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BALTIMORE, Sep 7, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. scientists say they have completed the first draft of the genetic code for breast and colon cancers.
The researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Kimmel Cancer Center say they've identified nearly 200 mutated genes linked to those cancers, most of which were not previously recognized as associated with tumor initiation, growth, spread or control.
"Just as sequencing the human genome laid the groundwork for subsequent research in genetics, these data lay the foundation for decades of research on colon and breast cancers," said Dr. Victor Velculescu, an assistant professor of oncology.
Although gene discoveries by independent scientists scattered around the world have provided clues, Velculescu says relatively few genes have been shown to be altered in cancers. The Hopkins researchers said the number of genes that were altered in breast and colorectal cancer genomes surprised them.
"We expected to find a handful of genes, not 200," said Tobias Sjöblom, a lead author and postdoctoral fellow at Hopkins' Kimmel Cancer Center.
The research is detailed in the journal Science Express.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
