November 2025: Saad: New computational framework identifies genes driving chromosomal loss in cancer
A new study, published in Cell Reports, was led by Ron Saad, Edmond J. Safra MSc student fellow, under the supervision of Prof. Uri Ben-David (Medical & Health Sciences), and Prof. Ron Shamir, (Computer Science & AI).
A new study, published in Cell Reports, was led by Ron Saad, Edmond J. Safra MSc student fellow, under the supervision of Prof. Uri Ben-David (Medical & Health Sciences), and Prof. Ron Shamir, (Computer Science & AI).
Cancer cells often lose or gain large pieces of chromosomes, but the exact genes that drive these changes have been unclear. In this study the researchers developed a new computational framework that combines genetic mutation, chromosome copy-number, and gene expression data from over 7,000 tumors to pinpoint which genes drive the loss of specific chromosome arms. The researchers identified 322 such genes across 20 cancer types, including well-known tumor suppressors like TP53 and PTEN, as well as many new candidates.
By linking these chromosomal losses to changes in cellular pathways, the work provides a clearer picture of how chromosome imbalance promotes cancer growth, and offers a valuable resource for future studies aiming to target aneuploidy in cancer.
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