Access

News and Views

Nature 446, 739-740 (12 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/446739a; Published online 11 April 2007

Genomics: Global views of leukaemia

Todd R. Golub1

Top

Genomic characterization of a type of leukaemia has resulted in the identification of common genetic abnormalities that underlie the disease. The results constitute an advance on several fronts.

It is now widely acknowledged that cancer is a genetic disease, caused largely by the acquisition of mutations in somatic (non-germline) cells after birth — or in some cases during fetal development. A systematic search for these mutations was previously impossible, but progress in genomics technology holds the promise of making the complete characterization of the 'cancer genome' feasible.

  1. Todd R. Golub is at the Broad Institute of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
    Email: golub@broad.harvard.edu

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.