A new mathematical formula for cancer progressionNovember 09, 2007Tumor progression can now be mapped less to mathematical standards and more to individual patients according to a new study by researchers at Harvard and Johns Hopkins Universities. The study, publishing in PLoS Computational Biology on November 9, 2007, provides a new paradigm in calculating tumor development, showing that it appears to be driven by mutations in many genes. Our understanding of the progression of cancer has long been based on streamlined models where cancer is driven by mutations in only a few genes. Niko Beerenwinkel et al. show how tumor progression can be driven by hundreds of genes. As many as 20 different mutated genes might be responsible for driving an individual tumor's development. Beerenwinkel et al. used a case of colon cancer to derive their results. Cancer progression proceeds stochastically from a single genetically altered cell to billions of invasive cells through a series of clonal expansions. According to their model, cancer progression is driven by mutations in many genes, each of which confers only a small selective advantage. It was found that the time it takes for a benign tumor to transform into a malignant tumor is dominated by the selective advantage per mutation and by the number of cancer genes, whereas tumor size and mutation rate have smaller impacts. This new model could help explain the large amount of variation between individual tumors that has long puzzled researchers and clinicians. The increasing amount of high-throughput molecular data that is being generated has resulted in new challenges for understanding complex biosystems such as cancer. New mathematical models like this one can provide unique insights that simplify interpretation and at the same time answer important biomedical questions. Public Library of Science |
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| Related Cancer Progression Current Events and Cancer Progression News Articles New Notre Dame study provides insights into the molecular basis of tumor cell behavior A new study by a team of researchers led by Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, sheds light on the molecular basis by which tumor cells modulate their surroundings to favor cancer progression. Time in a bottle: Scientists watch evolution unfold A 21-year Michigan State University experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research advances, researchers said. Depression increases cancer patients' risk of dying Depression can affect a cancer patient's likelihood of survival. That is the finding of an analysis published in the November 15, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Researchers uncover potential mechanisms to protect against genetic alterations, diseases Peering into the DNA of tiny yeast, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have pinpointed a large number of genes that can prevent a type of genetic rearrangement that may lead to cancer and other diseases. New Tool May Help with Early Detection of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer A new diagnostic tool developed by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists has shown promising results when used with patients of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer due to the difficulty of diagnosing it in its early stages. 1 gene that contributes to breast cancer's aggressive behavior identified Aggressive forms of cancer are often driven by the abnormal over-expression of cancer-promoting genes, also known as oncogenes. Green tea may affect prostate cancer progression According to results of a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with prostate cancer who consumed the active compounds in green tea demonstrated a significant reduction in serum markers predictive of prostate cancer progression. Prostate cancer test improves prediction of disease course A new prostate cancer risk assessment test, developed by a UCSF team, gives patients and their doctors a better way of gauging long-term risks and pinpointing high risk cases. Protein linked to change in tissue that surround and support breast tumors A protein known to be overly active in breast cancer can exist in a form that seems to change the structural composition of mammary tissue, potentially making it more conducive to tumor progression, say researchers from the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC). Vaporized viral vector shows promise in anti-cancer gene therapy A new lung cancer therapy employing a vaporized viral vector to deliver a cancer-inhibiting molecule directly to lung tissue shows early promise in mouse trials, according to researchers at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Korea. More Cancer Progression Current Events and Cancer Progression News Articles |
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