New Research On Genomic Instability

Many cancer biologists now believe that genomic instability not only initiates carcinogenesis, but also allows the tumour cell to become metastatic and evade drug toxicity. The loss of stability of the genome is becoming accepted as one of the most important aspects of carcinogenesis. One of the hallmarks of the cancer cell is the inherent instability of its genome. This book presents important research in this exciting field.

Research over the past decades has firmly established the genetic basis of cancer. In particular, studies on animal tumour viruses and chromosome rearrangements in human tumours have concurred to identify so-called ‘proto-oncogenes’ and ‘tumour suppressor genes’, whose deregulation promotes carcinogenesis. These important findings not only explain the occurrence of certain hereditary tumours, but they also set the stage for the development of anti-cancer drugs that specifically target activated oncogenes. However, in spite of tremendous progress towards the elucidation of key signalling pathways involved in carcinogenesis, most cancers continue to elude currently available therapies. This stands as a reminder that “cancer” is an extraordinarily complex disease: although some cancers of the haematopoietic system show only a limited number of characteristic chromosomal aberrations, most solid tumours display a myriad of genetic changes and considerable genetic heterogeneity. This is thought to reflect a trait commonly referred to as ‘genome instability’, so that no two cancers are ever likely to display the exact same genetic alterations. Numerical and structural chromosome aberrations were recognised as a hallmark of human tumours for more than a century. Yet, the causes and consequences of these aberrations still remain to be fully understood. In particular, the question of how genome instability impacts on the development of human cancers continues to evoke intense debate.

Genome Stability: From Virus to Human Application, Second Edition, a volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, explores how various species maintain genome stability and genome diversification in response to environmental factors. Here, across thirty-eight chapters, leading researchers provide a deep analysis of genome stability in DNA/RNA viruses, prokaryotes, single cell eukaryotes, lower multicellular eukaryotes, and mammals, examining how epigenetic factors contribute to genome stability and how these species pass memories of encounters to progeny. Topics also include major DNA repair mechanisms, the role of chromatin in genome stability, human diseases associated with genome instability, and genome stability in response to aging. This second edition has been fully revised to address evolving research trends, including CRISPRs/Cas9 genome editing; conventional versus transgenic genome instability; breeding and genetic diseases associated with abnormal DNA repair; RNA and extrachromosomal DNA; cloning, stem cells, and embryo development; programmed genome instability; and conserved and divergent features of repair. This volume is an essential resource for geneticists, epigeneticists, and molecular biologists who are looking to gain a deeper understanding of this rapidly expanding field, and can also be of great use to advanced students who are looking to gain additional expertise in genome stability. A deep analysis of genome stability research from various kingdoms, including epigenetics and transgenerational effects Provides comprehensive coverage of mechanisms utilized by different organisms to maintain genomic stability Contains applications of genome instability research and outcomes for human disease Features all-new chapters on evolving areas of genome stability research, including CRISPRs/Cas9 genome editing, RNA and extrachromosomal DNA, programmed genome instability, and conserved and divergent features of repair

Since the establishment of the DNA structure researchers have been highly interested in the molecular basis of the inheritance of genes and of genetic disorders. Scientific investigations of the last two decades have shown that, in addition to oncogenic viruses and signalling pathways alterations, genomic instability is important in the development of cancer. This view is supported by the findings that aneuploidy, which results from chromosome instability, is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Chromosomal instability also underpins our fundamental principles of understanding tumourigenesis: It thought that cancer arises from the sequential acquisition of genetic alterations in specific genes. In this hypothesis, these rare genetic events represent rate-limiting ‘bottlenecks’ in the clonal evolution of a cancer, and pre-cancerous cells can evolve into neoplastic cells through the acquisition of somatic mutations. This book is written by international leading scientists in the field of genome stability. Chapters are devoted to genome stability and anti-cancer drug targets, histone modifications, chromatin factors, DNA repair, apoptosis and many other key areas of research. The chapters give insights into the newest development of the genome stability and human diseases and bring the current understanding of the mechanisms leading to chromosome instability and their potential for clinical impact to the reader.

As a major defence against environmental damage to cells DNA repair is present in all organisms including bacteria, yeast, drosophila, fish, amphibians, rodents and humans. DNA repair is involved in processes that minimise cell killing, mutations, replication errors, persistence of DNA damage and genomic instability. Abnormalities in these processes have been implicated in cancer and ageing. This book presents leading-edge research from around the world in this frontal field.

Chromatin and DNA Repair in Cancer, Volume 364 in the International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology series reviews and details current advances in cell and molecular biology. Chapters in this new release cover Genomic Instability and metabolism in cancer, Histones variants and Histones modifications in cancer and Aging, DNA Double-stranded breaks Repair in Cancer, Reactive oxygen species and DNA damage response in cancer, Transcription-Associated DNA Breaks and Cancer: A Matter of DNA Topology, Mechanisms of Base Excision Repair: Its Significance to Human Health, and more. The IRCMB series has a worldwide readership, maintaining a high standard by publishing invited articles on important and timely topics that are authored by prominent cell and molecular biologists. The articles published in IRCMB have a high impact and an average cited half-life of 9 years. This great resource ranks high amongst scientific journals dealing with cell biology. Publishes only invited review articles on selected topics Authored by established and active cell and molecular biologists, drawn from international sources Offers a wide range of perspectives on specific subjects

Metastasis is the primary cause of mortality associated with cancer, and tumor genomic heterogeneity is a likely source for the cells that support cancer progression, resistance to therapy, and disease relapse. This book connects cancer metastasis with genomic instability in a comprehensive manner. Section 1 outlines the fundamental mechanisms responsible for these cellular and tissue phenotypes. Section 2 discusses in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models used for the experimental study of these processes. Section 3 reviews emerging themes (ex., microenvironment, mechanotransduction, and immunomodulation), and Section 4 highlights new therapeutic approaches to overcome the unique challenges presented by the heterogeneous and metastatic tumor. This book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates with an interest in the areas of medicine, oncology, and cancer biology as well as for the content expert searching for thorough reviews of current knowledge in these areas.

This volume began with an invitation from the publishers to edit a volume of EXS on Cancer. This invitation undoubtedly derived from my articles in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences in 2002 and 2003 on the relationships between the morphology, aetiology and pathogenesis of tumours, especially in relation to genetic instability. After many years of teaching the theories of c- cer in undergraduate medical school courses, it seemed to me that the variably chaotic histopathologic features of tumours parallel in some way, the variably unstable genomes of tumour cells, which were being discovered in the 1990s. Thus the title of the volume has come to include morphology, carcinogenesis and genetic instability. The invitation came while I was working with Herrn Dr. med. Hubertus Jersmann (MD Düsseldorf, PhD, now Senior Lecturer in Medicine of the University of Adelaide) and Professor Brian Coghlan (Emeritus Professor of German, the University of Adelaide), on the work of the nineteenth century cancer pathologists, especially David Paul von Hansemann (1858–1920). With the delivery of the manuscripts from the authors of the chapters, it became obvious that a background chapter for the volume could include some of the material which we had “uncovered” together. Because of this, chapter 1 is authored by the three of us, and the “new” material figures prominently.