Mutations in noncoding DNA also cause cancer

Health[1] Health[1]Cancer [2]DNA [3]Genes [4]genetic mapping [5]genome [6]genomic mutations [7]Denmark [8] Videnskab.dk [9] New discovery could lead to novel field of study within cancer research. An international group of cancer researchers have completed the first ever systematic study of noncoding DNA. They found that mutations in the noncoding DNA can, despite previous beliefs, cause cancer. Until now, scientists have only investigated 1.5 per cent of the total humane DNA. This is the part of the DNA which consists of genes. The remaining 98.5 per cent of the DNA is called noncoding DNA and resides outside of the genes. The study, just published in Nature Genetics [10], shows that the majority of cancer patients have mutations in both their genes and the areas outside the genes. The discovery could lead to a completely new field of study within cancer research and prevention. "In the long term this may lead to better diagnoses and treatments," says co-author postdoc Anders Jacobsen from the University of Copenhagen at the department of Computational and RNA Biology. Over the past 10 years scientists have found more and more abnormalities in DNA which lead to cancer.