Identifying Genetic Changes in Mesothelioma Cells

Using a comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray technology, researchers will attempt to better understand mesothelioma, a cancer found in the lining of the chest, the abdominal cavity, and around the heart.

The cancer is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. Due to Australia's active mining and manufacturing of asbestos in the mid-1900s, the country has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world. Rates of the disease have tripled in the past 20 years, and are expected to peak about 2010. Diagnosis is difficult, so patients are often not identified until the condition is advanced.

The new CGH microarray techniques, developed by Agilent Technologies (Palo Alto, USA), will allow researchers to rapidly and reliably identify genetic changes in tumor cells. Scientists believe that specific genetic changes may accompany the onset and progression of the disease.

"Agilent's CGH technology will allow us to study the entire genome in a manner that hasn't been possible in previous genomic research,” said Dr. Andrew Holloway, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center (Melbourne, Australia). "Upon completion, this project will produce the largest data set of its kind on mesothelioma in the world. We are very optimistic that it will give us a much clearer understanding and interpretation of this devastating disease.”





Related Links:
Agilent Technology
Peter MacCallum Center