Scientists have reconstructed how a rare cancer passed from one identical twin to her sister before birth, using DNA changes to trace the disease’s journey inside the womb. The research examined the case of twin sisters Amelia and Amaya, who were found to have the same type of cancer shortly after birth. The findings showed that the cancer began in one twin before cancer cells crossed the shared placenta and formed tumours in the other baby. twin before cancer cells crossed the shared placenta and formed tumours in the other baby.
Scientists have used DNA analysis to trace how a rare soft tissue cancer spread from one identical twin to her sister before birth.
The sisters died soon after birth. Their family agreed to post-mortem examinations to help researchers investigate how the disease had developed and spread. The research has been published in Nature Communications. DNA Analysis Helped Scientists Trace Cancer’s Origin The researchers also found evidence that normal cells had travelled between the twins. A Rare Case That Could Help Future Research The findings could help scientists better understand the origins of childhood cancers and the earliest stages of human development.
Analysis of a spleen sample from one baby suggested that around 75 per cent of the sampled cells originated in her sister, pointing to an exchange of blood cells during pregnancy.
