Pan-cancer genome and transcriptome analyses of 1,699 paediatric leukaemias and solid tumours

We report 142 driver genes in paediatric cancers, of which only 45% match those found in adult pan-cancer studies; copy number alterations and structural variants constituted the majority (62%) of events. Eleven genome-wide mutational signatures were identified, including one attributed to ultraviolet-light exposure in eight aneuploid leukaemias. Transcription of the mutant allele was detectable for 34% of protein-coding mutations, and 20% exhibited allele-specific expression. These data provide a comprehensive genomic architecture for paediatric cancers and emphasize the need for paediatric cancer-specific development of precision therapies.

Source: Nature - February 28, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Xiaotu Ma Yu Liu Yanling Liu Ludmil B. Alexandrov Michael N. Edmonson Charles Gawad Xin Zhou Yongjin Li Michael C. Rusch John Easton Robert Huether Veronica Gonzalez-Pena Mark R. Wilkinson Leandro C. Hermida Sean Davis Edgar Sioson Stanley Pounds Xueyuan Tags: Letter Source Type: research