Biotech News - International Genomics Consortium and Translational Genomics Research Institute

International Genomics Consortium and Translational Genomics
Research Institute Selected to Lead the Biospecimen Core of the
Cancer Genome Atlas Pilot Project

09-13-2006

Phoenix AZ, September 13, 2006 — The National Cancer Institute (NCI)
and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both part
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the
selection of the International Genomics Consortium (IGC) in
collaboration with the Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGen) to lead the Human Cancer Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR)
component of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pilot project.
The Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. Earlier this year,
NIH announced the launch of TCGA, a comprehensive effort to
accelerate our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer
through the application of genome analysis technologies, especially
large-scale genome sequencing.

Cancer is now understood to include more than 200 different
diseases. In all forms of cancer, genomic changes—often specific to
a particular type or stage of cancer—cause disruptions within
cellular pathways that result in uncontrolled cell growth. TCGA will
delve more deeply into the genetic origins leading to this complex
set of diseases by collecting and cataloguing a variety of
individuals' cancer specimens as well as information on their
specific disease. In doing so, TCGA will accelerate new discoveries
and tools that will provide the basis for a new generation of cancer
therapies, diagnostics, and preventive strategies.

TCGA is a 3-year pilot project to determine the feasibility of
cataloging the genomic changes associated with a set of human
cancers. The pilot will involve cancers that will be chosen for
their value in helping to determine the feasibility of a possible
larger-scale project. "The faculty of IGC and TGen are uniquely
qualified to direct this component of the TCGA and their
participation and leadership will be crucial to TCGA's success,"
said Dr. Bert Vogelstein, Director of the Ludwig Center for Cancer
Genetics and Therapeutics at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer
Center of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "The
results of the study they envision will undoubtedly change how we
look at cancer and are likely to move cancer research in entirely
new and productive directions." TCGA is comprised of four
components: 1. The Human Cancer Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR)—Led
by IGC and TGen, the BRC will collect tissue samples that will be
carefully cataloged, processed, checked for quality and stored,
complete with important medical information about the patient.

2. The Cancer Genome Characterization Centers—Several genome
characterization technologies will be used to analyze the genetic
changes involved in cancer onset and progression. The genetic
changes that scientists believe are the most significant will be
further studied by the genome sequencing centers.

3. The Genome Sequencing Centers—Building on the technologies that
were used to complete the Human Genome Project, high-throughput
genome sequencing centers will identify the changes in DNA sequences
associated with specific types of cancer.

4. The Data Management, Bioinformatics and Computational Analysis
Core—The information generated by TCGA will be centrally managed and
entered into public databases as it becomes available, allowing
scientists access to the information during the course of the
project.

"The Cancer Genome Atlas project is a significant undertaking that
can create a scientific milestone that can benefit the
personalization of medicine," said Dr. George Poste, Director of the
Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University

Collectively, genomic and clinical data generated by all the
components of the pilot project will provide the initial
contributions to a comprehensive Web-based resource describing the
genomic "fingerprints" of specific cancer types for use by the
cancer research community. This information should provide powerful
advances in cancer clinical research and disease management.

While the pilot project focuses on only a limited number of tumor
types, its outcomes will allow the NIH to assess the feasibility of
conducting a comprehensive analysis of associated genomic
alterations in the future for all cancer types.

Robert Penny, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical and Operating Officer and
Executive Director of expO will serve as the Principal Investigator
for the BCR.

"Our selection to lead the BCR validates our ability to collect and
curate cancer biospecimens and importantly, link them with the
clinical outcomes and gene expression," said Dr. Penny. " Our
mission is to accelerate personalized medicine for patients through
earlier diagnosis, targeted and more rational treatments and
effective prevention."

"As evidenced by the Human Genome Project, the value of public
databases supported by quality science is a concept of tremendous
value to both the public and private sector," said Jeffrey Trent,
PhD, TGen President and Scientific Director. "Our selection is a
credit to the systems, people and the innovation occurring within
the biosciences throughout Arizona."

TGen's core competencies in high-throughput genomic analysis will be
leveraged to assist with the analyte preparation component of the
BCR. These analytes will be utilized by the sequencing centers that
the NCI will select soon as the next step in the Atlas project.

This project will be funded by the National Cancer Institute and the
National Human Genome Research Institute, both part of the National
Institutes of Health, under Contract No. N01-CO-12400 with SAIC-
Frederick, Inc.

# # #

About IGC The International Genomics Consortium (IGC) is a non-
profit medical research foundation established to expand upon the
discoveries of the Human Genome Project and other systematic
sequencing efforts by combining world-class genomic research,
bioinformatics, and diagnostic technologies in the fight against
cancer and other complex genetic diseases. IGC serves numerous
common, unmet needs including: the standardization of the collection
of properly consented tissues of interest, the molecular
characterization of these tissues, and standardization in the
representation of these results. IGC facilitates the transition of
genomic discoveries to improve patient care and increase the speed
in which new diagnostic, prognostic and predictive testing, and new
drug and treatment regimens are developed. Founding support for IGC
was provided by the City of Phoenix and from Maricopa County.

About expO The Expression Project for Oncology (expO) integrates
longitudinal clinical annotation of biospecimens collected with the
assistance of AmeriPath and US Oncology with gene expression data
for a unique and powerful portrait of human malignancies, providing
a remarkable resource available to accelerate the development of
diagnostic markers, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic advances.
Follow-on studies generate an evolving database of cancer that
accommodates complimentary assessments of the disease. ExpO releases
clinically annotated gene expression profiles for tumor specimens
through the National Center for Biotechnology Information web site
at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/. The principal support for expO comes
from major sponsors including AmeriPath, Bristol-Myers Squibb,
GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, and Wyeth.

About TGen The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on developing earlier
diagnostics and smarter treatments. Translational genomics research
is a relatively new field employing innovative advances arising from
the Human Genome Project and applying them to the development of
diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological
disorders, diabetes and other complex diseases. TGen's research is
based on personalized medicine. The institute plans to accomplish
its goals through robust and disease-focused research.

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