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Washington, February 23
(ANI): Researchers have reached a breakthrough in cancer studies after using
novel technology to reveal the different genetic patterns of neuroblastoma, an
aggressive form of childhood cancer.

Two research teams led by
professors Tommy Martinsson, of the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of
Gothenburg, Sweden and Per Kogner of Karolinska Institutet monitored children
with neuroblastoma, a nerve cell cancer that has defects in certain
chromosomes, for over 20 years.

Helena Carén, a researcher
at the Department of Clinical Genetics at the Sahlgrenska Academy, said: “We
found that the children who develop this type of neuroblastoma are twice as old
at the onset of the disease as children who develop other types of
neuroblastoma. This type progresses more slowly and is more difficult to
treat.”

Boffins were able to successfully
analyse the DNA of tumour cells and identify chromosomal defects with the use
of latest genetic techniques, enabling the identification of sub-groups of the
most aggressive neuroblastomas.

Martinsson, professor of
genetics at the Department of Clinical Genetics, said: “We call this
personalized medicine, because the treatment is based on the genetic profile of
the patient, or in this case, of the tumour cells.”

Kogner, professor of
paediatric oncology, hopes the findings would lead to significant advances in
the treatment of the malignant disease, which mainly affects small children.

Carén added: “The
analytical method we have used in our research is already being used for
clinical assessment of every neuroblastoma tumour in the country, which means
that we can now make more accurate diagnoses.”

The article was published
in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS). (ANI)