A single-cell lens into the co-evolution of genotypes and phenotypes in cancer.

Single-cell technologies reveal how genotypes and phenotypes co-evolve in human tissues, uncovering mutant-specific traits and therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer.

• Why it matters: Understanding clonal evolution is crucial because genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity drive disease progression and resistance, complicating cures for cancer and age-related conditions.
• What they did: Researchers used multimodal single-cell methods to measure genotypes and molecular features within individual cells, enabling the mapping of mutant-specific phenotypes and cell-state effects.
• The result: This approach allows for the identification of phenotypic traits linked to mutations, revealing vulnerabilities for targeted therapies and providing insights into clonal expansion in both healthy and diseased tissues.