Cancer transcriptome characterization using massively parallel DNA sequencing

Cancer transcriptome characterization using massively parallel DNA sequencing

Project Leaders	Marco Marra
Project Co-Investigators	Steven Jones Andy Mungall Gordon Robertson Jacquie Schein Andy Chu Elizabeth Chun
Project Contacts	For all project related inquires contact: Dominik Stoll Payal Sipahimalani
Funding Agencies	NIH
Project Web site	http://cancergenome.nih.gov/

Overview

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is an NIH-initiated, comprehensive, and coordinated effort to accelerate the understanding of the genetics of cancer using innovative genome analysis technologies. The TCGA consortium will study more than 20 tumor types and analyze thousands of samples over the next five years. Each cancer will undergo detailed genomic characterization that incorporates powerful bioinformatic and data analysis components. The TCGA project will result in the most comprehensive understanding of cancer genomes and will enable researchers to further mine the TCGA data to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (GSC), a Canadian participant in the TCGA consortium, has been selected as one of six Genome Characterization Centers (GCCs). Its role is to identify RNA-specific changes in cancer cells. Over a period of 5 years, the GSC will be characterizing in total more than 10,000 tumor samples of cancer patients by either micro RNA (miRNA) analysis alone or in combination with RNA-Seq analysis.  To optimize the interpretation of the biological information, the GSC will also provide support to the Genome Data Analysis Centers (GDAC) for RNA-specific data analysis.

The disease types that will be studied in the project include:

• acute myeloid leukemia
• bladder urothelial carcinoma
• brain glioma
• breast carcinoma
• cervical squamous cell carcinoma
• colon adenocarcinoma
• head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• renal clear and papillary cell carcinomas
• liver carcinoma
• lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma
• pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• prostate adenocarcinoma
• rectal adenocarcinoma
• skin cutaneous melanoma
• stomach adenocarcinoma
• thyroid carcinoma
• endometrioid carcinoma

 

For all project related inquiries please contact: