A Practical Approach for Targeting Structural Variants Genome-wide in Plasma Cell-free DNA.

Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising source of gene mutations for cancer detection by liquid biopsy. However, no current tests interrogate chromosomal structural variants (SVs) genome-wide. Here, we report a simple molecular and sequencing workflow called Genome-wide Analysis of Palindrome Formation (GAPF-seq) to probe DNA palindromes, a type of SV that often demarcates gene amplification.

Loss of CDCP1 triggers FAK activation in detached prostate cancer cells.

A major metastasis suppressing mechanism is the rapid apoptotic death of cancer cells upon detachment from extracellular matrix, a process called anoikis. Focal adhesion kinase (PTK2/FAK) is a key enzyme involved in evasion of anoikis. We show that loss of the Cub-domain containing protein-1 (CDCP1), paradoxically stimulates FAK activation in the detached state of prostate cancer cells.