NCCS International Study Unveils
Molecular Roadmap Of Stomach Cancer
Wednesday, 18 January 2006
|
Research surfaces critical pathways of stomach cancer cells. |
|
Study can facilitate early detection and more effective treatment of stomach cancer. |
Singapore, 18 January 2006 - Research scientists at National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) have led an international team of researchers to achieve a breakthrough in stomach cancer research. The team of 12 researchers were from the University of Hong Kong, The University of Tokyo and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia. For the first time, a collaborative effort across four major cancer centres in Asia has resulted in the establishment of a comprehensive molecular map of stomach cancer, which has provided significant findings on the biological pathways involved in this disease. The work, supervised by Dr Patrick Tan of NCCS and Genome Institute of Singapore, has recently been published in the leading scientific journal Cancer Research.
International Research Collaborations Crucial
Researchers at the four centers used DNA microarray technology to molecularly profile tumors from stomach cancer patients. They then used novel computational techniques to combine this information to assemble an unprecedented molecular database of stomach cancer, drawn from over 300 tissue samples. "International collaboration of this scale is crucial if we want to go beyond limited observations on stomach cancers at different centres. Such cutting edge global research has pushed the boundaries of medical knowledge on the specific behaviour of stomach cancer. We now have the potential to fight it more effectively,' said Prof Soo Khee Chee, Director NCCS. His vision is for NCCS to become a center of excellence for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Critical Pathways Involved in Controlling Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer mortality in the world, and its incidence is particularly high in Asia. In Singapore, it is the 4th most common cause of cancer death. Through an analysis of the resulting database containing over 20 million interactions among different genes, Dr Tan and his team made 2 significant discoveries:
| 1. |
Identification of a key pivotal cellular pathway in stomach cancer cells that influences clinical prognosis, |
| 2. |
Definition of a potential mechanism by which the process of intestinal metaplasia, where normal stomach cells mutate irreversibly to become cells similar to the large intestin, could occur. |
The observation of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach is considered to be a risk factor for the subsequent development of stomach cancer.
With this clearer insight on the behaviour of stomach cancer molecules, NCCS hopes that treatment could now be more effective and targeted at distinct molecular pathways in patients.
The project took 2 years to complete and the Singapore component was financially supported by the Biomedical Research Council, a branch of A-star. Dr Tan has recently received a new grant from BMRC to continue this work.
About Stomach Cancer
Any of the cells lining the inner wall of the stomach can become cancerous. The cancer can form a mass or ulcer within the stomach or it can spread diffusely throughout the entire wall of the stomach. Patients with stomach cancer have a higher rate of infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. However, the vast majority of people who have this bacterium in their stomachs do not develop stomach cancer.
An increased risk of stomach cancer is associated with diets containing large amounts of smoked foods, salted fish and meat, and pickled foods. On the other hand, eating fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin A and C appear to lower the risk of stomach cancer.
Nitrites and nitrates are substances commonly found in cured meats. These can be converted by some bacteria into compounds which can cause cancer in animals. This has not been proven in humans.
Symptoms and Signs of Stomach Cancer
Most people present with non-specific complaints, such as abdominal discomfort or indigestion. Occasionally, because the cancer forms a mass in the stomach it can block the passage of food ingested. There may be vomiting subsequently. Patients may also present with symptoms of anaemia because of blood loss from the cancer.
About Dr Patrick Tan
Dr. Patrick Tan holds a joint appointment as Principal Investigator at the National Cancer Centre of Singapore and Group Leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore. He received his B.A. (summa cum laude) from Harvard University and MD PhD degree from Stanford University, where he received the Charles Yanofsky prize for Most Outstanding Graduate Thesis in Physics, Biology or Chemistry. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals such as Cell, Science, Cancer Research, and Genome Research, and sits on the editorial board of several scientific journals, including Cancer Reviews:Asia Pacific and Cancer Research. Locally, he has received the President's Scholarship, Loke Cheng Kim foundation scholarship, Young Scientist Award (A-star), Singapore Youth Award, and the Singhealth Investigator Excellence Award. Dr Tan is the Chief Scientific Officer of Agenica Research, a cancer genomics joint venture between NCC, Mitsui Corp and Shimadzu Corp, and is the Chairman of the Life Sciences Virtual Grid Community (LSVGC), an organization sponsored by the National Grid Office to foster grid-based computational applications in the life sciences.
For more details, photos and media interviews on the above, please click [here].
|
