DNA sequencing

Our knowledge about genes and DNA is rapidly growing. It was only 1953 that Francis Crick and James D. Watson proposed that DNA forms a double helix shape. From there, we have been able to map the human genome, a project that was more or less completed in 2003, although further analysis is being performed. Now, researchers are in the process of mapping the cancer genome.

The benefits of having the human genome mapped is that we can pinpoint where certain problems arise, such as congenital birth defects. From here, we can learn how to treat these problems. It is the same for mapping the cancer genome. The project consists of understanding the various ways in which cells’ DNA becomes altered so that they go crazy and cause cancer.

Usually, cells only reproduce if they are needed to replace older cells or repair damaged ones. For example, if you get a paper cut, your body must regenerate more skin cells to seal the wound and return to normal. There are certain proteins that regulate the cell so that it only creates the exact number of progeny necessary. However, there are many things that can interfere with this process and cause cells to grow uncontrollably.

In order to better understand cancer and the ways that it can be treated, the U.S. government started the Cancer Genome Atlas, or TCGA, in 2005. This is a government-funded consortium started off by focusing on the least understood yet most dangerous types of cancer, such as glioblastoma, a very deadly brain cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Additionally, it began by looking at genes already known to be active in cancerous cells. Although this does not seem like much, it contains at least 100 times as much information as processed in the human genome project.

For Phase II of TCGA, President Obama declared that the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, will receive $275 million to expand TCGA from mapping just three types of cancer to researching 20-25. Still, with all of this information, it may be ten to fifteen years before the project is complete. However, once it is finished, this information can be used to create individual treatments for all of the different types of cancer. This is because they may be caused by different genetic problems. Thus, if we isolate the exact spot where things went wrong, we can personalize a treatment method.

Because this project is not yet complete, we still do not understand the best ways to treat deadly cancers like mesothelioma. If you or someone you know had developed mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure, talk to an asbestos lawyer from Williams Kherkher today.

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