Researchers of BLUEPRINT consortium decipher the first epigenomes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Whole-genome DNA methylation analysis of 140 patients identifies the cell of origin of the disease and discovers new molecular mechanisms involved in its development.

The study published online by Nature Genetics on October 14, 2012, presents a new perspective in cancer research as it integrates the data from whole epigenome and genome sequencing of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. This research, directed by Iñaki Martin-Subero from Universidad de Barcelona and IDIBAPS (Barcelona, Spain), represents the first collaborative effort between two European high-impact research initiatives, such as the EU-funded Blueprint Consortium and the CLL Genome Project funded by the Spanish government. These two initiatives are set within the context of two world-wide Consortia, the International Human Epigenome Consortium and the International Cancer Genome Consortium, respectively. In the study have participated a total of 41 scientists from nine institutions associated with Blueprint Consortium and/or the CLL Genome Project.

Countries

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, United Kingdom