A critical reassessment of the role of mitochondria in tumorigenesis

Background Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is being analyzed by an increasing number of laboratories in order to investigate its potential role as an active marker of tumorigenesis in various types of cancer. Here we question the conclusions drawn in most of these investigations, especially those published in high-rank cancer research journals, under the evidence that a significant number of these medical mtDNA studies are based on obviously flawed sequencing results. Methods and Findings In our analyses, we take a phylogenetic approach and employ thorough database searches, which together have proven successful for detecting erroneous sequences in the fields of human population genetics and forensics. Apart from conceptual problems concerning the interpretation of mtDNA variation in tumorigenesis, in most cases, blocks of seemingly somatic mutations clearly point to contamination or sample mix-up and, therefore, have nothing to do with tumorigenesis. Conclusion The role of mitochondria in tumorigenesis remains unclarified. Our findings of laboratory errors in many contributions would represent only the tip of the iceberg since most published studies do not provide the raw sequence data for inspection, thus hindering a posteriori evaluation of the results. There is no precedent for such a concatenation of errors and misconceptions affecting a whole subfield of medical research.

二维流形三角网格模型顶点法矢量估计

提出一种以顶点的一邻域中三角形在该顶点处的顶角与对应三角形的面积比值加权三角面法矢量估计二维流形三角网格模型顶点法矢量的方法.回顾了现有的五种顶点法矢量估计方法,然后给出了新的方法.设计了利用理论法矢量与估计法矢量的夹角作为误差评价标准的实验,应用球体和椭球体模型分析了所涉及的6种估计方法的性能。