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Human genome is made up of DNA but doesn’t encode genes, the recipes cells use to build proteins. The vast majority of genetic mutations associated with cancer occur in the non-coding regions of the genome. Now researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified close to 200 mutations in non-coding DNA that contribute to cancer development.
Cancer-related mutations occur in regions of the genome outside of genes, when mutations occur within genes, they can shut down production of the protein that the gene encodes, or cause a malfunctioning version to be produced. For some of these cancer-related gene mutations, there are therapies that specifically target the mutation to inhibit tumor growth.
After finding close to 200 non-coding mutations that change gene expression, researchers tested three of them in the laboratory. They replicated the non-coding mutation in cells and observed the resulting changes in gene expression. A non-coding mutation affecting a gene called DAAM1, DAAM1 activation makes tumor cells more aggressive and invade surrounding tissues.
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