Researchers have used DNA sequencing to trace a rare soft-tissue cancer that affected identical twin sisters before birth. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that every tumour sample from both girls carried a distinctive genetic signature linked to Twin A, indicating that the cancer likely began in her and crossed the placenta to Twin B during pregnancy. By analysing healthy tissues, placental samples and tumours, scientists reconstructed the cancer’s development and uncovered evidence of blood-cell exchange between the twins. The findings also challenge traditional theories of identical-twin development, suggesting the embryo may have separated earlier than previously thought. The study offers new insights into prenatal cancer transmission and early embryonic development.
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