A simple modification of a letter in the genetic code and the machine can get carried away, even go off the rails. This is how cancerous tumors are born. They can also be linked to the abnormal duplication of genes or to translocations, kinds of exchanges of chromosome ends.
These disturbances of our genetic material allow certain cells to develop in an anarchic way, crossing our genetic barriers, and to aggregate into tumours.
Knowing the genome of these diseased cells is therefore essential for tackling cancer. A gigantic work which has just been carried out for breast cancer within the framework of an international research program coordinated by the National Cancer Institute (INCa), for the French part. 560 tumors were analyzed and the results are published in the journal Nature, points out Le Figaro.
For Dr Anne Vincent-Salomon (Institut Curie), signatory of the study, questioned by the daily, “this sequencing of all the genetic material, and not only of the few active genes in tumors, will make it possible to identify the set of mutations and genetic alterations that cause cancer. »
The specialists compared, for each of the 560 volunteers, the genome of the cancerous cell and that of a healthy cell. 93 genes causing breast cancer have been identified. The authors of the study believe that this list should allow the pharmaceutical industry to target treatments.
A major step forward, say the experts. Unlike other cancers whose main culprits have been identified, such as tobacco for the lung, breast cancer has rather unclear multifactorial origins. “Fortunately, rejoices Professor Mike Stratton, international coordinator of this new study, our systematic analysis of the genetic code of the 560 tumors will allow us to identify new causes of this cancer”.
