April 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Scientific Update: Study Unmasks the Genetic Complexity of Cancer Cells in the Same Tumor

A new study led by Cedars-Sinai investigators dramatically illustrates the complexity of cancer by identifying more than 2,000 genetic mutations in tissue samples of esophageal tumors. The findings reveal that even different areas of individual tumors have various genetic patterns.

The study results, published in the journal Nature Genetics, help explain why it is so difficult to battle cancer by targeting a specific genetic defect. A surgeon who performs a single biopsy on a patient’s tumor can decode only part of the tumor and its genetic variations. Additionally, cancer cells constantly change their makeup.

“A tumor is not a single disease,” said Dechen Lin, PhD, assistant professor and research scientist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine. ”It’s many diseases within the same person and over time. There are millions of cells in a tumor, and a significant proportion of them are different from each other.” Lin was the project coordinator for the multicenter study.

The cancer that the team studied, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, is especially difficult to treat. The disease attacks the esophagus, the hollow tube that connects the throat to the stomach. The five-year survival rate for patients with esophageal cancer is about 20 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

To create their catalog of mutations, the study’s investigators called on high-powered computers to compile genetic data on 51 tumor samples taken from 13 patients. Through complex algorithms, they analyzed both the genes and the processes, known as epigenetics, that turned the genes’ activities on and off within the cancer cells.

Using these techniques, the investigators identified 2,178 genetic variations in the sampled tumors. Dozens of the variations involved genes known to be associated with enabling the development of cancer. The most striking finding was that many important mutations were detected only in some areas of a tumor, highlighting the complexity of the cancer cells. This finding also demonstrated the potential for inaccurate interpretation of a cancer’s genetic makeup using the single-biopsy method, which is the standard approach in the clinic.

Besides cataloging these genetic variations, the study’s investigators reconstructed a “biography” of the tumors, showing when some of these variations first appeared in the life cycle of the disease.

“This study is on the leading edge of looking within a tumor for heterogeneity, or variations, across patients and within the same patient. It also is one of the very first studies to look at epigenetic changes from different areas within a single tumor in a global way,” said Benjamin Berman, PhD, the study’s co-senior author, an associate professor of Biomedical Sciences and co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics.

To meet the challenge of integrating this diverse data, Huy Dinh, PhD, a project scientist in Berman’s laboratory and one of the study’s co-lead authors, developed innovative computational methods.

Looking ahead, the investigators plan to apply their analytic techniques to other cancers and explore the significance of the genetic and epigenetic changes that they have so far identified. They view their work as fundamental to developing effective, individualized therapies to combat the drug resistance that many cancer patients face during the course of their disease.

“Evidence suggests that tumor heterogeneity is one of the major causes of drug resistance and treatment failure in cancer,” said H. Phillip Koeffler, MD, professor of Medicine and the Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research at Cedars-Sinai. “In light of this situation, deciphering the genomic diversity and evolution of tumors can provide a basis for identifying new targets and designing personalized medicine strategies.” Koeffler was the other co-senior author of the study.

Real female scientists researching

Related Posts

Pepper Spray and Panic: LA Homeowners Targeted in Nighttime Burglaries

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

LAPD Hunts Suspects After One Resident Attacked in Beverly Grove Two separate home invasions late Friday night in Beverly Grove...

“We’re Better Than This”: Tour Business Owner Pleads for Protection After Third Burglary

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Thieves hit Again, Stealing E-Bikes and Leaving a Wake of Damage in South La Cienega The frustrated owner of a...

Lawsuits Allege Insurance Giants Conspired to Undercut California Fire Victims

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Two Lawsuits Accuse Top Carriers of Price-Fixing and Violating Antitrust Laws Attorneys representing homeowners impacted by California’s January wildfires have...

Cali Camp Welcomes Los Angeles Campers

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Roam streams, meadows and oak trees in the heart of rock-lined Topanga Canyon this summer at Cali...

Culver City Closes Streets for Earth Day to Encourage Green School Commutes

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Pedal, Walk, or Roll: Culver City Schools Go Car-Free for Earth Day Culver City is taking its Earth Day celebration...

Mayor Karen Bass’ Budget Plan Proposes 1,647 Layoffs Amid $300M Liability Surge

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Civilian LAPD Staff, Transportation, and Sanitation Departments Among Hardest Hit Mayor Karen Bass’ proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal...

Santa Monica PD Makes Arrest in Ocean Front Walk Stabbing; Second Suspect Sought

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Late-Night Stabbing in Santa Monica Prompts Manhunt After a shocking incident of violence in Santa Monica, a man has been...

ALPR Alerts Lead Culver City Police to Two Stolen Vehicles in Two Hours

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

Rapid-Response Tech Aids in Back-To-Back Arrests on Sepulveda Culver City police officers recovered two stolen vehicles within a two-hour period...

Registration is Open for Harvard-Westlake Summer Programs

April 21, 2025

April 21, 2025

By Susan Payne Summer programs at Harvard-Westlake are open for registration.  Participants can experience renowned programs in academics, visual arts,...

Los Angeles City Attorney Sues Over Illegal Rentals, Wildfire Price Gouging

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

City Attorney Seeks Permanent Ban and Millions in Penalties for Operators City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto has filed a civil...

Culver City Moves the Needle on Housing and Growth in Monthly Pipeline Update

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Monthly Development Report Shows Increase in Affordable Housing Culver City officials have released the latest updates to their Residential and...

Multi-Concept Asian Restaurant Coming to Prime Sunset Strip Corner

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Round 1 Delicious Inks Lease for Asian Dining Concept in WeHo West Hollywood will be the location for a high-end...

Hollywood Legend Raquel Welch’s Former Home Changes Hands in Beverly Glen

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

The Late Actress’s Longtime Residence Sold for $3.1 Million More than two years after Raquel Welch’s passing, the late actress’s...

Heads-Up, Westside: Downtown Santa Monica Traffic to Increase with Pali High Move

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Santa Monica Braces for School Traffic Surge Following Wildfire Displacement Drivers throughout Westside communities, from Brentwood to Pacific Palisades, should...

Rents Stay Stable, but Economic Shifts Threaten the Balance

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Tariffs and Tight Supply Could End Flat Rent Streak After more than a year of minimal fluctuation, asking rents, or...