Systems Biology and Genomics

Abstract

Overview Cancers are complex, adaptive systems comprised of cancer cells, the proximal and distal cells, and soluble and insoluble proteins that influence the behavior of the cancer cells. Features pertaining to the cancer are referred to as intrinsic to the cancer and those comprising the proximal and distal microenvironments are referred to as extrinsic to the cancer. Genomics studies seek to develop comprehensive cellular and molecular profiles of cancers and cancer systems biology studies seek to develop the experimental and theoretical methods needed to understand how the components work together to determine cancer function. The overall goal of these efforts is to develop the ability to predict the behavior of cancers—including progression and response to therapy—from measurements of the intrinsic and extrinsic molecular and cellular components of the cancers. Here, we review recent progress in international efforts to measure the genomic, epigenomic, and proteomic features (aka omic features) of major tumor types. We summarize work on establishing associations between omic features and cancer behavior. Finally, we summarize the computational and experimental models that are currently being used to understand and manipulate the behavior of complex cancer systems.

Sequential targeting of PARP with carboplatin inhibits primary tumour growth and distant metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer

“…While we understand some of the limitations of cells lines and their derived models [49], the strength of our study was the panel of TNBC cell lines, the use of three orthotopic xenograft models, including a BRCA WT model with high metastatic efficiency. We showed comparable efficacy of the concurrent and sequential approaches for primary tumour inhibition.…”