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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Generation and Isolation of Cell Cycle-arrested Cells with Complex Karyotypes
Published on: April 13, 2018
Chromosomal instability as a source of genomic plasticity
Duaa H Al-Rawi1, Samuel F Bakhoum2
1Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract:
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of the most aggressive malignancies. Features of these tumors include complex genomic rearrangements, the presence of mis-segregated chromosomes in micronuclei, and extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) formation. Here, we review the development of CIN, and examine CIN in the context of cancer evolution, tumor genomic evolution, and therapeutic resistance. We also discuss the role of whole-genome duplications, breakage-fusion-bridge cycles, ecDNA or double minutes in gene amplification promoting tumor evolution.
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