Pathologists presently examining the tumors of sick patients analyze a small set of tumor characteristics in order to determine the diagnostic and prognostic class to which the cells belong. This new method could give practitioners an encyclopedic accounting of the alterations in problem cells, spelling out the nature of the disease in much greater detail.

The algorithm devised by the group scans the DNA sequence of a given cell -- its genome -- and deciphers which sequences are controlling what pathways and whether any are acting differently from the norm. By deciphering the patterns, the scientists can conjure up the genetic regulatory code that is underlying a particular cancer.

The scientists developed the technique by employing modern methods of systems biology, where researchers seek to understand how components of living systems like cells work together to orchestrate processes, using powerful computers to sort vast arrays of data.

"Part of the promise of genomics and systems biology is the discovery of specific pathways of disease and finding ways to target them precisely," Tavazoie said. "We have focused on revealing what these pathways are."

The challenge for others, he said, will be to design specific therapies for such diseases, a process that could take many years. "This is an important first step," Tavazoie added.

The method ultimately could work for any type of cancer and paves the way for rational approaches to treating a host of other diseases from diabetes to neurological disorders, the scientists said.

Source: Princeton University