Chromosomal Instability in Cancer Pathogenesis and Treatment (MRC Programme 1)

Every time a cell divides, it must copy its entire set of chromosomes and parcel them out correctly to two daughter cells—and in cancer, this process goes wrong. The researchers are studying rare human genetic diseases where this chromosome instability is inherited and leads to cancer, in order to understand the fundamental pathways that control DNA repair and cell division. The problem is that while we know these pathways are disrupted early in cancer evolution, we do not fully understand how specific alterations drive tumour progression or affect treatment. This is fundamental science with no immediate practical application. However, the majority of chemotherapy drugs work by targeting these same DNA repair and mitosis pathways. By clarifying exactly how cancer cells alter these processes, the work could eventually explain why some tumours respond to treatment while others resist it, and why certain patients suffer severe side effects. Past discoveries in chromosome biology—such as the structure of DNA itself—began as curiosity-driven research before transforming medicine. This project lays the groundwork for that kind of future shift.