Free access to the world’s largest release of comprehensive human cancer genome data

To speed progress against cancer and other diseases, the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has announced the largest-ever release of comprehensive human cancer genome data for free access by the global scientific community. The amount of information released more than doubles the volume of high-coverage, whole genome data currently available from all human genome sources combined. This information is valuable not just to cancer researchers, but also to scientists studying almost any disease.

The 520 genome sequences released are matched sets of normal and tumour tissue samples from 260 paediatric cancer patients. The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project is expected to sequence more than 1200 genomes by year’s end. Each sample is sequenced at a quality control level known as 30-fold coverage, ensuring maximum accuracy. St Jude researchers are analysing the genomic sequences to determine the differences between each child’s normal and cancerous cells to pinpoint the causes of more than a half dozen of the most deadly childhood cancers, an effort which has already produced a number of key discoveries.

Researchers worldwide will be able to access the sequence data via the web-based European Genome-phenome Archive, which provides large datasets for free access by researchers on request: www.ebi.ac.uk/ega/organisations/EGAO00000000046.

While most cancer genome initiatives focus only on genes, which make up a small portion of the genome, the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project researchers have taken a different approach. They are sequencing the entire genome - all the DNA - in each patient’s tumour. This provides a richer, more complete picture of the DNA changes underlying the development and progression of each patient’s disease.