Last week, researchers reported the results of the first attempt to identify the genetic alterations involved in two common cancers using the tools developed to sequence the human genome.

They identified 189 mutated genes in tumors from patients with breast or colon cancers. The vast majority of genes had not been linked to cancer previously.

The team, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, analyzed 13,000 genes in 11 colon tumors and 11 breast tumors. Each tumor had 90 genetic mutations on average, of which 11 to 17 mutations may have been critical in causing cancer.  Read more  

Unique Program Fosters Technology Development

Last week, more than 100 NCI-sponsored investigators met in Bethesda, Md., to discuss their projects and share ideas about the best ways to develop the technologies of the future. With just a glance at the agenda, you can see that this 2-day session echoed many of the exciting themes of today's cancer research: biomarkers, proteomics, signal transduction pathways, cellular imaging, and identification of cancer stem cells.

It is becoming clearer every day that technology development will both integrate and drive the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. NCI's Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) program, which hosted last week's event, is aimed squarely at devising and developing novel and emerging technologies in the support of cancer research, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. In other words, technology is fueling the engines of discovery and translation.  Read more  

The NCI Cancer Bulletin is produced by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI, which was established in 1937, leads the national effort to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. Through basic, clinical, and population-based biomedical research and training, NCI conducts and supports research that will lead to a future in which we can identify the environmental and genetic causes of cancer, prevent cancer before it starts, identify cancers that do develop at the earliest stage, eliminate cancers through innovative treatment interventions, and biologically control those cancers that we cannot eliminate so they become manageable, chronic diseases. For more information on cancer, call 1-800-4-CANCER or visit http://www.cancer.gov. NCI Cancer Bulletin staff can be reached at ncicancerbulletin@mail.nih.gov.