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read moreU.S. researchers decode first complete genome sequence of a cancer
William Atkins
Saturday, 08 November 2008 19:10
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They write in the abstract to their Nature paper: “Acute myeloid leukemia is a highly malignant hematopoietic tumor that affects about 13,000 adults in the United States each year. The treatment of this disease has changed little in the past two decades, because most of the genetic events that initiate the disease remain undiscovered. Whole-genome sequencing is now possible at a reasonable cost and timeframe to use this approach for the unbiased discovery of tumor-specific somatic mutations that alter the protein-coding genes.”
The procedure used for their research compares a normal DNA sequence with a cancerous DNA sequence within the same human patient. It is called massively parallel sequencing.
The researchers decoded about three billion DNA bases from the genome.
They stated, “We discovered ten genes with acquired mutations; two were previously described mutations that are thought to contribute to tumor progression, and eight were new mutations present in virtually all tumor cells at presentation and relapse, the function of which is not yet known.”
They conclude, “Our study establishes whole-genome sequencing as an unbiased method for discovering cancer-initiating mutations in previously unidentified genes that may respond to targeted therapies.”
Dr. Ley, one of the authors of the study, stated, “We need to know the genetic rules of cancer.” [Science News]
The research performed by the team could lead to specialized treatments for the various cancers known to the medical community.
Dr. Mardis, another one of the researchers, stated, “Right now, they’re all treated the same way they were 25 years ago.” [Science News]
The results of the study are a major accomplishment in cancer research and could likely lead to much better diagnosis and treatment of cancers in the future.
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