(Nature) – Charting the evolution of cancer at single-cell resolution could open up avenues for early diagnosis and treatment.

Detailed maps that pinpoint the positions of cells in tumours and probe the tumours’ biology are offering insights into the development of several cancers — including in the breast, colon and pancreas — and could provide leads for potential treatments.

In a tranche of 12 papers published in Nature journals on 30 October, researchers of the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN) analysed hundreds of thousands of cells from human and animal tissues. Some of the studies describe 3D maps of the cells — known as cell atlases — in tumours, whereas others create ‘molecular clocks’ that trace the cellular changes that lead to cancer. (Read More)