Study examined how to better detect lung cancer that spreads to
the brain
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Dec. 2, 2009 - A team of scientists at the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) won a $1,000 prize
for best scientific paper presented at BIBM09, a premier
bioinformatics and biomedicine conference.
The paper, Identifying MiRNA and Imaging Features Associated with
Metastasis of Lung Cancer to the Brain, was selected as the best
from among 233 scientific submissions at the IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Conference on
Bioinformatics & Biomedicine, held Nov. 1-4 in Washington,
D.C.
The paper was selected because of the amount of work done for the
study, including laboratory work, and the novelty of the research
approach, conference judges said: "We (computational people) often
focus too much on the elegance of computational modeling. This is a
good paper to reach out to the computational community with a work
by a large, collaborative team with a new idea."
The study - funded in part by the IBIS Foundation of Arizona,
Science Foundation Arizona, and the National Institutes of Health -
focused on using microRNAs, small molecules that regulate gene
expression in cells, to help understand and predict how malignant
lung cancer often spreads to the brain.
MicroRNAs and imaging characteristics on scanning devices - CT
(computerized axial tomography), and PET (positron emission
tomography) - were used as biomarkers that could indicate the
presence of metastatic brain tumors, also known as brain
metastases.
In addition, investigators used an in-silico conditioning
algorithm, based on a mathematical model for contextual genomic
regulation, to further identify biomarkers and validate their
findings.
"If such markers could be detected by non-invasive means, such as
with PET/CT, it could potentially revolutionize personalized
healthcare in this country,'' the paper said.
Nearly 25 percent of lung cancer patients will develop brain
metastases, but there are no good measures to identify those at
high risk. In certain situations, radiation treatment can reduce
this risk, but this treatment can also have negative side effects.
In general, clinicians treat brain metastases when these cause
symptoms and are visible on scanning devices. Researchers posited
that such treatment and its side effects could be avoided among
some cancer patients if clinicians were better able to identify
those patients who will develop brain metastasis.
Dr. Seungchan Kim, the paper's senior author who developed the
in-silico conditioning algorithm, said the study could have "high
impact'' in predicting lung cancer spreading to the brain. "The
results are promising and warrant further evaluation and additional
validation," said Dr. Kim, an Investigator and Head of the
Biocomputing Unit in TGen's Computational Biology Division and an
Assistant Professor at Arizona State University's School of
Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering.
Other members of the team included: Dr. Sara Nasser, the paper's
lead author and also a member of TGen's Biocomputing Unit; Dr.
Aarati Ranade of TGen's Cancer and Cell Biology Division; and Dr.
Glen Weiss, an Associate Investigator in TGen's Cancer and Cell
Biology Division and the Director of Thoracic Oncology at TGen
Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare (TCRS).
TCRS is a partnership of TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare. The
partnership allows molecular and genomic discoveries made by TGen
and others around the world to reach the patient bedside in the
Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare as quickly
as possible through clinical trials with agents directed at
specific cancer targets.
"Results of this research once again demonstrate the value of the
collaboration between Scottsdale Healthcare, TGen and our community
physicians. Advances in medicine are happening right here in
Scottsdale that will help clinicians provide more personalized
treatment for their patients," said Tom Sadvary, President &
CEO of Scottsdale Healthcare.
Dr. Nasser praised the teamwork of the many researchers involved in
the project: "This is truly a multidisciplinary project involving
cancer biology, bioinformatics, radiology, nuclear medicine and
medical oncology."
Dr. Weiss said this unique study could eventually benefit patients:
"This work will hopefully lead to new treatment paradigms for lung
cancer patients, and we are grateful to the vision of the IBIS
Foundation to fund such a novel project."
TGen's partners in the study also included Scottsdale Medical
Imaging.
The annual IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics &
Biomedicine is a multidisciplinary meeting that brings together
academic and industrial scientists from computer science, biology,
chemistry, medicine, mathematics and statistics. IEEE, which is
celebrating 125 years of engineering, is the world's leading
professional association for the advancement of technology.
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About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
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