In a combined analysis of multiple omics platforms (5 genomic and 1 proteomic) on 3,527 specimens from 12 cancer types, researchers have determined shared genomic signatures to yield a refined classification into 11 major cancer subtypes that goes beyond tissue of origin. For example, one subtype characterized by alterations in TP53 and TP63, as well as by increased expression of immune and proliferation pathway genes, comprised lung squamous, head and neck, and a subset of bladder cancers. As this study shows, next-generation sequencing technologies yield omics data sets that can be successfully integrated to facilitate large-scale studies of complex systems, thus providing important, multilayered insights into biology and disease.
References
Hoadley, K. A. et al. Multiplatform analysis of 12 cancer types reveals molecular classification within and across tissues of origin. Cell 158, 929–944 (2014)
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Koch, L. Cancer classification within tissues and beyond. Nat Rev Genet 15, 645 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3829
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3829