Jonathan Licht of UF Health’s Cancer Center has found that mutation hot spots in a unique class of proteins called histones could drive cancer progression. “Many of these mutations inactivate the functions of important proteins that prevent tumor formation and cause proteins to stimulate cancer growth,” says Licht.

“This histone mutation seems to cause a collaboration to make a more aggressive, angrier group of cancer cells,” Licht says. “This suggests that this mutation may amplify the effects of other cancer mutations.” He also discovered that the mutation was most commonly found in tumors with high rates of mutations, such as cervical cancer.

• Jonathan Licht