DNA sequencing Revolutionary cancer therapy

Cancer research: British start gigantic project

08/02/2014

The British government wants to get on the track with a gigantic project cancer and rare diseases. With the help of hundreds of millions of euros and the decryption of 100,000 DNA sequences could possibly be revolutionized in the future cancer therapies.

Hundreds of millions of euros for cancer research
The UK government is investing hundreds of millions of euros in a giant nationwide gene research program to fight cancer and rare diseases. About 100,000 DNA sequences are to be decrypted by 2017, as the British Prime Minister David Cameron announced. In total, the government and its partner organizations provided 300 million pounds (around 378 million euros). Cameron said according to an AFP message: „With this agreement, Great Britain will head the global gene research community in the coming years.“

Develop more effective treatments
The program will collect and analyze DNA samples from a total of 75,000 sick patients and their close relatives. Subsequently, for example, the genes of the tumor cells are compared with the healthy cells of the patients and those of their relatives. The researchers hope that they find small deviations in the genes that have caused the outbreak of cancer or rare diseases. With the help of such findings, personalized and much more effective treatments could be developed.

Chemotherapy drugs soon history?
The types of cancer being studied include colon, breast, lung, prostate and blood cancers. The scientists have already received several hundred DNA samples from donors. It should be around 10,000 by the end of the year. „If we look back in 20 years, all the chemotherapy drugs with their ugly side effects will be history“, said Jeremy Farrar, director of the charity Wellcome Trust.

British invest heavily in medical research
The British are also investing heavily in other areas of medical research. For example, the dpa news agency reported in June that GBP 16 million, or around EUR 20 million, was used by the United Kingdom to fund the development of an effective dementia drug, led by Cardiff University in Wales. The British government had used its G8 presidency the year before to put dementia on the international agenda. (Ad)