better understand the mechanics of the mutations that lead to the development of cancer the Nik-Zainal group carried out a study that involved the cataloging of the somatic mutations for 21 different breast cancers. The group then utilized mathematical methods to help determine the unique mutational signatures of the underlying processes leading to the evolution from healthy to diseased tissue for each of the sampled cancers. The results showed that the mutations included several single and double nucleotide substitutions that were able to be differentiated. The unique mutations for each cancer allowed for the 21 samples to be categorized based on type and subtype of cancer, showing a relationship between mutations and the type of resulting cancer. While the group was able to identify these mutations they were unable to determine the underlying mechanisms resulting in them. The McDermott group in participation with other labs worked to find new treatment possibilities for Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. They accomplished this by designing a CRISPR genome wide screening tool to locate areas in the genome that would be more susceptible to treatment in the AML cells. The research identified 492 essential genes to the function of the AML cells that would be accessible to being therapeutic targets. The group validated the obtained results by genetic and pharmacological inhibition on select genes. Inhibition of one of the selected genes, KAT2A, was able to suppress the growth of the AML cells across several genotypes will leaving noncancerous cells undamaged. The results from this study propose several promising therapeutic options for AML that will need to farther investigated. See also Cancer genome sequencing The Cancer Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project at the National Cancer Institute. International Cancer Genome Consortium COSMIC cancer database External links Francis S. Collins and Anna D. Barker. "Mapping the Cancer Genome". Scientific American, February 2007 Cancer Genome Project Website International Cancer Genome Consortium Website References Cancer genome databases Genetics in the United Kingdom Human genome projects Science and technology in Cambridgeshire South Cambridgeshire District Wellcome Trust