A new study, which involves the participation of CNIO researcher Oscar Fernandez-Capetillo, demonstrates the existence of new fragile genomic sites responsible for chromosomal alterations in tumors. Cancer arises from the accumulation of mutations and structural changes in chromosomes, which in some cases give rise to combinations that favour the growth or expansion of the disease. In this context, chromosomes tend to lose or duplicate entire regions, although, the mechanisms that initiate these chromosomal abnormalities are not fully understood.
