Associated Faculty
Cancer, which causes nearly 15% of all deaths worldwide, includes more than 100 distinct diseases with disparate causes and risk factors. Despite those differences, all cancers result from alterations (mutations) to the genome of the cancerous cell. Over the years, many of these mutated cancer genes have been identified through various experimental and analysis techniques. But genomics now offers important new tools for researchers seeking to find the causes and develop better treatments for cancers.
Improvements in sequencing technologies have been the most significant factors in helping scientists study the different varieties of cancer in a much more systematic and comprehensive manner than what was possible just a few years ago. The immense amount of sequence data that is being generated is helping researchers understand the cellular processes and mechanisms of cancer. Ultimately, this approach promises to be a valuable tool for personalized medicine: determining the genetic makeup of a person's cancer will help physicians choose the most effective therapy for that individual.
IGS scientists are using cutting-edge sequencing platforms and bioinformatics techniques to determine chromosomal rearrangements and gene expression profiles of cancerous cells. The goal is to identify the genes in the cancerous cells which are abnormally active or silenced compared to non-cancerous cells. That, in turn, will help scientists target the most important genes involved in various forms of cancer. In collaboration with the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, IGS plans to apply these techniques to study cancer health disparities in populations.
