The National Center for Genome Resources has announced the launch of Alpheus, the first web-based software system designed for the analysis of massive DNA sequencing projects. The system will enable researchers to analyze extremely large DNA data sets to find individual, patient-specific gene mutations.

Doctors from the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston used Alpheus to sequence all of the genes expressed in tumor tissue from four patients with mesothelioma. Approximately 266 million bases were sequenced per patient. The resulting analysis identified 15 novel gene mutations, none of which had previously been implicated in the development of mesothelioma. Alpheus also revealed each tumor’s unique mutation profile.

Dr David Sugarbaker, Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an internationally-regarded expert on mesothelioma, said “Knowing which genes are mutated opens the door to better understanding and the discovery of more targeted and effective patient-specific treatments in real time.”

Dr. Sugarbaker’s remarks express the great promise this new tool has in the treatment of all forms of cancer: by understanding the mutation profile of individual tumors and the expression of particular genes in a given patient, the door is opened to the possibility of truly targeted cancer therapies.

To learn more about Alpheus, please visit the Alpheus pages on the NCGR’s website.

Labels: mesothelioma