Dr. Elizabeth Brunk got some nice press for the development of CytoCellDB, a new database designed to fill a crucial gap in cancer research by focusing on extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). Published in Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) Cancer, the database identifies which cancer cell lines contain ecDNA, which is associated with cancer proliferation, drug resistance, and genome instability. By consolidating experimental data and computational predictions, CytoCellDB significantly expands available ecDNA data and enhances the accuracy of predicting its presence in cell lines. Dr. Brunk emphasizes that this resource will drive advancements in cancer research, particularly in understanding and treating ecDNA-driven cancers.
