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Ludwig Cancer Research study reveals how circular ecDNA is generated and drives drug resistance in cancer
Researchers led by Ludwig San Diego Member Don Cleveland and Peter Campbell of the Sanger Center have solved the mystery of how free-floating circular DNA fragments, which are almost exclusively found in cancer cells, drive gene amplification to generate drug resistance in cancer. The research, published on December 23 in the journal Nature, provides new insights into how cancers evolve to adapt to changing environments and suggests ways to reduce drug resistance by combining therapies.
“Drug resistance is the most problematic part of cancer therapy,” said Ofer Shoshani, a postdoctoral researcher in Cleveland’s lab and the study’s first author. “If not for drug resistance, many cancer patients would survive.”