A new mechanism giving rise to DNA fragility has been identified in malignant cells. This fragility is one of the tumour’s strong points, through which the integrity of the genome is dramatically compromised. Thanks to this accomplishment, though, it could become a point of attack for targeting cancer with its own weapon. The discovery was made by a team of scientists from IFOM in Milan led by Marco Foiani, in collaboration with the University of Milan, and will be published today in the authoritative scientific journal Cell.