2012 © Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM
PI Lauri A. Aaltonen
Principal Investigator:
Academy Professor Lauri A. Aaltonen, M.D., Ph.D.
Primary Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki
Title of the FIMM-Specific Research Project:
Array-based analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue materials
Abstract:
The research of the group focuses on human tumor susceptibility. Particular focus of interest has been hereditary colorectal cancer, where the group has contributed to several key discoveries.
Molecular background events in microsatellite unstable colorectal cancer is one of our long term interests. More recently, we have identified and characterized a novel cancer predisposition syndrome, hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC), and with our collaborators identified the gene behind the condition as fumarase. The most recent gene discovery is identification of germline mutations in the AIP gene in pituitary adenoma predisposition, published in Science 2006.
The current focus is in utilizing registry-based approaches to identify unique cancer family materials, for chip-based analysis and disease gene identification. Finland provides excellent resources for this work, and an effort to systematically utilize the National Cancer Registry (operating since 1953) and Population Registry databases in cancer gene identification is being launched.
The role of FIMM funding for the group is to enable use of archival tissue material in genome-wide approaches, in particular SNP chips. This would considerably increase possibilities for success in the current registry-based large-scale effort, but also would benefit the national research community. The number of archival specimens restored in Finland is in millions and the possibility to utilize this resource in genome-wide approaches should be vigorously examined.
Contact information:
Academy Professor Lauri A. Aaltonen
Genome Scale Biology Research Program & Department of Medical Genetics
Biomedicum Helsinki, P.O. Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 8)
FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358-9-191 25595
Fax: +358-9-191 25105
e-mail: lauri.aaltonen(at)helsinki.fi
home page: http://research.med.helsinki.fi/gsb/aaltonen/default.htm