DNA ‘blind spots’ may hide cancer-causing mistakes

Our structure (research) Impact of our research Postgraduate research 14 Nov 2014 Cancer Research UK scientists working at The University of Manchester have found more than 400 'blind spots' in DNA which could hide cancer-causing gene faults, according to research published today (14 November) in Cancer Research. The researchers found hidden faults in areas that are tricky for gene-reading technology to decode. This technique, which unravels cancer's genetic blueprint, is an important part of the research that scientists carry out to understand more about cancer's biology. By finding new ways to unlock these blind spots in the future, the researchers hope this will help us understand these mistakes and whether they lead to cancer. This could be a step towards developing tests to spot cancers earlier or provide new tactics for discovering future cancer treatments. The team, from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute , compared two giant gene databases made from cancer cells grown in labs and cross-checked all the genes that are known - or are likely to be - involved in cancer to unearth the problem areas. They found that the 400 blind spots in the genes were hidden in very repetitive DNA areas which cause the gene-reading technology to stutter.