Double minutes (ecDNA) are a type of extrachromosomal DNA that serve as vehicles of oncogene amplification in cancer. In the form of circular DNA molecules of a megabase-size range, double minutes are found to accumulate in high numbers in cancer cells which results in high copy number amplification of oncogenes that they carry. In my work, I first set out to make and characterize new model systems to study double minutes. Then, I focused on identifying vulnerabilities characteristic for cell lines that harbor double minutes with the aim of revealing new therapeutic opportunities in treatment of ecDNA+ cancers. Further, I looked at the response of cell lines with double minutes to DNA damage. Currently I am exploring the link between the presence of double minutes and the activation of the cell-intrinsic inflammatory response. In summary - anything related to double minutes is of my interest!
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