Genetic analysis has been used to subdivide Acute Myeloid Leukaemia into 11 distinct groups:
One of the main types of blood cancer is not one but 11 distinct diseases, detailed genetic analysis suggests. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found genetic differences explain why some patients respond much better to treatment than others. The researchers say their findings should help with the development of clinical trials. Cancer Research UK says this type of study offers new insights into cancer. The study focused on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) - there are around 3,000 new cases every year in the UK.
[...] Clinicians currently rely on checks for chromosomal abnormalities and analysis under a microscope. In this study - involving more than 1,500 patients - researchers carried out a far more detailed genetic analysis of the cancer. They looked at more than 100 genes known to cause leukaemia, and investigated how they interacted. They found the patients divided into at least 11 major groups, each with their own set of genetic changes and clinical features.
Genomic Classification and Prognosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (open, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1516192)
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Thursday June 09 2016, @05:02PM
There has been a hypothesis kicking around the microbiology genomics community, that all sequencing experiments are actually metagenomic.
The same observation is now being applied to eukaryotic systems, and in fact, may be the default state.
This is one of the driving motivators to have *every* human have their DNA sequenced.
But , of course, we would need to have trustworthy authorities, which is not going to happen soon...
This is, however, where the science is taking us...
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday June 09 2016, @11:10PM
There has been a hypothesis kicking around the microbiology genomics community, that all sequencing experiments are actually metagenomic.
Sounds like something that could be resolved just by perusing the research and seeing where they sample their genetic material from. I gather most of it comes from living organisms, not environmental sampling.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Thursday June 09 2016, @09:14PM
i think the very computationally expensive jobs in bioinformatics (among a few other things) is going to be one of the drivers that will lead to the rise of superconductors in microprocessors. it seems likely that this generation of microprocessor will be used almost exclusively in space until we find superconductors that will remain superconducting closer to room temperature.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 10 2016, @06:29AM
This has always seemed like a distant unobtainable thing. But it looks like we may have turned the corner and the cures for cancers are now within sight.