New evidence for how a rare form of liver cancer arises
In the 1970s, epidemiologists found that workers in factories using vinyl chloride, the key ingredient for PVC plastics, had unusually high rates of a rare form of liver cancer called angiosarcoma. Biologists later identified a mutation that appears to be associated with this cancer, which originates in cells of the blood vessels that feed the liver. Now, using new sequencing technology that enables large-scale analysis of DNA damage-associated mutations, MIT researchers have pinpointed the specific type of DNA damage that may be responsible for this mutation. With this knowledge, scientists could develop tests to monitor workers who might be exposed to vinyl chloride, because it has been previously shown that this type of DNA damage can be detected as a biomarker in urine samples. This could alert factories that they need to improve their safety practices if their workers are being exposed to too much vinyl chloride. The research also lays the groundwork...