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Composition of DNA with a glitch effect
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer
Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer
“Silent” Mutations Make Noise In Cancer

Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.

Synonymous mutations have long been ignored in cancer studies since they don’t affect the amino acid sequences of proteins. But research increasingly reveals that they can have disease-driving effects.

cancer gene expression

Infographic showing transposable elements in cancer
Infographic: Transposable elements in cancer
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2023 | 1 min read
Jumping genes are let loose in cancerous cells, with multiple effects on cell health.
Artists' renditions of cancer cells and tRNA molecules superimposed over one another.
Long noncoding RNAs and Microproteins Can Spark Cancer—or Sometimes Squelch It
Rachael Moeller Gorman | Mar 1, 2023 | 10+ min read
Noncoding RNAs and microproteins, once considered genomic noise, are turning out to be critical to the progression of some types of cancer.
Composite image showing genes radiating from tumor cells
Jumping Genes’ Role in Cancer
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2023 | 8 min read
Transposons may be key players in how tumors develop and spread, but they also keep cancer at bay in some circumstances.
Cells with miRNA activity reporter glowing
MicroRNAs Can Boost Gene Expression: Study
Holly Barker, PhD | Nov 15, 2022 | 3 min read
The tiny strings of RNA promote translation of a protein implicated in cancer, a hint they could regulate gene expression in more ways than previously thought.
Blue 3D illustration of X-shaped chromosomes
X Chromosome Silenced in Some Cancers in Males
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Nov 11, 2022 | 3 min read
A study finds that XIST, the gene that shuts down one X chromosome in people who have two, is linked to cancer in males. 
Pink- and purple-stained cells clustered into glands
Phenotypic Variation in Cancer Cells Often Not Due to Mutations
Jef Akst | Oct 26, 2022 | 3 min read
Most differences in gene expression among cells within a tumor are likely due to environment or noise, a study suggests. 
illustration of virus particles and DNA strands
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development
Aidan Burn, The Conversation | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read
Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.
3D rendering of a scanning electron micrograph of pink malignant cancer cells against a black background
Cancers Ramp Up Overall mRNA Expression as They Progress
Dan Robitzski | Jun 14, 2022 | 4 min read
A technique for quantifying tumor mRNA production from messy tissue sample data uncovers an unexpected correlation between it and disease stage in 15 cancer types.
multicolor DNA sequencing gel
Genetic Mutations Can Be Benign or Cancerous—a New Method to Differentiate Between Them Could Lead to Better Treatments
Ryan Layer, The Conversation | May 27, 2022 | 5 min read
Tumors contain thousands of genetic changes, but only a few are actually cancer-causing. A quicker way to identify these driver mutations could lead to more targeted cancer treatments.
A compilation of several images, including a dog, a blind mole rat, and cell micrographs
Our Favorite Cancer Stories of 2021
Amanda Heidt | Dec 9, 2021 | 4 min read
This year revealed just how much scientists have learned about the disease, from how animals become naturally cancer-resistant to how tumor cells harness extracellular DNA to develop rapid drug resistance.
A medical linear accelerator used to deliver radiation therapy
Tool Would Use Tumor Gene Expression to Inform Radiation Dose
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Aug 27, 2021 | 4 min read
In a retrospective analysis, a team found that an algorithm integrating the gene expression of a tumor with the radiation dose a patient received predicted how well the patient responded to the treatment.
Cancer May Be Driven by DNA Outside of Chromosomes
Paul Mischel | Apr 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
In the last decade, researchers have come to realize that tumors harbor bits of extrachromosomal DNA that can drive malignancy.
Infographic: The Role of Extrachromosomal DNA in Cancer
Paul Mischel | Apr 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers are uncovering how circular bits of DNA found in some cancer cells can help tumors evolve and kill.
Philip Leder, Who Deciphered Amino Acid Sequences, Dies
Ashley Yeager | Feb 12, 2020 | 4 min read
The Harvard Medical School researcher’s work on the genetic basis of protein coding and production led him to make groundbreaking discoveries in immunology, molecular biology, and cancer genetics.
Hundreds of Inherited Gene Variants Contribute to Cancer
Abby Olena, PhD | Apr 5, 2018 | 3 min read
In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers find more than 850 rare, heritable genetic alterations that can predispose humans to cancer.
Angela Brooks: Splicing Specialist
Diana Kwon | Apr 1, 2017 | 3 min read
At the University of California, Santa Cruz, the researcher combs the cancer genome, looking for weaknesses.
Peter Nowell, Co-Discoverer of the Philadelphia Chromosome, Dies
Diana Kwon | Jan 8, 2017 | 1 min read
The tumor biologist’s landmark discovery provided the first clear evidence that genetic mutations could lead to cancer, and gave rise to a crucial cancer drug.
Pulling It All Together
Kate Yandell | Apr 1, 2016 | 9 min read
Systems-biology approaches offer new strategies for finding hard-to-identify drug targets for cancer.
Another Genetic Cause of Venous Malformations Found
Catherine Offord | Mar 30, 2016 | 2 min read
Mutations in a cancer gene could account for some cases of disfiguring blood vessel abnormalities, scientists show.
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