‘Mysterious circular DNA may cause cancer in kids’

London: Mysterious rings of DNA, known as extrachromosomal circular DNA, could lead to cancer in children, researchers have revealed. Producing the first detailed map of circular DNA, the scientists from the Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin (University in Berlin) have allowed unanticipated insights into the long-standing questions in the field of cancer genetics. According to the study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, the researchers showed that rings of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) could cause disruption of cells’ genetic information, leading to the growth of cancer. Every year, nearly half a million people in Germany develop cancer. Approximately 2,100 cancer patients are under the age of 18. Working with colleagues from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, the researchers analyzed neuroblastoma tissue samples from 93 children. It revealed that the prevalence and diversity of circular DNA were far greater than anticipated. According to the findings, each tissue sample contained around 5,000 circular DNA copies. DNA sequencing also revealed the process by which specific DNA sections separated from a chromosome to form circular DNA before reintegrating into the chromosome at a different location. (IANS)

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