Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
12:36
Genomic MRI - a Public Resource for Studying Sequence Patterns within Genomic DNA
Published on: May 9, 2011
10.6K
Genomic Evolutionary Patterns of Leiomyosarcoma and Liposarcoma
Ali Amin-Mansour1, Suzanne George2, Stefano Sioletic3
1The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Summary
Soft tissue sarcomas evolve differently: leiomyosarcoma metastases share genetic drivers with primary tumors, while liposarcomas diverge from a common precursor with chromosome 12 amplification.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Cancer Evolution
Background:
- Leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma are common soft tissue sarcomas (STS).
- Metastatic leiomyosarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) have poorer prognoses than localized leiomyosarcoma and well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS).
- Understanding genetic changes in STS subtypes is crucial for insight into tumor evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic evolution of leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma.
- To compare genomic alterations between primary and metastatic leiomyosarcoma.
- To compare genomic alterations between well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS).
Main Methods:
- Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on tumor trios (normal, primary/WDLPS, metastatic/DDLPS) from leiomyosarcoma (n=9) and liposarcoma (n=19) patients.
- Mutational, copy number, and tumor evolution analyses were conducted.
- Genomic patterns were compared between leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma cohorts.
Main Results:
- Leiomyosarcoma metastasis harbors genetic alterations found in primary tumors, indicating a parent/child evolutionary relationship.
- Liposarcoma subtypes share a chromosome 12 amplicon but often lack shared mutations, suggesting divergent evolution from a common precursor.
- No recurrent genomic alterations were identified as primary drivers of disease progression in either STS subtype.
Conclusions:
- Leiomyosarcoma metastases are genetically similar to their primary tumors.
- WDLPS and DDLPS appear to evolve divergently from a common precursor with 12q amplification.
- Identifying specific drivers of STS evolution is essential for future translational and clinical research.
Related Concept Videos
02:54Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
6.9K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
6.9K
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
43.0K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
43.0K
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
968
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
968
01:23Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
348
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
348
02:02Genomics
39.8K
Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
39.8K
02:30Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
36.9K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
36.9K