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Big Data pattern recognition analysis may significantly speed up and potentially provide early diagnostics and methods of cancer treatments or prevention that are gentle on the system. Also this may avoid a number of false starts and trials that work on mice but not in human trials due to differences in the DNA.

Possibly related: Remnants of Ancient Viruses in Human Genome May Play Role in Cancer - SN, 2013 August 14

Maybe, "junk DNA" is not all "junk"? If just 1% more is not junk, it increases "non-junk DNA" by 50% - quite a lot for useful research. The discovery of vlincRNA may also explain why embryonic stem cells have not been nearly as useful as adult stem cells in research and developing treatments.

Picture provided in the article is unenlightening, so not displayed here, to save the bandwidth.

1 posted on 08/17/2013 4:54:38 PM PDT by CutePuppy
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To: neverdem; sun7
In case you might be interested:

"Hidden within the cancer genome are these patterns, these signatures, which tell us what is actually causing cancer in the first place - that's a major insight to have."

2 posted on 08/17/2013 4:56:47 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: CutePuppy
Some causes, such as smoking are known, but more than half are still a mystery.

We have here an example of why I dislike reading science written for the lay person.

DNA mutates randomly. We have several DNA repair enzymes, which do a pretty good--but not perfect--job of fixing the random mutations. Some things, like high doses of radiation, certain chemicals, or UV light, cause a higher than random rate of mutation. This higher than random rate can overwhelm the repair enzymes, causing a mutation to be "fixed" into the genome. The inaccuracy in this report is that, since there is *always* a chance that a spontaneous and random mutation will be "fixed" in the genome, this process really is not a mystery.

We have thousands of viruses residing in our genome. In some cases, viral DNA (there is no RNA in the genome) is necessary for life. A gene that all mammals use to form the placenta comes from a virus.

3 posted on 08/17/2013 5:12:41 PM PDT by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
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To: CutePuppy
Finding out what causes the mutations could lead to new treatments. Some causes, such as smoking are known, There used to be a group of people on FR who liked to spread the idea that smoking is not really all that bad for you and the proclaimed dangers of smoking are just a bunch of propaganda. I have sometimes wondered how these people have been doing.
5 posted on 08/17/2013 6:34:54 PM PDT by wideminded
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To: CutePuppy

That second one could make a nice standalone topic, thanks CP.


6 posted on 08/17/2013 7:28:16 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's no coincidence that some "conservatives" echo the hard left.)
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To: CutePuppy

In other news, there are only 21 reasons that account for 97% of traffic accidents, only 21 reasons that account for 97% of suicides, only 21 reasons that account for 97% of heart attacks, only 21 reasons that account for 97% of new diabetes cases, etc.


7 posted on 08/17/2013 7:51:34 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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