Scientists discover ‘Bond villain’ DNA, say it is ‘game changer’ for cancer treatment

Scientists have discovered the pieces of DNA which are said to act like “Bond villains” in helping cancers spread. The bits of genetic material known as extrachromosomal DNA or ecDNA were found by researchers working on an initiative known as the Cancer Grand Challenges, which is backed by Cancer Research in the United Kingdom and the United States National Cancer Institute. The team of researchers included chemists, biologists, geneticists, mathematicians, and immunologists based in London and California as well as other centres, reported the Guardian.

The scientists also said that this ecDNA can help tumours to develop resistance to anti-cancer drugs, therefore, its discovery can revolutionise treatments of some of the most aggressive tumours affecting people today. Speaking to the Guardian, Professor Paul Mischel of California’s Stanford University, called the discovery of how these microscopic agents behave inside the human body a “game changer.”

He added, that they believe that this ecDNA is responsible for a “large number of the more advanced, most serious cancers” that people are suffering from today and if they can “block their activities, we can block the spread of these cancers.” Notably, these small circular pieces of genetic information can enable cancer cells to evolve rapidly and become more resistant to existing cancer treatments.

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Furthermore, researchers also found that the ecDNA act as cancer-causing genes as they are somehow able to separate themselves from a person’s chromosomes and “have started to behave in ways that circumvent the normal rules of genetics” said Stanford University geneticist Howard Chang, as per the Guardian. He added, “They behave like villains in a Bond film. At first, in a film, you see different explosions, killings and disasters occurring and you don’t know why they are happening or who is responsible. Then, at some point, you finally meet the villain who is revealed to be the agent of all this mayhem.”

While these genes, known as oncogenes, can be targeted by a range of drugs and therapies it is their resistance to these methods which allows cancer to return, Professor Mischel explained. Researchers also found that in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer, the oncogenes were “actually on extrachromosomal DNA.”

He added, “The vulnerable gene had quickly disappeared when threatened by cancer drugs and was hidden in ecDNA. Then it reappeared once it was safe for it to start causing damage again”. Therefore, the researchers are now “looking to pinpoint the achilles heel of ecDNA and have identified a protein that helps hold it together”, said Chang, reported the Guardian. He also spoke about how the team has found the drug which has a “promising effect” on the identified protein and in a few years with a lot more testing he is sure that they will find the best way to tackle ecDNA.

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