183-z
