Broad’s landmark study discovers new cancer genes
A landmark study across many cancer types reveals that the universe of cancer mutations is much bigger than previously thought. By analyzing the genomes of thousands of patients’ tumors, a Broad Institute-led research team has discovered enough new cancer genes to expand the list by 25 percent. The team’s work, which lays a critical foundation for future cancer drug development, also shows that creating a comprehensive catalog of cancer genes for scores of cancer types is feasible with as few as 100,000 patient samples. “For the first time, we know what it will take to draw the complete genomic picture of human cancer,” said Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and a senior co-author of the paper. “That’s tremendously exciting, because the knowledge of genes and their pathways will highlight new, potential drug targets and help lead the way to effective combination therapy.” During the past 30 years,...