Mutations in Different Cells Cooperate to Set the Stage for Cancer

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — Stress induces signals that cause cells to develop into tumors, Yale researchers have discovered. The research, published online Jan. 13 in the journal Nature, describes a novel way cancer takes hold in the body and suggests new ways to attack the deadly disease. According to modern biology textbooks, a single genetic mutation is rarely enough to cause cancer. It is generally thought that cells must accumulate a series of mutations that work together to trigger tumor development. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have shown that distinct cancer-causing mutations in neighboring cells can cooperate to produce tumors.

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