Connection Between Epigenome, Selective Mutability, Evolution, and Human Disease
Li, Harris et al., PLoS Genetics
Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and elsewhere propose a "connection between the epigenome, selective mutability, evolution, and human disease" based on the findings of their study on associations of structural mutability with germline DNA methylation and with non-allelic homologous recombination mediated by low-copy repeats. "Combined evidence from four human sperm methylome maps, human genome evolution, structural polymorphisms in the human population, and previous genomic and disease studies consistently points to a strong association of germline hypomethylation and genomic instability," the Baylor-led team writes.
ASCO Reviewer Advises Genotyping to Improve Success for MEK-Inhibiting Cancer Drugs
"Seeing that we have had other agents in this class, there should be some sort of selection of tumor types, or some type of genomic profiling, or at least retainment of archival tissue, so that we can go on to profile these patients at a later date," said Patricia LoRusso of Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University, who reviewed early dosing trials of three MEK inhibitors being developed by GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Serono, and Eisai.
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