That’s the key idea put forth in preliminary research posted this month to bioRxiv, authored by GSC, UBC and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute scientists, that highlights the potential benefits of testing COVID-19 patients for genetic variants of ACE2—the protein identified as the point-of-entry for the SARS-COV-2 virus into human cells.
News
Aging-associated inflammation as a driver of myeloid malignancies
The single most significant risk factor for the development of cancer is age, and researchers have now used transcriptomics to uncover an age-related genetic explanation for blood cancers called myeloid malignancies.
The long and the short of it: scientists develop a tool for rapid genome assembly
Rapid advancements in DNA sequencing have spurred the development of commercial technologies capable of enormous throughput, reducing both the amount of time and money required to sequence a genome and shifting the bottleneck from obtaining DNA sequences to assembling and analyzing them. But a new tool has now come into play, reducing both the time and computational power needed to combine the millions of pieces of a genome into one complete picture.
B.C. scientists to begin genetic sequencing on Canadians with COVID-19
As part of a federal funding announcement earlier today, Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre (GSC) at BC Cancer will be one of four Canadian institutions on the forefront of using genome science to understand how different people respond to COVID-19 infection.
DNA sequencing reveals the scars of cancer treatment
A comprehensive analysis of 570 advanced cancer patients has revealed the genetic changes that occur following chemotherapy, providing scientists and clinicians with valuable insight into advanced cancers and drug resistance.
Scientists reveal key insights into drug resistance in patients with del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome
For myelodysplastic syndrome patients harbouring a particular genetic variant, lenalidomide is the drug of choice. But for about half of these patients, resistance will develop within two years, rendering the drug ineffective. By using DNA sequencing, scientists have now revealed key insights into drug resistance, uncovering a potential strategy for the early identification of patients who may not benefit from lenalidomide treatment.
From fighting marine contaminants to fishing for cancer treatments from marine sponges: how a GSC biochemist made a drug discovery breakthrough
Dr. Marianne Sadar is not one to back down from a challenge. So even when told it wasn’t possible, she did something no one else dared to try.
The GSC’s response to COVID-19
We all have a responsibility to take precautionary measures in order to help stop the global transmission of COVID-19. The GSC is helping our employees to find ways to attend work safely, including working remotely. We are also moving in-person gatherings to virtual interactions, and all tours of our facilities have been cancelled until further notice. For now, we will continue to accept and sequence samples and maintain all functionality including database and analytical capacities, prioritizing clinical and Personalized OncoGenomics pipelines.
International Women's Day
March 8 was International Women’s Day—a day to celebrate the impact that women and girls have had in the advancement of society, politics, economics and human knowledge. In honour of this day, meet some of the women working here at the GSC.