Cancer bioinformatics: bioinformatic methods, network biomarkers and precision medicine

Cancer bioinformatics: bioinformatic methods, network biomarkers and precision medicine, a collaborative series involving BMC Bioinformatics, BMC Cancer, BMC
Medicine, Genome Medicine
and Journal of Clinical Bioinformatics (JCBi) has
published its first set of articles on May 1st 2012.

Edited by Xiangdong Wang, Editor in Chief for Journal of
Clinical Bioinformatics
(Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Biomedical Research
Center, Fudan University), this thematic series combines a plethora of
approaches and disciplines in cancer research, bioinformatics and medicine.  In the Editorial by Wang et al. the expectations and focus of the series is described,
namely to show novel research in cancer bioinformatics and systems biology and
to investigate the potential  for translation
of the results into the care of patients with cancer.

Silvia von der Heyde and Tim
Beissbarth discuss in their Commentary
new methods of analysis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)  pathway, suspected to be involved in the
progression and development of a number of cancer types. These approaches
do not focus on the individual players of the pathways
and
instead provide a more global view
on the
signaling pathways.

Investigation
of the behaviours of cancer in patient cohorts, as well as individuals, is
essential for providing appropriate care to each person with cancer.

With
all the exciting developments in high throughput methods for understanding
individual genomes, a fascinating and essential step now underway is bringing
that knowledge into the clinic. By applying a combination of clinical, medical
and bioinformatics expertise to the understanding of cancer and its
development, outcomes for patients can only be improved.

Submissions
to this special collection are welcomed until 1st November 2012 and
new articles will be added continuously to the series homepage. Please join the discussions by using the
‘comment’ option below each individual article.

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