March 26, 2011

New Breakthrough Study On Breast Cancer’s Genomic Dna Code

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, according to a Newswire press release of October 7, 2009, for the first time in history, BC Cancer Agency scientists in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada have decoded all of the three billion letters in the DNA sequence of a metastatic lobular breast cancer tumor, a type of breast cancer which accounts for about 10 per cent of all breast cancers, and have found all of the mutations, or “spelling” mistakes that caused the cancer to spread. Sight the article, “Major breast cancer breakthrough announced at BC Cancer Agency.”

The landmark study, also published October 8, 2009 as the cover memoir in the prestigious international science journal Nature, helps unlock the secrets of how cancer begins and spreads. The research now points the way to the development of new breast cancer treatment targets and therapies.

“One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer, and breast cancer accounts for 29 per cent of all cancer diagnoses for B.C. women,” said Health Services MinisterKevin Falcon. “As a result of the efforts of the scientists behind the study, this breakthrough finding gives further hope to the thousands of women with this terrible disease.”

“I never concept I would see this in my lifetime,” said Dr.Samuel Aparicio, head of the breast cancer research program at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). “This is a watershed event in our ability to understand the causes of breast cancer and to build personalized medicines for our patients. The number of doors that can now be opened to future research is considerable.”

Partnering with the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, Dr. Aparicio’s team used the latest in next-generation DNA sequencing technology to recognize the evolution of a single patient’s lobular breast cancer tumour over a nine-year interval. They found 32 mutations in the metastatic cancer tumour and then looked to see how many of those same spelling mistakes were present in the original tumour.

The result was surprising – only five of the 32 could have been present in all of the cells of the vital tumour, thus fingering them as the criminals that caused the disease to get started in the first place. These five mutations were previously unknown to researchers as playing a role in cancer.

“This study demonstrates the remarkable capacity of next-generation DNA sequencing technology,” says Dr.Marco Marra, Director, BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre. “The project that decoded the first human genome in 2001 took years and an grand amount of funding. We were able to sequence the breast cancer genome in weeks and at a fraction of the cost.”

“Through our research at the BC Cancer Agency, we are dedicated to finding original and novel ways to detect cancer earlier and to develop more enhanced treatments,” saidBrian Schmidt, Interim President, BC Cancer Agency and Senior Vice President, Provincial Services, Population and Public Health, PHSA. “This discovery is a wonderful example of how investment in research is helping to pave the procedure toward better outcomes for cancer patients in the future.”

The discovery is not only a major scientific milestone for the BC Cancer Agency, an acknowledged world leader in cancer research care, but also a significant testimony to the power of philanthropy invested in science to fuel cancer research and drive new discoveries.

“The BC Cancer Foundation, as the fundraising arm of the agency, has raised over $15 million to succor breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency across the province, including Dr. Aparicio’s program, through its Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk,” said BC Cancer Foundation President and CEODouglas Nelson. “We are very grateful to the many thousands of British Columbians who have walked, donated and supported The Weekend to End Breast Cancer over the past six years. To everyone who has walked or contributed we can confidently say your efforts have made a difference – you are a partner in this remarkable achievement.”

The BC Cancer Foundation founded the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics at the BC Cancer Agency, and the BC Cancer Agency’s Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit, all of which played a key role in the contemplate. The research was conducted in the BC Cancer Agency’s research centre in Vancouver, which was constructed by the BC Cancer Foundation, with donor and provincial and federal government funding.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region supported a key member of Dr. Aparicio’s research team through a bioinformatics fellowship. Other funders and supporters include the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Genome Canada and Genome BC, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Dr. Aparicio was recruited in 2005 from Cambridge University, UK to develop a breast cancer research program in British Columbia at the BC Cancer Agency. He holds the Nan and Lorraine Robertson Chair in Breast Cancer Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Oncology and is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

The BC Cancer Agency is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency throughout B.C.

High-resolution photos, video, and audio playback of today’s October 8, 2009 teleconference may be downloaded at the BC Cancer Foundation’s site.

Can You Test DNA for Breast Cancer Risk?

More people are turning to personal-genomics companies in search of answers about how to improve or safeguard their health if breast cancer or some other disease runs in their family. The big question is whether answers are less or more definitive as time passes.

