Computational Biology Connects 480 Genes to Cell Division
Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University, Hebrew University, the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the New York University School of Medicine have used computational biology techniques to identify 480 genes that control human cell division, including 118 that could contribute to cancer.
Rather than focusing on missing genes, this international team decided to concentrate on genes which were present but not activating properly. Their investigation revealed specific genes which either expressed in a steady state or not at all instead of routinely cycling on and off as genes normally would during the cell replication process.
While more investigation is necessary to determine whether the genes cause specific cancers on their own, they just contribute to carcinogenesis, or their abnormal activity is a side effect of the disease, the team is pleased about the insights they’ve gained using the computational biology-based research methods. As one scientist explained,
“We have narrowed down the field of candidates. Instead of looking at thousands of genes, now we can concentrate on about 100.”
Itamar Simon, PhD
Molecular Biologist, Hebrew University
Results of the team’s research will be published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
Source: Carnegie Mellon University News
Related Links: ScienceDaily; TS-Si.org; acor.org; HHMI
Related Podcast – Systems Biology: The Future of Biomedical Science? on Science Talk from Scientific American
Tags: Ray and Stephanie Lane Center for Computational Biology; oncology; mitosis; DNA repair; computer science; Pittsburgh
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