Duplicate genome cells can spark tumors

BOSTON, Oct 14, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Cells with duplicate genomes can trigger tumors, according to papers published in Nature by two Boston researchers.

The idea that a failure of proper cell division produces genomic instability and promotes the development of cancer was proposed by German biologist Theodor Boveri in 1915. The fact that tumor cells often have abnormal numbers of chromosomes supports this theory.

David Pellman, of Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute tested the theory by blocking cell division in cells that also lack the tumor suppressor gene p53, to generate tetraploid cells -- cells that contain a double quota of chromosomes. Compared to their diploid counterparts, which have a normal set of chromosomes, tetraploid cells were more prone to generate tumors in mice, and these tumors showed genomic instability similar to many human cancers.

The second study, by Harvard Medical School researcher Randall King, shows that inaccurate segregation even of a single pair of chromosomes -- an error that does occur randomly -- will halt cell division and produce tetraploid cells.

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