ADVERTISEMENT

genetics & genomics, cancer

Image of the Day: New Kids on the Block
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 7, 2018 | 1 min read
Researchers discover that a layer of human breast tissue is not one but two distinct cell types.  
Genetic Screen Predicts T-Cell Lymphoma Aggression
Kerry Grens | May 9, 2018 | 2 min read
Sequencing of a single gene can spot patients with a dangerous form of mycosis fungoides better than other prognostic tests.  
Cancer Evolutionist: A Profile of Charles Swanton
Anna Azvolinsky | Apr 1, 2018 | 9 min read
Motivated by his father’s cancer diagnosis, the Francis Crick Institute cancer geneticist has been revealing the ways tumors evolve and why they are so difficult to treat.
First Direct-to-Consumer BRCA Test Authorized by FDA
Kerry Grens | Mar 6, 2018 | 2 min read
The agency gave personal genomics company 23andMe the green light to screen samples for breast cancer–related genetic mutations.
Researchers Publish First Pan-Cancer Genomic Analyses in Pediatric Patients
Catherine Offord | Feb 28, 2018 | 2 min read
Two large-scale studies reveal new insights into the genomic characteristics of childhood cancers.
Alcohol Damages Mouse DNA
Jef Akst | Jan 3, 2018 | 1 min read
A byproduct of alcohol consumption causes mutations in the DNA of mouse blood stem cells, and some of the breaks are not repaired.
Foundation Medicine’s Cancer Gene Test Gains FDA and CMS Approval
Diana Kwon | Dec 1, 2017 | 1 min read
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services propose covering the test with Medicare. 
Genetic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Identified
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 23, 2017 | 4 min read
Researchers identify 72 novel genetic variants associated with breast cancer risk.
Study Raises Questions About Patient-Derived Xenografts
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 10, 2017 | 2 min read
When transplanted into mice, tumor genomes evolve differently than they do in patients, study finds.
Massive RNAi Screens Probe for Genes Important to Cancer
Kerry Grens | Jul 26, 2017 | 3 min read
Two freely available databases include data on hundreds of human cancer cell lines. 
Ribosomal DNA Copy Numbers Decrease in Some Cancers
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 22, 2017 | 3 min read
An analysis of human cancer genome projects uncovers a counterintuitive loss of ribosomal gene copies.
More than 18,000 Genomic Records from Cancer Patients Available
Kerry Grens | Jun 1, 2017 | 2 min read
The publicly available database found nearly a third of samples included mutations targeted by either approved drugs or therapies in clinical trials. 
Mutations Linked to Secondary Cancers
Jef Akst | Apr 4, 2017 | 2 min read
Childhood cancer survivors with mutations in certain cancer-risk genes have a higher risk of developing additional neoplasms later in life, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.
Angela Brooks: Splicing Specialist
Diana Kwon | Apr 1, 2017 | 3 min read
At the University of California, Santa Cruz, the researcher combs the cancer genome, looking for weaknesses.
Cancer Genomes
The Scientist | Mar 31, 2017 | 1 min read
April Scientist to Watch Angela Brooks of the University of California, Santa Cruz, discusses her search to find vulnerabilities buried within the genomes of cancer cells.
Abundant Sequence Errors in Public Databases
Ruth Williams | Feb 16, 2017 | 3 min read
A new algorithm reveals hoards of preparation-induced DNA mutations in publicly available human sequences.
Henrietta Lacks’s Family Seeks Compensation
Kerry Grens | Feb 15, 2017 | 1 min read
Family members of Lacks, the donor behind the widely used HeLa cell line, are planning to sue Johns Hopkins University.
Non-Chromosomal DNA Drives Tumor Evolution
Anna Azvolinsky | Feb 8, 2017 | 4 min read
Researchers discover that short pieces of DNA harboring oncogenes are relatively widespread in cancer.
Next Generation: Mobile Microscope Detects DNA Sequences
Abby Olena, PhD | Jan 17, 2017 | 3 min read
A cell phone–based microscope can identify mutations in tumor tissue and image products of DNA sequencing reactions.
Smoking-Linked Cancer Mutations Mapped
Anna Azvolinsky | Nov 3, 2016 | 3 min read
Scientists produce a detailed genomic map of mutations and epigenetic changes associated with smoking tobacco across 17 tumor types. 
ADVERTISEMENT