Effect of passenger mutations

A typical cancer cell has thousands of mutations scattered throughout its genome and hundreds of mutated genes. However, only a handful of those genes, known as drivers, are responsible for uncontrolled growth of cancers. Cancer biologists have largely ignored the other mutations, believing they had little or no impact on cancer progression, but a new study from MIT, Harvard University, the Broad Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital reveals, shows for the first time, when enough of these so-called passenger mutations accumulate, they can slow or even halt tumour growth. Read more here.

Study mentioned: McFarland CD, et al. Impact of deleterious passenger mutations on cancer progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 6. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23388632