Decoding and Recoding DNA to study the origins of cancer

Understanding how cancer arises is key to developing better prevention and treatment strategies. Our research focuses on uncovering the origins of cancer by analyzing DNA at the single-cell level. We aim to answer two fundamental questions: (1) why do children develop cancer despite minimal age-related DNA damage, and (2) what processes drive the DNA mutations that are required for carcinogenesis?

To address these questions, we apply single-cell whole-genome sequencing to patient samples and use mutational patterns to reconstruct the earliest stages of cancer. This approach allows us to trace back its origins and identify critical events that lead to malignancy. In parallel, we use genome editing technologies to introduce cancer-driving mutations into in vitro stem cell models or expose them to potential carcinogens, modeling the mechanisms that shape cancer development.

By combining retrospective lineage tracing with experimental validation, our work provides unique insights into the preventable causes of cancer and the molecular mechanisms that enable tumors to arise and evolve.