First whole-genome lung cancer study by TGen and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center set for conference

Review of lung tumor from a patient who never smoked revealed at IASLC meeting in Amsterdam

2011-07-07

(Press-News.org) PHOENIX, Ariz. — July 6, 2011 — A first-of-its-kind study of a patient with lung cancer who never smoked will be presented today by TGen and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, July 3-7 in Amsterdam.

Researchers for the first time sequenced the entire DNA and RNA of a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, said Dr. Glen Weiss, the first author of the study, which will be published in a special supplement of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Dr. Weiss also is Director of Thoracic Oncology at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials, a partnership between TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare that treats cancer patients with promising new drugs.

The patient is a 61-year-old woman who never smoked whose lung cancer had entered her bloodstream and spread to other parts of her body. She had been treated with several types of chemotherapy.

The study, Advanced Never Smoker Adenocarcinoma of the Lung: Report of paired normal and tumor whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, will be presented at the conference today, July 6. The study used Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), also called Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), to look at all 3 billion chemical bases of the patient's normal, as well as the patient's tumor, DNA.

The study went further by examining the normal and tumor RNA for whole transcriptome sequencing, which can reveal the possible defects in how proteins are synthesized. This provided an even more intricate view of the tumors biological make up and what might have led to her cancer.

"Evidently, this is very exciting. Next-Generation Sequencing now offers us the ability to survey the global landscape of cancer," said Dr. John Carpten, Director of TGen's Integrated Cancer Genomics Division and senior author of the presentation.

The results of the patient's sequencing were discussed with her treating oncologist and may be used along with other information to help decide the best course of future treatment.

A review of well-characterized cancer-related genes found that a mutation resided in the TP53 gene, a mutation in the tumor (one base change in the genetic code), and that the mutation was always present in both the DNA and RNA. Such a mutation can halt the creation of tumor suppressor genes and result in the generation of a tumor. Interestingly, the cancer specimen showed no loss of heterozygosity (LOH), in which one side of the DNA's chromosome becomes inactive because of a mutation.

"This observation highlights the complexity of cancer and how different genetic mechanisms can alter a gene. This novel finding would not have been readily determined without the combined DNA and RNA integration approach," said Dr. David Craig, Associate Director of TGen's Neurogenomics Division, and also a senior author of the presentation.

Dr. Weiss said these investigative techniques will be used more often to pinpoint the origins of disease.

"In the future, with improved infrastructure and decreased costs, we anticipate that using NGS techniques will become more commonplace," Dr. Weiss said. "NGS has the potential to identify unique tumor aberrations at an unprecedented depth."

The conference is sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), which hosts a meeting every two years.

### The study was funded, in part, by the National Foundation for Cancer Research.

About the National Foundation for Cancer Research For nearly four decades, the National Foundation for Cancer Research has been committed to discovery-oriented scientific research — Research for a Cure. We believe that in order to fully conquer this devastating disease, we need to encourage innovative scientists to study cancer at its most fundamental level. Our funding of over 50 laboratories worldwide has led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in cancer research, including new approaches such as targeted cancer therapies.

Press Contact:
Silas Deane
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
1-301- 961-9105 or 1-615- 244-8035
sdeane@nfcr.org

About The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Ariz. offers comprehensive cancer care and research through Phase I clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and support services in collaboration with leading scientific researchers and community oncologists. Scottsdale Healthcare is the nonprofit parent organization of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital. For more information, visit www.shc.org.

Press Contact:
Keith Jones
Public Relations Director, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
480-323-1383
kjones@shc.org

About TGen The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of translational research where investigators are able to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.

Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
syozwiak@tgen.org

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scripps researchers discover new force driving Earth's tectonic plates

2011-07-07

Bringing fresh insight into long-standing debates about how powerful geological forces shape the planet, from earthquake ruptures to mountain formations, scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have identified a new mechanism driving Earth's massive tectonic plates. Scientists who study tectonic motions have known for decades that the ongoing "pull" and "push" movements of the plates are responsible for sculpting continental features around the planet. Volcanoes, for example, are generally located at areas where plates are moving apart or coming ...

Ethnic, gender stereotypes bias treatment of Parkinson's disease

2011-07-07

Cultural, ethnic and gender stereotypes can significantly distort clinical judgments about "facially masked" patients with Parkinson's disease, according to a newly published study from researchers at Tufts University, Brandeis University and the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. This can lead to inappropriate and inequitable health care for those suffering from Parkinson's, a common nervous system disorder, particularly in the elderly, with some 50,000 new cases reported in the U.S. each year. "Practitioners need to better understand the complexities of ...

