Many different mutational signatures, or “fingerprints” of DNA damage have been identified across different tumor types which can provide a record of environmental exposure or clues about the etiology of carcinogenesis. Most of the mutational signature characterization has been performed using tumors from American and European populations due to the availability of sequencing data in these regions from large-scale atlases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas and the International Cancer Genome Consortium. While some unique mutational signatures have been identified in various Asian populations, mutational signatures and their activity in tumors from Chinese patients have not been well characterized across cancer types.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
