Hopes for ‘personal’ treatment rise as 100 new breast cancer genes found
SCIENTISTS have identified more than 100 genes linked to breast cancer following a landmark study.
Experts claim the “treasure trove” of DNA data could save lives by ushering in an era of greater personalised treatment for the disease.
A third of the 110 genes uncovered by researchers play a role in breast cancer survival - and could be targets for new drugs.
Charities said the “really important” findings could also allow medics to create new genetic tests to predict a woman’s risk of the disease and spare thousands from gruelling chemotherapy.
Around 55,000 women develop the disease each year, with 11,000 dying.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, which funded the study, said: “These are really important findings.
“More women are now being diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before, and these crucial findings could ultimately help us more accurately predict who is most at risk and develop new targeted treatments.
“Many of these genes have been relatively undocumented to date and we now hope further research will untangle their exact role in breast cancer risk, and how we could use them to stop more women developing the disease.”
The study by the Institute of Cancer Research, London, is published in journal Nature Communications.
Scientists used a pioneering genetic technique called Capture Hi-C to analyse which genes interacted with 33 DNA regions known to affect breast cancer.
Most of the 110 genes found in the study had not been linked to breast cancer risk before, meaning they are fresh targets for potential therapies.
Lead researcher Dr Olivia Fletcher, from the ICR, said cancer was like a hand of cards and these findings helped reveal more of the deck.
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She said she was “optimistic” her team’s discoveries would one day benefit patients.
Dr Fletcher said: “Identifying these new genes will help us to understand in much greater detail the genetics of breast cancer risk.
"Ultimately, our study could pave the way for new genetic tests to predict a woman’s risk, or new types of targeted treatment.”
New genes to risk of having a stroke
SCIENTISTS have identified 22 new genes linked to stroke risk.
It triples the number known to be associated with the condition that kills 38,000 Brits annually.
The study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, looked at DNA from more than 520,000 people.
By comparing genes of stroke sufferers with healthy volunteers, researchers were able to untangle those which play a role.
Experts claim the findings could pave the way for new drugs.
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