DNA copy number changes in breast cancer samples using array-CGH profiling

Excerpt

Discovering DNA copy number alterations is a major goal in studying susceptibility and the cause of diseases such as cancer. Agilent Technologies' whole genome comparative genomic hybridization array (aCGH) together with highly optimized reagents and protocols are used to generate genome-wide profiles of cancers to help in the identification of causative, diagnostic and prognostic changes. The comparison of the aCGH profile from the breast cancer tumor primary cell line with the aCGH profile of EBV-transformed peripheral blood from the same breast cancer patient showed several regions of DNA loss and gain. These regions were confirmed to correlate with the disease on a panel of flash-frozen breast cancer tumor samples. Using Agilent Technologies' CGHAnalytics software, candidate genes and ESTs have been identified for these regions of interest. Further studies on large breast cancer patient cohorts are required to see whether these candidate genes and ESTs are causative and would have profound prognostic implications. …