The genetic fusions in question are known as “translocations”, a physical joining together of two pieces of DNA in an aberrant fashion. In an issue of the journal Science published last October, researchers from Michigan, in collaboration with scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published early-stage research that indicated that 23 of 29 cancerous prostate samples contained the newly discovered translocations.
Researchers who have since tested approximately 300 samples at four laboratories have confirmed that between 60% and 80% of cancerous prostate tissues contain the translocations, but have not found the translocations in healthy prostate tissue.
“Gene fusions or translocations have the potential to be exquisitely specific markers for prostate cancer,” said Dr Arul Chinnaiyan, Professor of Pathology in the University of Michigan Medical School, and director of the study that was published in Science. “In addition to being useful as a specific prostate cancer marker, these gene fusions likely play a role in prostate cancer development and analogous gene fusions may be present in other common solid tumors.”