Novel Methods in the Study of the Breast Cancer Genome: Towards a Better Understanding of the Disease of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Rapidly developing sequencing technologies and bioinformatic approaches have provided us with an unprecedented instrument allowing for an unbiased and exhaustive characterization of the cancer genome in genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic dimensions. This review introduces recent exciting findings and new methodologies in genomic breast cancer research. With this development, cancer genome research will illuminate new delicate interactions between mo-lecular networks and thereby unravel the underlying biological mechanisms for cancer initiation and progression. It also holds promise for providing a molecular clock for the estimation of the temporal processes of tumorigenesis. These methods in combination with single cell sequencing will make it possible to construct a family tree elucidating the evo-lutionary lineage relationships between cell populations at single-cell resolution. The anticipated rapid progress in ge-nomic breast cancer research should lead to an enhanced understanding of breast cancer biology and guide us towards novel ways to ultimately prevent and cure breast cancer.