Chroniques génomiques - Le monde caché des clones mutants dans les tissus normaux

Abstract

Careful sequencing studies on small samples of normal oesophageal epithelium reveal the presence of very abundant cellular clones harbouring mutations in known cancer genes (and elsewhere). The number and size of these clones increases with age. This surprising finding confirms previous studies on sun-exposed epidermis. It has important implications for the understanding of cancer initiation and will hopefully lead to conceptual and clinical advances.