For the first time, US researchers have decoded all the genes of a woman who died of myeloid leukemia, and they found 10 mutations that contributed to the development of her cancer.

This finding is significant on several fronts. It’s the first time that a cancer genome has been sequenced. The scientists took samples of both cancer and normal skin cells from the same woman, and sequenced the DNA on both samples. Previous to this, the focus was on select regions of the genome, called candidate regions, suspected of carrying genes that cause or contribute to cancer.

The study also found that 8 of the 10 mutations have never been suspected as contributing to the disease. The researchers found them on every cancer cell and none in the normal samples, which suggests that these mutations play as-yet unknown roles in skin cancer.

The research is focused on skin cancer, but scientists are enthusiastic about finding similar or the same genes in other types of cancers.

At her request, the woman’s identity is kept secret, but this is also the first time that a woman’s genome has been sequenced. Previous to her, only James Watson and Craig Venter’s DNA have been decoded. 

(Image credit: medicineworld.org) 

This week b5 media’s Health and Wellness channel is focusing on celebrities health.  Our focus is not on ‘tittle tattle’  and hot gossip about Angelina, Brad or ’Tomkat’ but rather a serious look at health issues that high profile individuals share with all of us. 

In the genetics world, our ‘celebrities’ are the likes of Craig Venter and James Watson - pioneering geneticists but basking in the eye of the media.

The race to sequence genomes has resulted in some major PR, particularly for Craig and James. 454 is sequencing James Watson’s genome and Craig has announced some of his results in PLoS.  TV star Larry King, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, Google co-founder Larry Page, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and junk bond trader Michael Milken have all paid a vast sum of money to have their genomes sequenced.

However, this is causing a degree of discomfort within the scientific community.  They are worried that only the rich will benefit and it’s sending out the wrong messages to the public.

I have a different perspective.  Research has to start somewhere.  The very rich have always been the first to buy pioneering technology whether it’s a car, the latest computer or mobile phone.  Their money will assist  in further driving down the cost of the technology to such a price that will be affordable to us mere mortals.

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

At last one for the girls!

 … Geneticists at Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) are the first to determine the DNA sequence of a woman. She is also the first European whose DNA sequence has been determined

The DNA is that of Dutch scientist Dr Marjolein Kriek, a clinical geneticist at LUMC. “If anyone could properly consider the ramifications of knowing his or her sequence, it is a clinical geneticist,”says professor Gert-Jan B van Ommen, leader of the LUMC team. 

Now we have  a new ‘Watson and Kriek’ to compare genetic diversity!

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com

In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Genentech (check out their domain name, is that perfect or what?) has donated $2.5 million to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). The gift will be used to establish the Genentech Center for the History of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the CSHL Carnegie Building where genetics research got its start. The work of molecular biology pioneers will be archived at the Center:

• James D. Watson
• Sydney Brenner
• Barbara McClintock
• Hermann J. Muller

San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 2006