The team was also able to identify cells that have the ability to resist chemotherapy even before these characteristics appear in patients.
While barcodes are typically used to identify and track commercial products, the research team, led by Dr. Francesco Nicasio, used this technology to identify cancer cells and track their development over time.
The study focused on triple-negative breast cancer, which constitutes about 20% of breast cancer cases and is considered one of the types that face major treatment challenges.
By assigning individual genetic markers to cancer cells specific to triple-negative breast cancer, researchers were able to track the development of these cells as the tumor grew, allowing them to create a unique profile of cancer-causing cells.
Nicasio explained, “Identifying the cells responsible for tumor initiation is a major challenge, but thanks to cooperation between different disciplines and the use of advanced cell sequencing techniques, we were able to reach these results.”
He added: “Through the molecular characteristics we discovered, we were able to identify the cells that form metastases and those that develop drug resistance.”
The next stage included analyzing the genetic and hereditary characteristics of these cells using an innovative approach that combines various aspects of genetics, which helped in studying these characteristics comprehensively.
The results showed that genetic modifications that do not directly affect DNA sequences, but affect gene expression, play a pivotal role in the stages of tumor development and metastasis formation.
For his part, Dr. Matteo Marzi, from the Center for Genomic Sciences at the Institute of Technology in Milan, added that the team identified a genetic signature for metastases, which is a molecular signature that appears in the primary tumor and distinguishes the most aggressive cells.
Based on these molecular signatures, the team was able to classify cells according to their degree of aggressiveness, in addition to identifying cells that develop drug resistance as a result of genetic mutations.
The results suggest that certain regions of the genome may be responsible for the development of cancerous characteristics, such as tumor growth or resistance to chemotherapy.
The researchers aim to transfer these results to the practical medical field, which may pave the way for new uses in early diagnosis and treatment.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Source: Medical Express
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