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(Boston) Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified proteins that are essential for the viability of whole genome doubled tumor cells, yet non-essential to normal cells that comprise the majority of human tissue. Exploiting these vulnerabilities represents a highly significant and currently untapped opportunity for therapeutic intervention, particularly because whole genome doubling is a distinguishing characteristic of many tumor types, said corresponding author Neil J. Ganem, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and medicine, section of hematology and medical oncology, at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
The vast majority of human cells are diploid, meaning that they possess two copies of each chromosome (one from each parent). Numerous cell cycle controls exist to ensure that this state is maintained across successive cell divisions. Despite these controls, errors can occur that result in a whole genome doubling (W