title: The (r)evolution of cancer genetics.
abstract: The identification of an increasing number of cancer genes is opening up unexpected scenarios in cancer genetics. When analyzed for their systemic properties, these genes show a general fragility towards perturbation. A recent paper published in BMC Biology shows how the founder domains of known cancer genes emerged at two macroevolutionary transitions - the advent of the first cell and the transition to metazoan multicellularity. See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/66.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, IFOM-IEO Campus, 20139 Milan, Italy. francesca.ciccarelli@ifom-ieo-campus.it
authors.forename: Francesca D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D052138:Genes, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic