The Philadelphia Chromosome and CML
In 1960, a very significant development took place in the field of cancer research: Peter C. Nowell and David Hugerford discovered an unusually small chromosome in the leukocytes from patients diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. This little chromosome was nicknamed the "Philadelphia Chromosome" after the researcher's city.
The Journal for Clinical Investigation provides an excellent overview of Nowell & Hugerford's work.
This image gives an overview on how chromosome 9 and chromosome 22 interact to create the small, changed chromosome [process of translation].
The discovery of this chromosome provided the first evidence of a genetic link to the cause of cancer. 95% of all CML patients test positive for this altered chromosome.
By finding a link between cancer and a person's genetic material, researchers began to look at new ways to treat the disease. By far, the most successful treatment for CML was developed as a result of the Philadelphia Chromosome discovery. Gleevec was approved in 2001 for treatment of CML. The drug acts directly on the functions within the tumor cells. By understanding the genetic makeup of the affected cells, drugs can be more effective in treating cancer.
For a better understanding on the Phildaelphia Chromosome, CML, and Gleevec, check out these resources:
Do you think genetic testing will be the future of cancer diagnosis and treatment?
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Comment by Ellen S on May 19, 2010 at 9:49am -
I don't know if testing is the future, as it is not conclusive. However, I sure hope it becomes more widely used despite that fact. Genetic testing is certainly at least an early warning signal that we should be on the look-out, and taking care of ourselves more carefully than we might otherwise.
Genetic testing sure seems to be a great tool. Imperfect yes, but whatever we need to do to make a few baby steps in the right direction is progress forward!
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