DNA - quadruple helix

Fresh twist to the DNA story signals major cancer breakthrough

The DNA double helix has been an icon of science ever since it was first described by Francis Crick and James Watson in 1953.

But now researchers have found that human DNA can naturally wrap itself into a different shape – a quadruple helix – in a breakthrough that could point the way to new cancer treatments.

The new structure, which is composed of four strands wrapped around each other, was confirmed by scientists from Cambridge University – the place where Crick and Watson made their famous discovery.