Recent advances in cancer genomics and cancer-associated genes discovery

Abstract

Human cancer is a personalized disease characterized by complex molecular genetic abnormalities unique to individual patients. Studying cancer genome has defined much of the molecular pathogenesis of neoplasia we have understood so far and has supported the view that cancer is a genetic disease caused by sequential accumulation of genetic alterations. Recent advances in genome-wide technologies have provided unprecedented tools to reveal the genomic landscape of cancer in great detail, and thus have offered new opportunity in deciphering the specific genomic changes participated in tumor initiation and progression. Here, we review these emergent array-or sequencing-based technologies and provide examples of how they can be applied in discovering molecular genetic changes in cancer and in facilitating mining of important cancer genes. From a clinical perspective, it appears a daunting challenge in translating those molecular genetic findings from cancer cells to cancer patients. Therefore, we will also briefly discuss the potential problems in translational cancer genomic research and propose the possible solutions. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.