Research sprints forward
Research sprints forward
Like the runners training for this year’s 26.2 with Donna, the research funded by the race is making exciting progress.
The proceeds from the marathon fund a unique program at Mayo Clinic that involves a team of scientists and physicians whose goal is to individualize breast cancer treatment and make it more effective. "Eventually, I think medicine will discover that there are 15 or 20 different types of breast cancer, each of which is treated differently and more successfully than today," says Edith Perez, M.D., the Mayo Clinic physician who is leading the project.
Reaching that goal will mean identifying all of the genes and proteins that drive breast cancer, something that will take decades, but already the Mayo Clinic team is finding new clues, thanks to the Marathon’s proceeds, teamwork and some extraordinary technology.
Using something called a "next generation gene sequencer," a piece of technology so rare that only a few centers in the country have it, the Mayo researchers have begun searching breast cancer tissue for a genetic abnormality called a "fusion gene." As the name implies, fusion genes occur when two previously separate genes come together. They have been targeted successfully in cancers of the blood but have been difficult to find in solid organ tumors.
Until now, it seems. Working with Illumina, the company that built the next generation sequencer, Mayo scientists created a test that identifies fusion gene products. They have already found more than a dozen, and they are studying them to determine if they have an important role in breast cancer.
"Every day it seems like we are learning something new, something that no one has ever seen before" says Aubrey Thompson, Ph.D., a Mayo scientist whose lab is studying the fusion genes. "We’re tremendously grateful to Donna Deegan for her passion and support, to Dr. Perez for her leadership and to everyone running the 26.2 with Donna for their dedication to this cause, which affects so many women and families around the world."
Highlighted in the upper right of this month’s newsletter:
- Registration fees increase October 31. Register today and save!
- Volunteers Needed! Registration now open.
Highlighted on the right panel above the list of expos a new panel titled "Related Events" - to include:
- Bike 26.2 with Donna
- The Players 5K with Donna - link to event page (in development)
- Family Fun Run - link to event page (in development)
