Today is the first meeting of the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit. The Biomedical Research Unit is a NISCHR funded research group which aims to translate new genetic knowledge for better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It includes researchers from Bangor and Cardiff.

As part of a brief introduction to the projects within the BRU, Duncan Baird and Kate Liddiard talked about measuring telomeres for cancer prognosis. They showed exciting evidence that telomere length has a strong prognostic value in cancer, including CLL. This project builds on the novel assays developed by the Telomere group including STELA and assays of chromosome fusions. These have been applied to samples from CLL patients and other systems.

References

• Telomere dysfunction and fusion during the progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia: evidence for a telomere crisis.
  Lin TT, Letsolo BT, Jones RE, Rowson J, Pratt G, Hewamana S, Fegan C, Pepper C, Baird DM, Blood, Volume 116, 11 (September 2010) pp.1899-1907
• Fusion of short telomeres in human cells is characterized by extensive deletion and microhomology, and can result in complex rearrangements.
  Letsolo BT, Rowson J, Baird DM, Nucleic Acids Res, Volume 38, 6 (April 2010) pp.1841-1852