International Cancer Genome Consortium
Encyclopedia
The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) is a voluntary scientific organization that provides a forum for collaboration among the world's leading cancer and genomic researchers.
The ICG was launched in 2008 to coordinate large-scale cancer genome studies in tumours from 50 different cancer types and/or subtypes that are of main importance across the globe.
Systematic studies of more than 25,000 cancer genomes at the genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic levels will reveal the repertoire of oncogenic mutations, uncover traces of the mutagenic influences, define clinically relevant subtypes for prognosis and therapeutic management, and enable the development of new cancer therapies.
s of at least 50 different types of cancer. The consortium's secretariat is located at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
in Toronto
, Canada
, which will also operate the data coordination center. The provincial Government of Ontario
provided funding of $40 million, and each participating funding member is expected to contribute $20 million toward each project. In 2009 the German Cancer Aid
supported one ICGC-project with 7.9 million Euro. This was the highest amount a private organization gave. The money is donated by German people.
, Canada
, China
, France
, Germany
, India
, Italy
, Japan
, Singapore
, Spain
, the United Kingdom
and the United States
. The European Commission has observer status. ICGC membership is open to all entities that agree to follow its principles and guidelines.
European Commission: Jacques Remacle, Patrik Kolar and Iiro Eerola
Representatives with observer status:
. The Consortium will help to coordinate current and future large-scale projects to understand the genomic changes involved in various cancers of global concern. The catalogues produced by ICGC members will be made rapidly and freely available to qualified researchers, which will enable scientists around the globe to use the new information to develop better ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing many types of cancer.
The aim of the ICGC is to provide a comprehensive description of the somatic (non-inherited) genomic abnormalities present in the broad range of human tumors. Given our current knowledge of the heterogeneity of tumor types and subtypes, the ICGC set a goal of coordinating approximately 50 projects, each of which will generate the genomic analyses on approximately 500 cancer samples of each class. It is well recognized, however, that cancer is highly heterogeneous and hundreds of types/subtypes can be defined. Therefore, the stated goal of 50 ICGC projects is not intended to, and cannot, exhaustively cover the full spectrum of cancer types.
ICGC Funding and Research members proposing a project must agree to the ICGC’s policies, which include requirements for rapid data release, for rigorous quality standards and for protection of study participants.
The complete list of the ICGC Goals, Structure, Policies and Guidelines is available at http://icgc.org/
The ICG was launched in 2008 to coordinate large-scale cancer genome studies in tumours from 50 different cancer types and/or subtypes that are of main importance across the globe.
Systematic studies of more than 25,000 cancer genomes at the genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic levels will reveal the repertoire of oncogenic mutations, uncover traces of the mutagenic influences, define clinically relevant subtypes for prognosis and therapeutic management, and enable the development of new cancer therapies.
Structure and funding
ICGC is funded by participating nations, each of which focuses on one or more forms of cancer, with the goal of mapping the genomeGenome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
s of at least 50 different types of cancer. The consortium's secretariat is located at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that focuses on the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. OICR intends to make Ontario more effective in knowledge transfer and commercialization while maximizing...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which will also operate the data coordination center. The provincial Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
provided funding of $40 million, and each participating funding member is expected to contribute $20 million toward each project. In 2009 the German Cancer Aid
German Cancer Aid
The German Cancer Aid is a not-for-profit organization to fight cancer in all its forms. The institution was founded on September 25, 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel . She was the wife of Walter Scheel, the Federal President of Germany from 1974 to 1979....
supported one ICGC-project with 7.9 million Euro. This was the highest amount a private organization gave. The money is donated by German people.
Current Members of the Executive Committee
Current members include AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The European Commission has observer status. ICGC membership is open to all entities that agree to follow its principles and guidelines.
- Australia: Warwick Anderson, National Health and Medical Research CouncilNational Health and Medical Research CouncilThe National Health and Medical Research Council is Australia's peak funding body for medical research, with a budget of roughly 700 million dollars a year...
- Canada: Thomas Hudson, Ontario Institute for Cancer ResearchOntario Institute for Cancer ResearchThe Ontario Institute for Cancer Research is a not-for-profit organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that focuses on the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. OICR intends to make Ontario more effective in knowledge transfer and commercialization while maximizing...
and Steve Jones, Prostate Cancer Canada - China: Henry Yang and Youyong Lu, Chinese Cancer Genom Consortium
European Commission: Jacques Remacle, Patrik Kolar and Iiro Eerola
- France: Fabien Calvo, Institut National du Cancer (INCa)
- Germany: Axel Aretz and Frank Laplace, Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Gerd Nettekoven, Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer AidGerman Cancer AidThe German Cancer Aid is a not-for-profit organization to fight cancer in all its forms. The institution was founded on September 25, 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel . She was the wife of Walter Scheel, the Federal President of Germany from 1974 to 1979....
), founded bei Mildred ScheelMildred ScheelMildred Scheel was a German physician, the second wife of the German President of the Federal Republic Walter Scheel and the founder of the German Cancer Aid. As the First Lady , she immediately established this Non-profit organization to fight all kinds of cancer...
, BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. - India: M.K. Bhan and T.S. Rao, Ministry of Science & Technology, Department of Biotechnology
- Italy: TBD
- Japan: Koichi Watanabe, RIKENRIKENis a large natural sciences research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has approximately 3000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, the main one in Wako, just outside Tokyo...
, Tatsuhiro Shibata, National Cancer Center Jun Kusuda, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation - Spain: Peter Klatt and Rosa Rodríguez Bernabé, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
- United Kingdom: Alan Schafer and Michael StrattonMichael StrattonProfessor Michael Rudolf Stratton, FRS is a British clinical scientist and the third Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. He currently heads the Cancer Genome Project and is a leader of the International Cancer Genome Consortium.- Career :...
, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute - United States: Anna Barker and Joe Vockley, National Cancer InstituteNational Cancer InstituteThe National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
Eric Green, Jane Peterson, Mark Guyer and Brad Ozenberger, National Human Genome Research InstituteNational Human Genome Research InstituteThe National Human Genome Research Institute is a division of the National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland.NHGRI began as the National Center for Human Genome Research , which was established in 1989 to carry out the role of the NIH in the International Human Genome Project...
Representatives with observer status:
- Canada: Cindy Bell, Genome Canada
- Hong Kong: Mathew Yuen, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, China
- Qatar: David Kerr, Qatar FoundationQatar FoundationQatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a government-funded, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in 1995 by decree of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and chaired by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned...
- United Kingdom: Fiona Helmsley and David Lane, Cancer Research UKCancer Research UKCancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
Goals
The ICGC is one of most ambitious biomedical research efforts since the Human Genome ProjectHuman Genome Project
The Human Genome Project is an international scientific research project with a primary goal of determining the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA, and of identifying and mapping the approximately 20,000–25,000 genes of the human genome from both a physical and functional...
. The Consortium will help to coordinate current and future large-scale projects to understand the genomic changes involved in various cancers of global concern. The catalogues produced by ICGC members will be made rapidly and freely available to qualified researchers, which will enable scientists around the globe to use the new information to develop better ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing many types of cancer.
The aim of the ICGC is to provide a comprehensive description of the somatic (non-inherited) genomic abnormalities present in the broad range of human tumors. Given our current knowledge of the heterogeneity of tumor types and subtypes, the ICGC set a goal of coordinating approximately 50 projects, each of which will generate the genomic analyses on approximately 500 cancer samples of each class. It is well recognized, however, that cancer is highly heterogeneous and hundreds of types/subtypes can be defined. Therefore, the stated goal of 50 ICGC projects is not intended to, and cannot, exhaustively cover the full spectrum of cancer types.
ICGC Funding and Research members proposing a project must agree to the ICGC’s policies, which include requirements for rapid data release, for rigorous quality standards and for protection of study participants.
The complete list of the ICGC Goals, Structure, Policies and Guidelines is available at http://icgc.org/
Current research projects
Each participating country has particular tumor type as its primary research target:- AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
: Pancreatic Cancer - Ductal adenocarcinoma and Ovarian Cancer - Serous cystadenocarcinoma - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: Pancreatic Cancer - Ductal adenocarcinoma and Prostate Cancer - Adenocarcinoma - ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
: Gastric Cancer - Intestinal- and diffuse-type - European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
/FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Renal Cancer - Renal cell carcinoma (Focus on but not limited to clear cell subtype) - European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
/United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Breast Cancer - ER+ve, HER2-ve - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Breast Cancer - Subtype defined by an amplification of the HER2 gene - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Liver Cancer - Hepatocellular carcinoma (Secondary to alcohol and adiposity) - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: Pediatric Brain Tumors - Medulloblasma & Pediatric Pilocytic Astrocytoma and Malignant Lymphoma and Prostate CancerProstate cancerProstate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly... - IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
: Oral Cancer - Gingivobuccal - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: Rare Pancreatic Tumors - Enteropancreatic endocrine tumors and rare pancreatic exocrine tumors - JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
: Liver Cancer - Hepatocellular carcinoma (Virus associated) - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - CLL with mutated and unmutated IgVH - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Breast Cancer - Triple Negative/lobular/other - USA: TCGAThe Cancer Genome AtlasThe Cancer Genome Atlas is a project to catalogue genetic mutations responsible for cancer, using genome analysis techniques started in 2005...
Brain Cancer - Glioblastoma multiforme and Colon Cancer - Adenocarcinoma and Leukemia - Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Lung Cancer - Squamous cell carcinoma and Lung Cancer - Adenocarcinoma and Ovarian Cancer - Serous cystadenocarcinoma
See also
- The Cancer Genome AtlasThe Cancer Genome AtlasThe Cancer Genome Atlas is a project to catalogue genetic mutations responsible for cancer, using genome analysis techniques started in 2005...
- National Cancer InstituteNational Cancer InstituteThe National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S... - Cancer Genome ProjectCancer Genome ProjectThe Cancer Genome Project, based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, aims to identify sequence variants/mutations critical in the development of human cancers...
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute