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From cancer genomes to oncogenic drivers, tumour dependencies and therapeutic targets

Cheryl Eifert1, R Scott Powers

  • 1Cancer Genome Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Woodbury, New York 11797, USA.

Nature Reviews. Cancer
|June 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Identifying meaningful genetic alterations in human tumors is crucial for developing new cancer treatments. This article explores methods to pinpoint cancer-driving genes and their therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Cancer Biology
  • Translational Oncology

Background:

  • Genome sequencing and array-based analyses reveal numerous genetic alterations in human tumors.
  • Distinguishing driver mutations from passenger mutations is a significant challenge in cancer research.

Approach:

  • Discusses emerging computational and experimental strategies to identify functionally significant genetic changes.
  • Focuses on methods to determine which gene alterations actively contribute to tumor development and progression.

Key Points:

  • Many tumors exhibit hundreds of mutated or copy-number-altered genes.
  • The challenge lies in identifying which of these alterations are critical for cancer.
  • Emerging approaches aim to bridge this gap by linking genetic changes to cancer mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the functional impact of genetic alterations is key to discovering novel therapeutic targets.
  • Developing methods to identify cancer-driving genes will accelerate the development of targeted cancer therapies.

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