Scientists discover the enzyme that lets cancer rapidly rewire its DNA
Researchers identified the N4BP2 nuclease as the enzyme driving chromothripsis and ecDNA formation, showing it fragments chromosomes exposed in cytoplasmic micronuclei and enabling rapid tumor genomic remodeling; inhibiting N4BP2 dramatically reduced DNA shattering in cancer cells, highlighting a targetable mechanism for therapy resistance and tumor evolution.
Why it mattersDiscovery of N4BP2-driven chromothripsis indicates prioritizing N4BP2 inhibitors for oncology drug development and trial design.