Mutational signature sleuthing
Individuals with the inherited skin disease recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) are predisposed to developing aggressive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), although why this patient group is prone to these cancers at such early ages is unknown. Cho et al. sequenced multiple RDEB SCC tumors and found that the mutation profile in these carcinomas was most consistent with APOBEC-associated mutagenesis, unlike other types of SCC that may be driven by ultraviolet light or tobacco smoke exposure. This finding could open up new lines of thinking on how to successfully prevent or target SCCs in RDEB patients.
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