A new preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine has revealed that the three-dimensional folding of DNA in brain cells may play a crucial role in glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Published in Molecular Cell, the research moves beyond traditional genetic analysis to examine how the spatial organization of DNA can influence cancer behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers found that in glioblastoma cells, distant regions of DNA form \u201c3D hubs\u201d that enable genes to interact and coordinate abnormally, driving tumor growth. These hubs often include cancer-related genes working alongside genes not previously linked to glioblastoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Notably, the formation of these hubs appears to result more from epigenetic changes\u2014alterations in gene regulation\u2014than from direct genetic mutations. \u201cWe uncovered hubs where genetic regions communicate and collaborate, reshaping how we understand cancer,\u201d said co-lead author Dr. Effie Apostolou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study also found similar 3D DNA structures across 16 other cancer types, suggesting the phenomenon may be widespread. Dr. Howard Fine, also a co-lead author, emphasized the potential of targeting these hubs to develop new treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Future research will explore how to safely disrupt these 3D structures, potentially opening new avenues in cancer therapy by complementing existing molecular treatments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine has revealed that the three-dimensional folding of DNA in brain cells may play a crucial role in glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Published in Molecular Cell, the research moves beyond traditional genetic analysis to examine how the spatial organization of DNA can …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":123987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[8955,31],"tags":[11743],"class_list":["post-123986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medical-news","category-news","tag-cancer-cells"],"yoast_head":"\n