You have increasing numbers of genome-wide association studies. You can find a professional to interpet the DNA tests for breast cancer that will be used for treatment, or for breast cancer risk for those that don’t have cancer but are worried whether they’ve inherited the gene that poses a risk, but not a sentence of destiny. Then you have those tests that might tell you it’s not if but when the cancer will start, unless you do something about your risk. Who do you believe or should you?

Genetic testing and breast cancer issues could provide a major portion of the genetic markers for disease risks. But do they or don’t they offer results that even researchers can find hard to clarify? Do the tests bring up markers that are not the most useful predictors of complex traits? For more information to help you perform choices, see page 712 of the article, “Putting DNA to the Test.”

At this point, you’ll need more information on genetic testing for breast cancer treatment and how it differs from DNA testing for breast cancer risk when you don’t have it at the time of testing. For more information on this issue, see the articles, “Breast Cance DNA Test,” and “Warning: DNA test results may not be as reliable as they appear.”

Genetic testing for breast cancer which is also known as DNA-based test is the most powerful technique used to test for breast cancer detection. It involves the direct examination of DNA molecule itself.

By using a molecular diagnostic test to assess whether a breast tumor will reply to chemotherapy, doctor’s need to more precisely identify which patients can be adequately treated with hormonal therapy alone and which patients will truly benefit if chemotherapy is added to the treatment. With better individualized treatment, we can spare women the side effects of chemotherapy where it is unnecessary. See more information in the October 7, 2009 Los Angeles Times article on genetic testing.

Venter – a key figure in the massive effort to sequence the human genome – and his colleagues have burst this bubble with a clever experiment, reported online October 7, 2009 in the journal, Nature. In the article, Nature assesses the biological and medical value of some genetic tests so far and asks – where should the field go next? Thought the article, “Putting DNA to the test,” published in Nature461, 697-698 (8 October 2009) | doi:10.1038/461697b; Published online 7 October 2009.

What Other Traits Can You Test For with DNA or Genetic Testing?

If you learn who you really are, can you control what you want to be? Scientists at Alpha-Genics are continuing to bring more of that genetic iceberg above the water line. And more is to come. Listen to some of the company’s new and archived webcast radio shows. Hear the archived shows anytime on the Good Genes site. Listen to the new weekly radio show each Monday at 7:30 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time). It’s at blogtalkradio(sm).

Archived shows include the 6/22/2009 podcast – Knowing your DNA potentials will make your life better, or the podcast of 6/29/2009.Listen to the archived shows.

Looking at genes has begun and proceeds into the future. As Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate often is quoted, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” To bring you up to date, briefly, Fredric D. Abramson, Ph.D., S.M. President & CEO of Alpha-Genics reported to me today that, “We’ve introduced MyGene DaVinci, a DNA profile that looks at 100 interesting genes that research shows contribute to things like behavior, personality, weight, physical performance and other aspects of core biology.”

“It is our step to help bring greater insight to people about their core biology, which can translate into smarter life decisions. Everyone knows that what you are today is a combination of who you are biologically and what you do. If you know more about who you are, you can make better decisions about what you do today.”

Two special applications have emerged that Dr. Abramson shares. One example, ” is to employ our DNA profiling with young, single moms. This group typically is very low income, poorly educated, and has virtually no self esteem. For whatever reason, pregnancy is a valued state.”

“We maintain that showing them their DNA gives them something that is innately theirs, something that nobody can deny or take away. And that with focused follow-on coaching (which is part of our business model), these girls can begin to build self esteem, salvage some confidence, and begin to think of life choices in a positive way, which can translate into a desire for more education, skill development, and better parenting.”

Abramson explains the second application of DNA profiling with families that have adopted children. “A similar group with powerful needs, are families with adopted children. I’ve been learning recently about the very high stress levels in these families and lots of dysfunctional behavior.”

Alpha-Genics has some specific papers on this topic, and Dr. Abramson is working to bring this into practical program actions. Good coaching includes topics such as nutrition. For example, many of these girls do have severe weight problems. So coaching about their self image, improved nutrition, and genes can make a difference in building self esteem in at least one dimension. There’s a link between high stress levels in families and choices of food.

“I believe that the MyGene DaVinci profile, on both the parents and children, can begin a new type of dialogue and understanding. Families can initiate to identify areas that they share genetically, as well as those where there are differences. With this knowledge can arrive greater understanding and even empathy, which I have will translate into greater harmony and peace in these families.”

According to the Good Genes site on blogtalkradio, a radio episode “Knowing your DNA Potentials Will Make Your Life Better.” emphasizes that, “Learning about your DNA blueprint for normal, non-disease factors can empower you to have greater control and fulfillment in your life.”

