Prostate cancer genome code cracked by medical scientists

Prostate Cancer Genome Mapped

Prostate cancer researchers announced today a breakthrough with the complete mapping of the genome of the disease that can lead to better treatment for patients, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

Medical researchers fully sequenced seven types of prostate cancer tumors and analyzed them against the code of normal tissue. The findings showed how genetic mutations hinder the body's development of cancer-fighting proteins.

The study was performed by the Dana Farber Cancer Institute under the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"This first whole genome view shows us tantalizing evidence for several new prostate cancer genes that would have remained undiscovered," study author Levi Garraway of Harvard Medical School and oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, said in a statement today.

The complete mapping of genomes was made possible by technology from Illumina Inc. The National Human Genome Research Institute defines a genome as a set of genes including DNA encapsulated in a cell.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Prostate Cancer Foundation and the National Institutes of Health's National Human Genome Research Institute, paid for the genome study.

The findings may also provide researchers clues on how aggressive a particular type of prostate cancer tumor behaves by administering new screening tests, the statement said.

Current guidelines for slow-growing types of prostate cancer is regular monitoring. Patients with aggressive types undergo hormone therapy, radiation or surgery.

According to data from the National Cancer Institute, last year approximately 32,050 Americans, mostly elderly men, died of prostate cancer.

Posted by George Daniels on Saturday February 12 2011, 5:05 AM EST. Ref: Bloomberg. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0