Final countdown: Atlantis to carry next-generation vaccine candidate on last space voyage

2011-07-07

On July 8, at approximately 11:26 a.m. EDT, the space shuttle Atlantis will streak skyward from the Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A, for one last mission. While the STS-135 flight marks the end of the space shuttle's glory days, its final trip may open a new era of research into infectious diseases, thanks to space bound experiments conducted by Dr's. Cheryl Nickerson, and Roy Curtiss III, along with their colleagues at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute. Nickerson, a microbiologist and authority on infectious pathogens, has been using spaceflight ...

Auto Trader UK Announces GBP2 Million New Car Advertising Campaign to Begin July 4th

2011-07-07

Auto Trader Uk announced today that July 4th will be the start date for "The Greatest New Car Showroom in The WWW" advertising campaign. The campaign includes all the channels that Auto Trader knows local new car buyers are using and engaging on while looking for a new car. The addition of the new cars section has already driven new traffic on the Auto Trader website partially due to the functionality and features inherent to the new pages. Consumers are taking to features like the ability to search by body type, make, model and price because they provide easy ...

Combination therapy as good as old regimen to prevent full-blown TB in people with/without HIV

2011-07-07

Johns Hopkins and South African scientists have further compelling evidence that new, simpler and shorter treatments with antibiotic drugs could dramatically help prevent tens of millions of people worldwide already infected with the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, and especially those co-infected with HIV, from developing full-blown TB. That population includes as many as 22 million in sub-Saharan Africa who are already HIV positive and at high risk of also picking up TB, which is endemic to the region, plus another 50,000 in the United States who are similarly ...

Emergency departments need to do more to support older adults with cognitive impairment

2011-07-07

More needs to be done to improve the care that older adults with cognitive impairment - including dementia and delirium - receive when they visit hospital emergency departments, according to a research review in the July issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Researchers from the University of Alberta reviewed 15 studies published between 1994 and 2009, covering 4,431 patients from the USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Israel. They point out that a large proportion of older adults over 65 visit emergency departments (EDs) in high-income countries. ...

Crazy Vegas Casino's Mega Moolah Makes Winners Yet Still Keeping the Best for Last!

2011-07-07

Congratulations to H. S. who won CAD10,539.97 (EUR7,498.14) at Crazy Vegas Online Casino, whilst playing on the Progressive Jackpot game, Mega Moolah Progressive. Although, the Progressive Jackpot, Mega Moolah has not yet budged by spilling out its grand jackpot prize, it has still been making winners along the way. The latest winner was one of the player's at Crazy Vegas Online Casino. H. S. won CAD10,539.97 (EUR7,498.14) on Mega Moolah at Crazy Vegas Casino. Mega Moolah's massive jackpot is currently valued at over 2.5 million and it is ever-growing. Every minute ...

What causes brain cancer?

2011-07-07

Glioblastoma is the most common and most lethal form of brain tumor in people. Research published in the International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design offers a novel way to determine what biological functions go awry when the tumor first begins to form. Understanding the problems at the molecular level might one day reveal the underlying mechanism of carcinogenesis in glioblastoma and ultimately lead to treatments or even preventative measures. This form of brain tumor account for more than half of all cases in which the tumor is within the tissues of ...

Extremely rapid water: RUB scientists decipher a protein-bound water chain

2011-07-07

Researchers from the RUB-Department of Biophysics of Prof. Dr. Klaus Gerwert have succeeded in providing evidence that a protein is capable of creating a water molecule chain for a few milliseconds for the directed proton transfer. The combination of vibrational spectroscopy and biomolecular simulations enabled the elucidation of the proton pump mechanism of a cell-membrane protein in atomic detail. The researchers demonstrated that protein-bound water molecules play a decisive role in the function. Their results were selected for the Early Edition of PNAS. Protein-bound ...

Women still in grip of idealized love and sex, purveyed by romantic fiction

2011-07-07

Modern women are still heavily influenced by the idealised love and sex, purveyed by romantic fiction, says broadcaster and agony aunt Susan Quilliam in this month's Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care. In some parts of the developed world, romance accounts for nearly half of all fiction titles purchased. And while there is clearly a place for the genre, which can be enjoyable and fun, this rose-tinted view of relationships is not necessarily doing women any favours, argues Ms Quilliam. "I would argue that a huge number of the issues we see in ...

First whole-genome lung cancer study by TGen and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center set for conference

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: