title: Chromosomal instability and cancer: a complex relationship with therapeutic potential.
abstract: Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of human neoplasms. Despite its widespread prevalence, knowledge of the mechanisms and contributions of CIN in cancer has been elusive. It is now evident that the role of CIN in tumor initiation and growth is more complex than previously thought. Furthermore, distinguishing CIN, which consists of elevated rates of chromosome missegregation, from aneuploidy, which is a state of abnormal chromosome number, is crucial to understanding their respective contributions in cancer. Collectively, experimental evidence suggests that CIN enables tumor adaptation by allowing tumors to constantly sample the aneuploid fitness landscape. This complex relationship, together with the potential to pharmacologically influence chromosome missegregation frequencies in cancer cells, offers previously unrecognized means to limit tumor growth and its response to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA. samuel.bakhoum@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: Samuel F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bakhoum
authors.forename: Duane A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Compton
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases