Impact of ecDNA: A mechanism that directs tumorigenesis in cancer drug Resistance-A review

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is often found in cancerous cells, and numerous scientific investigations have already shown that ecDNA-mediated oncogene amplification which contributes to cancer therapy resistance. This ecDNA is found to be essential for enhancing gene transcription and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, as well as promoting tumor heterogeneity and reversing tumor phenotypes, suggesting that it plays a key role in carcinogenesis. The ecDNA induces tumors to become hostile which results in a lower survival rate and chemotherapy tolerance. It also holds the potential as a target for treatment or diagnostic procedure of tumors. The review describes the properties and origins of ecDNA, as well as how it affects carcinogenesis, its function in cancer etiology and progression, and its therapeutic value. Propagation of oncogenes and resistance genes situated in extra-chromosomal DNA has been discovered to become one of the primary causes of intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity and may result in a threshold of probable evolutionary adaptation in many investigations.