Miami, FL (WiredNewsEngine.com) — A breakthrough research in the field of cancer studies has decoded all possible genes of a person who suffered from cancer. Researchers have even identified a set of mutated genes which may be the cause and progression of the disease.
Research was conducted on cells which were donated for the cause by a woman in her fifties. Leukemia was the cause of her death. All the DNAs were sequenced from her cells which were then compared to the DNAs of normal cells from her skin.
During the research process, scientists were able to identify at least 10 mutations in the cancerous cells which were the result of abnormal growth. These mutations prevented the cells from stopping the growth and negated the effect of chemotherapy.
Mistakes in the formation of genes which are referred to as mutations in this case were developed and not inborn as is the case with most of the cancer patients. Previous studies show that hereditary mutations cause cancer in only 5 to 10 percent of the patients.
This important and significant research was conducted in St.Louis at the Washington University and the result is published in the Thursday’s issue of the Journal Nature. According to researchers, this is the first report and a lot more are expected to follow.
They also said, these findings will pave way for development of new therapies and help doctors in choosing treatment methods more effectively. This study done on leukemia will be extended to other types of cancer too, researchers said.
