The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) will spearhead a Hong Kong team to take part in the largest ever International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) to carry forward the war on cancer.
The Consortium will decode genomes from 25,000 cancer samples related to 50 types and subtypes of cancer. Comprising 200 members from 12 countries and territories, the Consortium has published an article in Nature today about the international network of cancer genome projects. The data released can be used immediately by researchers who are working on better ways of preventing, detecting, diagnosing and treating cancer.
The two members from Hong Kong who take part in the Consortium are both from HKUST. They are Prof Hannah Hong Xue, Director of Applied Genomics Center at HKUST, and Prof Matthew Yuen, Acting Vice-President for Research and Development at HKUST who serves on the Consortium’s Executive Committee.
The International Cancer Genome Consortium is one the of most ambitious biomedical research efforts since the Human Genome Project. It has set out a bold plan to decode genomes from a vast world-wide collection of cancer samples, creating a resource of freely available data to help cancer researchers around the world.
Dr Thomas Hudson, Director of ICGC, is enthusiastic that Prof Xue is coordinating the Hong Kong-based effort which includes researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong team will focus on brain metastases. Over 15% of cancers originating in other types of tissues metastasize to the brain, resulting in low survival rates and a frequent cause of death.
President Tony F Chan of HKUST said, “The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is honored to coordinate the Hong Kong brain cancer genome working group of the International Cancer Genome Consortium on this highly important and massive global project. With first-rate research capability and the joint effort of the Hong Kong team, we are confident to be able to help cancer researchers and contribute to the well-being of mankind.”
Prof Xue stated, “It is a great honor to work with this outstanding global team and contribute to research on brain metastasis. There had been little understanding of the genetic and pathophysiological forces underlying brain metastasis in the past, and we aspire to advance research in this area.”
Dr Hudson pointed out that the joint effort in Hong Kong complements nicely with the ICGC initiative in being the first member project to deal with the very perplexing phenomenon of brain metastasis. The alarming increase in the incidence of brain metastasis signals a pressing need for research in the area. He is fully confident of the commitment and capability of the proposed Hong Kong team with joint efforts of three universities.
The mega International Cancer Genome Consortium project will identify the genetic changes in cancer in order to generate new and effective ways to devise therapies directed at the underlying cellular mechanisms of cancer, and ultimately lead to individualized and more effective treatment for cancer patients based on the genetic traits of their cancer cells.
Once thought of as a single disease, cancer is now understood to be the result of genetic mutations in cells which disrupt normal functions leading to uncontrollable growth. Because mutations are often specific to a particular type or stage of cancer, systematically mapping the changes that occur in each cancer could provide the foundation for research to identify new therapies, diagnostics and preventive strategies. Scientists are moving into an era where the prescription for cancer treatment should be based on the genetics of each patient’s tumor.
Cancer types affecting blood, brain, breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, stomach, oral cavity and ovary will be analyzed by the Consortium. Members of the Consortium are from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and the European Union.
In 2003, Prof Xue led HKUST to successfully identify the fifth gene associated with schizophrenia. She was also one of the HKUST scientists taking part in the international project to construct the haplotype map (HapMap), which represents the next generation of the human genome blueprint. She was trained as a medical doctor in China and received her PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto, and post-doctoral training in genetics from the University of Glasgow. She joined HKUST’s Department of Biochemistry in 1995, and currently serves as Director of Applied Genomics Center at the University.
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