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With improvements in DNA sequencing technologies and the consequent reduction in costs, next generation sequencing is being utilized increasingly in panel-based testing to perform molecular profiling of tumors. Such tumor-based panels are often referred to as 'somatic' panels, but this term is misleading and should not be used, since not all DNA variants within a tumor are somatic in nature. Every cell in a person's body contains that person's germline DNA, including tumor cells. Moreover, tumor samples are invariably contaminated with blood, a tissue that can contain somatic mutations itself in a process now called clonal hematopoiesis. Differentiating between germline variants or tumor-associated somatic mutations versus clonal hematopoiesis can be challenging. In this review, we address how to interpret the results of somatic mutation panels, how to differentiate between germline and truly somatic events, and discuss the importance of this distinction.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cancergen.2019.04.065 | DOI Listing |
Neuroendocrinology
September 2025
Introduction Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a rare and heterogeneous group of neoplasms with both clinical and genetic diversity. The clinical applicability of molecular profiling using liquid biopsy for identifying actionable drug targets and prognostic indicators in patients with advanced NETs remains unclear. Methods In this study, we utilized a custom-made 37 genes panel of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 47 patients with advanced NETs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Turner syndrome (TS), also known as congenital ovarian hypoplasia, is one of the most common sex chromosome diseases in women. It is caused by the complete or partial deletion or structural change of one X chromosome in all or part of somatic cells. A rare case of karyotype Turner syndrome is reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAging Cell
September 2025
Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
The CST (CTC1-STN1-TEN1) complex, a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding complex, is essential for telomere maintenance and genome stability. Depletion of either CTC1 or STN1 results in cellular senescence, while mutations in these components are associated with severe hereditary disorders. In this study, we demonstrate that the direct STN1-CTC1 interaction stabilizes CTC1 by preventing its degradation via TRIM32 mediated ubiquitination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Haematol
September 2025
Haematology-Pathology Research Laboratory, Research Unit for Haematology and Research Unit for Pathology, University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Background: Clonotyping of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene rearrangements is critical for diagnosis, prognostication, and measurable residual disease monitoring in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, such as Illumina MiSeq, are widely used, they face challenges in spanning full VDJ rearrangements. Long-read sequencing via Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) offers a potential alternative using the compact and cost-effective flow cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Rev Cancer
September 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Somatic mutations in several genes, including key oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes, are present from early life and can accumulate as an individual ages, indicating that the potential for cancer is present and growing throughout life. However, the risk of developing cancer rises sharply after 50-60 years of age, suggesting that the ability of these mutations to undergo clonal expansion and drive cancer development is dependent on the progressive changes in the epigenome and microenvironment that occur during ageing. Epigenetic changes, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, can drive various hallmarks of ageing in precancerous cells, including induction of senescence, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, genomic instability and reduction of nuclear integrity, metabolic and inflammatory stress responses, stem cell function and differentiation potential, and redox balance.
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