In Utero Cancer Transmission Between Twins
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This topic concerns in-utero transmission of rare cancer between twins, brought to light by twins who died shortly after birth from the same rare cancer. DNA analysis led by Sam Behjati at the in Cambridge, reported October 14, 2026, showed how the cancer spread from one twin to the other and prompted a radical rethink of how identical twins split after conception, enabled by the mother's consent to research. The findings matter to the life-sciences industry by advancing knowledge of early-life cancer biology and developmental twinning mechanisms that underpin future research and diagnostics.
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Twins' Deaths Reveal In-Utero Cancer Spread
On October 14, 2026, scientists reported how twins who died shortly after birth from the same rare cancer helped reveal in-utero transmission between them. With no prior developments on record, DNA analysis by Sam Behjati at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge provided the first explanation of what happened.
The work also prompts a radical rethink of how identical twins split after conception. It matters for the life-sciences industry by deepening understanding of early cancer spread and twinning biology.
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