05/25/2026
Extrachromosomal circular DNA in tumors: a new mechanism for the formation of these powerful cancer accelerators has been discovered.
A group of italian researchers at IFOM has identified a second pathway through which extrachromosomal circular DNA is formed: fragments of genetic material located outside chromosomes and known to act as tumor accelerators.
The study’s results, published in the journal Molecular Cell, which also featured the study on its cover, demonstrated that even single-stranded DNA damage, much more common than other lesions previously considered, can generate circular DNA molecules when repetitive sequences in the genome are affected. This discovery significantly expands our understanding of the mechanisms underlying genomic instability in tumors and opens new avenues for intercepting its evolution. The study was supported by the AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research and the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research.
Full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1097276526002376