What role do chromosomal rearrangements play in cancer?
Chromosomal rearrangements, such as translocations, inversions, and deletions, can also contribute to cancer. A well-known example is the Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), resulting from a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. This translocation creates a fusion gene, BCR-ABL, that produces an abnormal protein with tyrosine kinase activity, driving the proliferation of leukemic cells.
