Cancer gene sequencing will lead to more focused care processes | Slone Partners

If specific gene mutations could be tracked in cancer cells, doctors would be better able to target specific problem areas in patients, along with being more equipped to predict future health concerns. Georgia Tech researchers think they may have developed a solution to the massive amount of data involved with gene sequencing, which will give those seeking careers in pathology the ability to more easily uncover information about cancer.

Scientists have for years grappled with the issue of efficiently understanding data related to gene sequencing, because of the sheer volume of genetic information contained within the human genome. To address this problem, Georgia Tech researchers have developed R-SAP, an algorithm that quickly translates genetic information into readable information for those with clinical research jobs.

"A major bottleneck in the realization of the dream of personalized medicine is no longer technological. It's computational," Georgia Tech's John McDonald, director of the facility's Integrated Cancer Research Center, said in a press release. "R-SAP follows a hierarchical decision-making procedure to accurately characterize various classes of gene transcripts in cancer samples."

The algorithm, which is discussed in detail in last month's Nucleic Acids Research journal, may eventually allow doctors to refine their techniques for treating cancer.

According to the National Research Council (NRC), while doctors do administer a form of personalized care to cancer patients, since they are categorized into subtypes and treated accordingly, care providers have not yet harnessed molecular categorization as a tool for fighting cancer. Most cancers are heterogeneous, so there is great value in being able to combat tumors by understanding each one's unique "molecular barcode."

To identify individuals able to work with this type of data, diagnostic laboratories should contact a pathology recruitment provider or clinical research staffing provider to fill these vacancies with high-quality workers.

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