Novel technology for detection of genomic and transcriptional alterations in pancreatic cancer

Aim: The present review summarizes our strategies aimed at identifying and characterizing genetic alterations occuring at the transcriptional and chro mosomal level in pancreatic cancer. Methods: To study trancriptional alterations we have used a number of techn iques including modified versions of differential hybridizations and cDNA-R DA (representational difference analysis). Comparative genomic hybridizatio n (CGH) was used to study chromosomal aberrations occuring in pancreatic ca ncer tissues. Results: The study of transcriptional alterations led to the identification of more than 500 genes with differential expression in pancreatic cancer. The sum of these alterations represented the first expression profile chara cteristic for pancreatic tumors. The CGH analysis allowed the identificatio n of a number of chromosomal regions containing putative tumor suppressor g enes or oncogenes. These regions are presently being characterized at the m olecular level. In a first approach the myb-oncogene was identified as the relevant oncogene of an amplification on 6q ocurring in up to 10% of pancre atic cancer patients. Conclusions: Genes isolated in both approaches represent potential new dise ase genes for pancreatic cancer and are at present being characterized by i ndividual or serial analysis.