454 Life Sciences' Genome Sequencer FLX system has helped investigators to identify genetic variations potentially linked to prostate, breast and colon cancer within the human genome 8q24.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland, re-sequenced a total of 85 individuals representing case and controls for prostate and colon cancers.
This included 39 individuals with advanced prostate cancer and 40 individuals from the NCI's Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Screening Trial.
Additionally, six individuals from the public HapMap project were sequenced to provide quality control.
The study, entitled 'Comprehensive Resequence Analysis of a 136kb Region of Human Chromosome 8q24 Associated with Prostate and Colon Cancers', appears on 14 August in the journal 'Human Genetics'.
Resequencing the 136 kilobase 8q24 region from the three billion base human genome, the researchers identified over 1,000 genetic variations in the 85 individuals.
A total of 442 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified.
Demonstrating the data quality achieved using the 454 Genome sequencing system, a representative subset of the data showed a greater than 99 per cent concordance with previously published results.
The study's findings will be used to further additional studies to identify possible genetic variations that lead to disease.
454 Life Sciences, a centre of excellence of Roche Applied Science, developed and commercialised the 454 sequencing system for ultra-high-throughput DNA sequencing.
Specific applications include de novo sequencing and re-sequencing of genomes, metagenomics, RNA analysis, and targeted sequencing of DNA regions of interest.
The features of the 454 sequencing system include its simple, unbiased sample preparation and accurate sequence reads, including paired reads.
Chris McLeod, chief executive officer at 454 Life Sciences, said: 'The vision at 454 is to make the resequencing of individual human genomes routine.
To see the platform being used to study over 80 individuals for such an important disease is definitely a step in that direction.
'As our sequencing read lengths increase and our workflow becomes more streamlined, we envision a complete transformation for the genotyping market.'
