Using data-sifting algorithms developed by computer scientists at Brown University, researchers are beginning to untangle the complex genetics of cancer. In a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigators have outlined the most complete genetic profile of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This research is expected to lead to new treatments for AML based on the unique genetics of each patient. The use of the new algorithms was key to “making sense of the giant datasets” required for this study, which is part of The Cancer Genome Atlas project that aims to map out the entire genome of cancer cells. “Genes don’t usually act on their own, but instead act together in pathways or networks,” said Ben J. Raphael, PhD, of the Department of Computer Science and Center for Computational Molecular Biology at Brown University. “Cancer-causing mutations often target these networks or pathways.” By analyzing the large amount of cancer data, “we hope that the algorithms produce actionable information that is clinically important.” Brown University Press Release; May 1, 2013
