As we have written over the past few years, expert testimony involving genetic findings is becoming more and more common in asbestos litigation. As we wrote previously, on Wednesday, July 17 (2019) Dr. Len van Zyl of ToxicoGenomica presented at the Perrin Mid-Atlantic Asbestos Conference where he discussed important new emerging science relevant to the […]
Expert testimony involving genetic findings is more and more common in asbestos litigation. Recent studies published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature have evaluated a variety of genetic factors (e.g., inherited genetic mutations, micro-RNA, gene expression profiles, and epigenetic factors) in people with and without asbestos exposure. Investigators have found evidence to support the fact that […]
Mechanistic understanding of cancers continues to accelerate, with important implications for tort litigation. A recent new study by He et al. (2019) provides new insights into how and why germline BAP1 mutations are involved in the development of some cancers, such as mesothelioma, but not others. The new insights are about tissue specific actions of […]
An important feature that has emerged from this new genomic knowledge is known as “signature mutations.” In short, specific exposures cause specific patterns of mutations to occur in tumors. These mutation patterns within the cancer tissue therefore serve as a clear marker for that specific exposure (hence the term “signature mutation”).
Genomics is a proven and reliable quantitative tool that has dramatically improved cancer treatment, established the practice of personalized medicine, and brought binary clarity to paternity and criminal cases. Genomics is now transforming how civil toxic tort cases are adjudicated. We have hit a tipping point where, instead of merely relying on population-based epidemiological studies, […]