For thousands of years, we have struggled to fabricate sense of who and what we are, shining that our parents gave us their gifts. But not being able to delve inside our molecular biology to truly identify what those were has been one of the single largest barriers to true self awareness. This is no longer the case.

“Genetic technology can now, finally, let us peel away that last barrier. Finally, we can learn how who we really are plays a role in shaping what we are. This show discusses how you can spend information about your normal, good genes to you’re your life better and happier, immediately. We discuss how proven scientific research shows the many ways that our DNA impacts our behavior, personality, weight, athletics, sex and other life areas.”

Would you like to accept out what your DNA blueprint looks like as the foundation of your life? According to the radio blog broadcast, “Married couples can have better relationships by understanding how DNA might contribute to certain tendencies.” Also people interested in weight loss can “accumulate a better focus instead of having to guess what diets might or might work.”

Genomics, including nutrigenomics are areas of learning about yourself that’s very valuable to parents. Do you want to learn where your child’s life potential is strong and where it might take more work and time to become good? Do you want to know whether your child has sports/athletic abilities? Or abilities in other areas? What other potentials you or your child might have that actually shows up genetically? Can you predict potential from genes? Find out also how distinguished environment and lifestyle plays a part and how much genes boom what types of potential.

How does who you really are play a role in shaping what you are? Do you need your entire genome tested? What can specific genes actually show? The radio episodes discuss how you can use information about your normal, good genes to improve your life. The goal is that knowledge is supposed to make your life better and happier, immediately.

The radio shows discuss how proven scientific research shows the many ways that your DNA impacts your behavior, personality, weight, athletics, sex,and other life areas. Find out what your genes impact and what’s not affected by your DNA. What exactly can testing vow you about yourself? And what needs to be tested to tell you any specifics? If hundreds of genes control one specific area of your life or body, what does testing show you? To learn more, check out the site for Alpha-Genics and the Good Genes radio broadcast site.

Dr. Abramson’s article, “Positive Genetic Profiling To Break the Young Single Mother’s Poverty-Pregnancy-Powerlessness Cycle,” emphasizes that the company’s plan, “Opportunity,” is to “use DNA profiling of normal, good genes (no disease genes) to help young single mothers learn skills to cope with the new motherhood. There’s a great deal of social dynamics operating here, and these girls often have a bleak future.”

Abramson reports that, ” We want to encourage change that. Our plan is to test both the mother and child for 100 normal, non-disease genetic markers that relate to 50 different lifestyle traits, and then give the mother professional follow-on coaching on how to exhaust this information to make smarter life decisions.”

Alpha-Genics preliminary discussions indicate the following, that, “churches will support this effort by “sponsoring” tests and providing financial support as part of their community efforts, and counseling professionals will donate pro-bono or reduced-fee time to coach the girls on how this genetic information translates into smarter parenting, job and educational decisions. In addition, we enjoy government support for this program is appropriate because it is a totally new advance to dealing with the consequences of unwed motherhood.”

According to Dr. Abramson,’s article, Positive Genetic Profiling To Break the Young Single Mother’s Poverty-Pregnancy-Powerlessness Cycle, Alpha-Genics notes the jam is, “The number of pregnancies to unwed mothers and teens remains a huge social burden.

For too many of these single mothers, the challenges of successfully raising a child are substantially compromised by the fact that these girls/women are too often without sufficient education or lack skills to bag all but the most menial jobs. Furthermore, one of the major forces contributing to the fact they became pregnant in the first place is that they near from negative environments which, among other things, translate into very low self esteem.”

New Tools Mean a Fresh Approach

This combination of poverty, inadequate education/skills and vulgar self esteem traps these girls/women in a vicious cycle which they are unlikely to wreck, notes Dr. Abramson. “So they work in marginal, menial jobs that re-enforce that low esteem. They find themselves in problematic relationships with men who are indifferent to preventing pregnancy or being an appropriate father figure. They drift into a form of governmental dependency through welfare and other comparable programs. And they seldom pick up even minimal resources to provide a strong, positive environment for their children. Which then perpetuates the cycle.”

Recent tools mean a new approach: According to Alpha-Genics, “Astonishing advances in genetic science and biotechnology now permit scientists throughout the world to identify and study how our genes impact and define our normal, everyday life. The scientists conduct these studies of normal function in order to then better understand the mechanisms of disease. Their goal, of course, is to find unusual treatments, diagnostic tools and preventive approaches.”

