Gene profiles predict survival( The activity of as few as 17 genes can...)

In a large group of diffuse large-B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), DNA microarrays identified three patterns of gene expression that were correlated with the likelihood of survival after chemotherapy. Individual genes within these patterns formed molecular signatures that had an even stronger correlation with survival after chemotherapy. The predictive power of the molecular signatures was independent of the international prognostic index.

From 12,000 to 17 genes
DNA microarrays reflect the activity of tens of thousands of genes in a sample of tissue. This study of the most common lymphoma in adults focused on more than 12,000 genes expressed by lymphoid tissue and found 17 that were strongly related to the outcome. This work is an example of how microarray technology is leading to clinically useful insights into the molecular genetics of cancer.

"We're able to reliably predict the survival of these patients using data from a small number of genes, indicating that this technique should be entirely manageable for routine use," said National Cancer Institute (NCI) investigator Elaine M. Hurt, Ph.D., one of the authors on the study.

DLBCL is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in adults. Standard chemotherapy for the disease is effective in only 40 percent of patients. Profiling gene expression in patients' tumors may help clinicians decide which patients are suitable candidates for standard therapy and which should consider other options for treatment.

Discovery relied on microarrays
The discovery of the predictive genes relied on DNA microarray technology, which allows researchers to determine which genes are active within cells. Microarrays, also known as gene chips, are glass slides that have been coate
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Contact: Hanna Hanes
hhaanes@online.no
Norwegian Cancer Society
4-Jul-2002