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Genetic background sets the trajectory of experimental cancer evolution

Research Cancer Genomics

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TL;DR - Experiments replaying tumour evolution across genetically divergent mouse strains show that inherited genetic background shapes how acquired cancer-driver mutations influence early cancer development.

Genetic ancestry interacts with somatic cancer-driving mutations.
These interactions alter the earliest trajectories of tumour evolution.
Mouse-strain diversity provides an experimental framework for isolating inherited-background effects.
The findings highlight genetic background as an important variable in cancer-evolution studies.

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Genetic background sets the trajectory of experimental cancer evolution

Nature Sarah J. Aitken, Frances Connor, Christine Feig, Tim F. Rayner, Margus Lukk, Juliet Luft, Stuart Aitken, Claudia Arnedo-Pac, James F. Hayes, Michael D. Nicholson, Ailith Ewing, Vasavi Sundaram, Jan C. Verburg, John Connelly, Craig J. Anderson, Mikaela Behm, Susan Campbell, Maëlle Daunesse, Vera B. Kaiser, Elissavet Kentepozidou, Oriol Pich, Aisling M. Redmond, Javier Santoyo-Lopez, Inés Sentís, Lana Talmane, Ruben M. Drews, Paul A. Ginno, Erika López-Arribillaga, Paul Flicek, Núria López-Bigas, Colin A. Semple, Martin S. Taylor, Duncan T. Odom 2026-07-22 doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10821-z

Genetic ancestry interacts with somatic cancer-driving mutations.
These interactions alter the earliest trajectories of tumour evolution.
Mouse-strain diversity provides an experimental framework for isolating inherited-background effects.
The findings highlight genetic background as an important variable in cancer-evolution studies.

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