deCODE Genetics, in Collaboration with Academic Colleagues and Illumina, Discovers Mutations Conferring High Risk of Ovarian Cancer

Source: PRNewsWire

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, October 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ —

Scientists at deCODE Genetics and academic collaborators from Iceland, The Netherlands, Spain and Finland today report the discovery of variants in the human genome that associate with  increased risk of invasive ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer in women.  The study was done in collaboration with Illumina, Inc., and is published today in the online edition of Nature Genetics.

Using Illumina sequencing technology, deCODE scientists determined the sequences of the entire genomes of 457 Icelanders, and identified 16 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Through a combination of SNP genotyping and computational techniques utilizing the extensive Icelandic genealogy, they were able to propagate those 16 million variants into over 40,000 Icelanders, including over 600 patients with ovarian cancer.

Read More: deCODE Genetics, in Collaboration with Academic Colleagues and Illumina, Discovers Mutations Conferring High Risk of Ovarian Cancer