Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Robust Detection of Gene Amplification in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization
Published on: July 12, 2024
Specificity, selection and significance of gene amplifications in cancer
Samuel Myllykangas1, Tom Böhling, Sakari Knuutila
1Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute and HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, POB 21 (Haartmaninkatu 3), FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract:
DNA copy number amplifications activate oncogenes and are found in the majority of advanced solid tumors. Cell-lineage specificity and oncogene affinity of DNA amplifications in cancer suggest that properties of precursor stem cells and selection pressure in the tissue micro-environment determine the genomic location of gene amplifications. Biological specificity and significance of gene amplifications make them potential targets for clinical applications. Here we discuss the specificity of non-randomly occurring DNA copy number amplifications as defining features for cancers, their selection in the tumor tissue, and significance in the clinical practice.
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