Amplification of key cellular organizer may initiate cancer

Cells begin to accumulate centrosomes — organelles that play a vital role during cell division — before they transform into cancer cells, according to a new study of patients with Barrett’s esophagus condition, which is associated with esophageal cancer. The research, which will be published May 8 in the Journal of Cell Biology, suggests that similar cases of centrosome amplification may contribute to the initiation and progression of a variety of human cancers.