The assay correlates shortened telomere lengths in patients of different ages to potential risks for inherited diseases, such as bone marrow failure syndrome and liver cancer.
By switching off tumor suppressor genes in immunocompetent mice, the team saw that liver cancer developed and killed the mice within four to five months.
Given the high yield of miRNA markers they were able to isolate, the researchers believe the approach could be commercialized for routine cancer testing.
An analysis of new and available liver cancer genomes led to 10 mutational signatures and six structural rearrangement signatures in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Using sequences from hepatocellular carcinomas in Asia, researchers identified numerous cases with mutation signatures linked to aristolochic acid exposure.
Focusing on drugs that appeared to reverse cancer-related gene expression signatures, researchers identified candidate compounds that thwarted cancer cell lines.
The MIT researchers said that the mutational signature could be used to identify people exposed to aflatoxin who are at risk of developing liver cancer.
