The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is set to go online (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CGAP/) with the first installment in its cancer gene catalog. The goal of CGAP, which began last year, is to develop new diagnostic tools based on understanding molecular changes that underlie all cancers. These tools eventually will help doctors develop and select treatments designed to fight specific cancers. Europe is establishing a similar program called the Cancer Gene Expression Program.
One of CGAP's short-term goals is to compile an index of all genes that are turned on during the cancer process. Such an index would allow scientists, for the first time, to create complete genetic profiles differentiating among normal, precancerous, and malignant cells. The index will feature EST sequences from 45 cDNA libraries of lung, colon, prostate, ovarian, and breast tumors. Data about the tumors and source libraries also will be presented.
DOE researchers are generating the bacterial clones needed to hold ESTs and longer cDNA fragments, and the Integrated Molecular Analysis of Gene Expression consortium will make them available to all researchers. DOE support stands at about $1 million. NCI is putting forward $4 million for the index, $6 million to develop gene-analysis technologies and generate long cDNAs, and $10 million to develop clinical applications for this research data.
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