For the first time, scientists have mapped out a complete cancer genome which was sequenced from a woman who has an acute myeloid leukemia tumor.
AML is a very aggressive cancer that starts in the bone marrow and spreads to different organs by mutating other types of cells. Because of this complete cancer genome sequence, is a major achievement because it puts scientists one step closer to more effective treatments and, perhaps, even a cure for cancer.
The project was lead by the Cancer Genome Atlas whose mission is to produce a comprehensive map of cancer genomes for every cancer patient. The overarching goal of the organization is to improve the ability of doctors to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.
"Since cancer is a disease of the genome, this newfound ability to determine the complete DNA sequence of a cancer cell is enormously powerful," said Francis Collins, a geneticist and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, in a Science News Magazine article.
The team of scientists working on the project were able to find the specific cell-mutating gene for this female patient. They discovered 10 mutations, eight of which were never known to be affiliated with cancer.
A new mapping technology called "massively parallel sequencing" allows scientists to compare normal and cancerous DNA sequences. The scientists went through three billion blocks of DNA in order to discover the specific mutations of the patient's cancer.
Another comprehensive analysis conducted at the University of Washington has led to the discovery of 16 additional genes linked with lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
"Lung cancer is many different things cobbled together. Now we're able to untangle the different types," said Ramaswamy Govindan, an oncologist working on the project, in a Science News Magazine article. This study has brought researchers one step closer in identifying specific gene pathways that might be the catalyst in producing new lung cancer cells.
Some doctors speculate that cancer has individual mutations that are specific to a patient. Understanding the genetic basis for each cancer patient may lead to highly personalized treatments, of which Govidan also said, "The key is to mold drugs to the type of cancer."
This would not only make cancer treatment more effective but may actually stop cancer from relapsing or reemerging. It would also serve as an early detection system.
Currently, all cancer patients are treated in the same manner as they were 25 years ago but with the technological boom, mapping a genome will become even faster and easier.
In 1990, when the human genome project was created, no one had expected that it would become the battleground to combat cancer. This new cancer genome project, lead by the Cancer Genome Atlas, could be the program that finally rids humanity of one of its most devastating diseases.
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