Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency and University of British Columbia have identified new breast cancer genes that could change the way the disease is diagnosed and form the basis of next-generation treatments.
Researchers
have reclassified the disease into 10 completely new categories based on the genetic fingerprint of
a tumour. Many of these genescould
offer much-needed insight into breast cancer biology,
allowing doctors to predict whether a tumour will respond to a particular
treatment. Whether the tumour is likely to spread to other parts of the body or
if it is likely to return following treatment.
The
study, published online today in the international journal Nature,
is the largest global study of breast cancer tissue
ever performed and the culmination of decades of research into the disease.
In the
future, this information could be used by doctors to better tailor treatment to
the individual patient.
"This
is a major step forward in building the genetic encyclopedia of breast cancer
and in the process we've learned there are many more subtypes of breast cancer
than we imagined. The new molecular map of breast cancer points us to new drug targets for
treating breast cancer and also defines the groups of patients who would
benefit most." said Dr. Sam Aparicio, study co-lead author. "The size
of this study is unprecedented and provides insights into the disease such as
the role of immune response, which will stimulate other avenues of research.
The
team at the BC Cancer Agency, in collaboration with Cancer Research UK's
Cambridge Research Institute and Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology at
University of Manitoba, analyzed the DNA and RNA of 2,000 tumour samples taken
from women diagnosed with breast cancer between five and 10 years ago. The
sheer number of tumours mapped allowed researchers to spot new patterns in the
data.
Study
milestones include:
·
Classified
breast cancer into 10 subtypes grouped by common genetic features,
which correlate with survival. This new classification could change the way
drugs are tailored to treat women with breast cancer.
·
Discovered
several completely new genes that had never before been linked to breast
cancer. These genes that drive the disease are all targets for new drugs that
may be developed. This information will be available to scientists worldwide to
boost drug discovery and development.
·
Revealed
the relationship between these genes and known cell signaling pathways –
networks that control cell growth and division. This could pinpoint how these
gene faults cause cancer, by disrupting important cell processes.
This is
the second major breakthrough announced by BC Cancer Agency scientists in as
many weeks. On April 4, a team led by Dr. Sam Aparicio celebrated the decoding
of the genetic makeup of the most-deadly of breast cancers, triple-negative
breast cancer, which until then was defined by what it was missing, not what it
was. Similar to that announcement, today's new discovery identifies genes that
were previously unknown to be linked to breast cancer and makes it clear that
breast cancer is an umbrella term for what really is a number of unique
diseases.
While
the research is unlikely to benefit women who currently have breast cancer, it
substantially advances how scientists approach further research and clinical
trials by providing them with a springboard to develop new treatment options
and drugs targeted to specific genes.
More
information: "The
integrative genomic and transcriptomic architecture of 2000 breast
tumours." Curtis et al. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature10983
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