The collateral benefit of this research is the opportunity to let people learn about, understand, and work with their natural genetic potentials as their genes recount to their normal lives. Dr. Abramson explains, “Genes impact how we behave, our personality, and our ability to lose or gain weight. Genes are interested in our body structure, which includes athletics and other physical attributes. Our brains don’t all work the same way because our genes influence our neurologic wiring and chemistry, which includes our hormones. Quite simply, our genes are powerful determinants of who and what we are.”

At the same time, scientists have shown that our genes do not work in a vacuum, and that our environment also plays a powerful role. Dr. Abramson reports, “Whether it is how we are raised, the amount of exercise we do, the air we breath, the water we drink, or what we eat everyday, environment works with and on our genetic blueprint. In other words, both nature and nurture shape us.”

Imagine the obvious impact on a young woman to be given insight into how her DNA draw contributes to her life. According to Dr. Abramson, “Armed with this knowledge, she could identify those parts of her life and environment which she can control and then take certain actions to translate this knowledge into better life outcomes.” These outcomes could include acquiring job skills, more education, healthier parenting and steps to avoid future pregnancies.

One major value of this DNA information is that it can deliver a new attitude and sense of self worth to these girls, many of whom have a terribly low sense of self treasure. According to Dr. Abramson,’s article, Positive Genetic Profiling To Break the Young Single Mother’s Poverty-Pregnancy-Powerlessness Cycle, “We expect this DNA information to greatly improve their self esteem because this is “her” DNA, which is part of her uncontestable identity. Nobody can steal it away from her.”

When combined with positive counseling support, we expect these girls to develop a new sense of self and worth. We then expect this to translate into these girls and their children becoming productive contributors to society.

Genes Are More Than Disease – Positive Genetic Information Can Change Lives

According to Dr. Abramson,’s article, Positive Genetic Profiling To Break the Young Single Mother’s Poverty-Pregnancy-PowerlessnessCycle, “AlphaGenics was founded to help people obtain and use genetic information in positive ways that can improve their lives. Our focus is on how genes report to normal, everyday life. We succor people translate the science into practical decisions that each person can use to meet their own current need. While we can’t change our genes, we can change our environment and can make smarter choices to earn our lives better.”

Scientists know that our DNA impacts normal functions like behavior, creativity, emotions, personality, sex, weight control, physical performance and other everyday activities. According to Dr. Abramson,’s article, Positive Genetic Profiling To Break the Young Single Mother’s Poverty-Pregnancy-Powerlessness Cycle, Abramson notes says, “Imagine the personal power from learning how our good DNA shapes our everyday life. Imagine the increased life potential when we can highlight our strengths and balance your weaknesses.”

Trying to construct sense of who and what we are has been an eternal struggle. Abramson says, “Everyone knew that our parents gave us their genetic gifts, but we’ve never been able to delve inside our molecular biology to truly identify what those gifts were. Our inability to truly know our DNA design has been a major barrier to true self awareness. Until now.”

New genetic technology lets us peel away that last barrier. Now we can learn who we really are at our DNA level, and how our DNA plays a role in shaping what we are today, and what we can become tomorrow.

“MyGene DaVinci™ is the first product that exclusively identifies how our good DNA helps shape our life potential and normal, everyday activities,” says Dr. Abramson. “AlphaGenics selected over 100 of the more interesting and valuable normal, good genes. With our follow-on personalized coaching, each person can evaluate the information and spend it to make their lives better and happier — immediately. Instead of identifying genes related to diseases, AlphaGenics builds on the scientific research that shows how our DNA impacts our behavior, personality, weight, athletics, sex and other valuable life areas. By targeting the DNA blueprint for normal, good genes, we provide a foundation for greater control and fulfillment in our lives.”

Some of the gene traits that are being tested at Alpha-Genics

Agreeableness
Altruism and social orientation
Amorous/Love
Caffeine metabolism
Cognitive Function
Dance creativity
Delayed sleep
Evening person
Earwax Type
Learning from Mistakes
Friendship and political ideology
Higher BMI
Impulsive behavior
Intelligence Knee Strength
Memory
Morning person
Muscle strength
Obesity
Partisanship voting
Physical Performance/Endurance
Resiliency to stress
Sexual behavior
Sugar intake
Voting and Religious attendance
Weight control
Worry