[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-333028-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-333028-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","imaging-extrachromosomal-dna-ecdna-in-cancer","Imaging extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in cancer","","Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) comprises circular DNA regions present in many cancers and is a key driver of oncogene amplification linked to treatment resistance and poor prognosis. The review addresses how ecDNA vulnerabilities can be explored and targeted, while noting that biological function and regulatory control remain unclear. Light microscopy and quantitative imaging tools are used to characterize ecDNA across available cellular models, and insights are compared with genome sequencing and computational approaches. Ongoing imaging innovation is emphasized for understanding dynamic ecDNA regulation, organization, and roles in tumorigenesis.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/imaging-extrachromosomal-dna-ecdna-in-cancer/333028/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/imaging-extrachromosomal-dna-ecdna-in-cancer/333028.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Ophelia","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-27","2026-09-21",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What are extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) and why are they important in cancer?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"ecDNA are circular DNA regions found in many cancers. They are important for oncogene amplification and correlate with treatment resistance and poor prognosis.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does imaging contribute to studying ecDNA?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Light microscopy has been central for identifying and characterising ecDNA. The review describes cellular models and imaging tools, emphasizing quantitative imaging and its value alongside genome sequencing and computational approaches.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What structural forms of ecDNA are discussed in the review?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"ecDNA include centromere-free double chromatin bodies (double minutes) and very long abnormal chromosomes later defined as homogeneously staining regions (HSRs). 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Pollard2,3 · Wendy A. Bickmore1  \nAccepted: 19 March 2024 © The Author(s) 2024  \nAbstract  \nExtrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) are circular regions of DNA that are found in many cancers. They are an important means of oncogene amplification, and correlate with treatment resistance and poor prognosis. Consequently, there is great interest in exploring and targeting ecDNA vulnerabilities as potential new therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. However, the biological significance of ecDNA and their associated regulatory control remains unclear. Light microscopy has been a central tool in the identification and characterisation of ecDNA. In this review we describe the different cellular models available to study ecDNA, and the imaging tools used to characterise ecDNA and their regulation. The insights gained from quantitative imaging are discussed in comparison with genome sequencing and computational approaches. We suggest that there is a crucial need for ongoing innovation using imaging if we are to achieve a full understanding of the dynamic regulation and organisation of ecDNA and their role in tumourigenesis.  \nKeywords Oncogene · Double-minute · Fluorescence in situ hybridisation · Homogeneously staining regions · Transcription hubs  \nIntroduction  \nExtrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNA) were identified almost 60 years ago, but the last decade has seen renewed interest in their roles in cancer and oncogene amplification. EcDNA are often the location of all key oncogene amplificationsand facilitate intra-tumoural copy number heterogeneity, as well as being associated with treatment resistance and poor prognosis in cancer (Turner et al. 2017 ; Kim et al. 2020) . Recent evidence suggests that ecDNA evolve during cancer progression (Luebeck et al. 2023) .  \nEcDNA were first discovered in tumours using light microscopy (Cox et al. 1965 ; Lubs and Salmon 1965) and have gone on to be studied by both imaging and genomic tools. Key questions of ecDNA behaviour have mainly  \n* Wendy A. Bickmore [Wendy.Bickmore@ed.ac.uk](Wendy.Bickmore@ed.ac.uk)  \n1 MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK  \n2 Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair & Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK  \n3 Edinburgh Cancer Research UK Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK  \nbeen explored through DNA sequencing and computational approaches. However, imaging remains vital to truly understand ecDNA dynamics in and between cells, with many questions remaining around gene expression, regulation and spatial organisation. As part of this Special Issue ‘Visualizing genomes: the centennial of the Feulgen reaction’ this review highlights the important role played by being able to image DNA in furthering the understanding of ecDNA organisation and regulation, and we discuss the important opportunities for innovation.  \nAn overview of ecDNA structure  \nEcDNA were first described when karyotype analyses of human cancers revealed abnormal chromosomal, and additional non-chromosomal, structures in metaphase spreads. Tumours resected from patients were found to harbour multiple small DNA fragments characterised as centromere-free double chromatin bodies (later defined as double minutes) and very long, abnormal chromosomes later defined as homogeneously staining regions (HSRs) (Lubs and Salmon 1965 ; Cox et al. 1965 ; Biedler and Spengler 1976) . The existence of these chromatin bodies as doublets or singlets has resulted in the more global description of these  \nchromosome-independent bodies as ecDNA (Hamkalo et al. 1985) (Fig. 1) .  \nTheir varied genomic composition has led to the proposal that multiple mechanisms may contribute to ecDNA formation (Wang et ","cbCaipa222y9MK08","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipa222y9MK08","pdf",1032156,12,"English","# Introduction\n## An overview of ecDNA structure\n## Genomic composition and mechanisms of ecDNA formation\n## Size, circularity, and distinction from other circular extrachromosomal DNAs","[{\"question\":\"What are extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) and why are they important in cancer?\",\"answer\":\"ecDNA are circular DNA regions found in many cancers. They are important for oncogene amplification and correlate with treatment resistance and poor prognosis.\"},{\"question\":\"How does imaging contribute to studying ecDNA?\",\"answer\":\"Light microscopy has been central for identifying and characterising ecDNA. The review describes cellular models and imaging tools, emphasizing quantitative imaging and its value alongside genome sequencing and computational approaches.\"},{\"question\":\"What structural forms of ecDNA are discussed in the review?\",\"answer\":\"ecDNA include centromere-free double chromatin bodies (double minutes) and very long abnormal chromosomes later defined as homogeneously staining regions (HSRs). The article also notes ecDNA can exist as singlets and as paired doublets.\"}]","Imaging extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in cancer | PDF",1790000391]