Michael Stratton
Encyclopedia
Professor 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
.
and obtained a medical degree from Oxford University and Guys Hospital before training as a histopathologist at the Hammersmith and Maudsley Hospitals in London. He obtained a PhD in the molecular biology of cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research
, where he then took up a Faculty appointment and now holds a Professorship. Stratton joined the Sanger Institute in 2000 and was promoted to Deputy Director in 2007. In May 2010, he was appointed Director, succeeding Allan Bradley. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008, elected a member of EMBO
in 2009 and was awarded the Lila Gruber Cancer Research Award in 2010.
, a major breast cancer susceptibility gene that repairs chromosomal damage, to chromosome 13. The following year his team identified the gene and, in doing so generated a megabase segment of high-quality human genome sequence. His subsequent work has involved the identification of more moderate cancer susceptibility genes such as CHEK2
, ATM
and PALB2
each of which play a role in some breast cancers. He has additionally identified genes implicated in the development of skin, testis, colorectal and thyroid cancers, Wilms tumour and Peutz–Jeghers syndrome.
At the announcement of the completion of the Human Genome Project
in 2000, Stratton discussed using genome sequences to revolutionize cancer treatment. He and Andy Futreal had already initiated the Cancer Genome Project
at the Sanger Centre, as it was then known, to utilize genome-wide analysis to find somatic mutations in human cancers. According to fellow cancer researcher Chris Marshall, doing so prior to the completion of the human genome sequence was an "audacious idea." The aims of the project are to identify new cancer genes, to understand how cancers develop and to study how the structure of genomes influence cancer. In 2002 and 2004, Stratton's team discovered mutations in the BRAF and ERBB2 genes in approximately 60 per cent of malignant melanomas and 4 per cent of non-small-cell lung cancers respectively.
In 2009, Stratton and colleagues reported the first complete cancer genomes, from a lung tumour and a melanoma. They also analyzed the genomes from 24 different breast tumours and found a diversity of DNA abnormalities, indicating that cancers can be divided in more subcategories than previously thought. Stratton's team maintain the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer
(COSMIC) database, a set of online resources available to the scientific community
. He is also one of the lead researchers in the International Cancer Genome Project, a £600 million, multi-national project to sequence 25 000 cancer genomes, from 50 different types of cancer.
Biomedical scientist
A biomedical scientist is a scientist trained in biology, particularly in the context of medicine...
and the third Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. He currently heads the Cancer Genome Project
Cancer Genome Project
The Cancer Genome Project, based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, aims to identify sequence variants/mutations critical in the development of human cancers...
and is a leader of the International Cancer Genome Consortium
International Cancer Genome Consortium
The International Cancer Genome Consortium is a voluntary scientific organization that provides a forum for collaboration among the world's leading cancer and genomic researchers....
.
Career
Stratton was educated at the independent Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' SchoolHaberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
and obtained a medical degree from Oxford University and Guys Hospital before training as a histopathologist at the Hammersmith and Maudsley Hospitals in London. He obtained a PhD in the molecular biology of cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research
Institute of Cancer Research
The Institute of Cancer Research is a cancer research institute located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. The ICR was founded in 1909 as a research department of the Royal Marsden Hospital and joined the University of London in 2003...
, where he then took up a Faculty appointment and now holds a Professorship. Stratton joined the Sanger Institute in 2000 and was promoted to Deputy Director in 2007. In May 2010, he was appointed Director, succeeding Allan Bradley. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008, elected a member of EMBO
Embo
For the scientific organisation, see European Molecular Biology Organization.Embo is a village in the Highland Council Area in Scotland and the former/postal county of Sutherland, about 2 miles NNE of Dornoch....
in 2009 and was awarded the Lila Gruber Cancer Research Award in 2010.
Contributions to cancer genetics
Michael Stratton's research interest is in the area of genetics of cancer. In 1994 he assembled a research group that localized BRCA2BRCA2
BRCA2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the BRCA2 gene.BRCA2 orthologs have been identified in most mammals for which complete genome data are available....
, a major breast cancer susceptibility gene that repairs chromosomal damage, to chromosome 13. The following year his team identified the gene and, in doing so generated a megabase segment of high-quality human genome sequence. His subsequent work has involved the identification of more moderate cancer susceptibility genes such as CHEK2
CHEK2
CHEK2 is the official symbol for the human gene CHK2 checkpoint homolog. It is located on the long arm of chromosome 22.-Function:The protein encoded by this gene, CHK2 a protein kinase that is activated in response to DNA damage and is involved in cell cycle arrest.In response to DNA damage and...
, ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
and PALB2
PALB2
Partner and localizer of BRCA2, also known as PALB2, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the PALB2 gene.- Function :This gene encodes a protein that functions in genome maintenance...
each of which play a role in some breast cancers. He has additionally identified genes implicated in the development of skin, testis, colorectal and thyroid cancers, Wilms tumour and Peutz–Jeghers syndrome.
At the announcement of the completion of the Human Genome Project
Human 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...
in 2000, Stratton discussed using genome sequences to revolutionize cancer treatment. He and Andy Futreal had already initiated the Cancer Genome Project
Cancer Genome Project
The Cancer Genome Project, based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, aims to identify sequence variants/mutations critical in the development of human cancers...
at the Sanger Centre, as it was then known, to utilize genome-wide analysis to find somatic mutations in human cancers. According to fellow cancer researcher Chris Marshall, doing so prior to the completion of the human genome sequence was an "audacious idea." The aims of the project are to identify new cancer genes, to understand how cancers develop and to study how the structure of genomes influence cancer. In 2002 and 2004, Stratton's team discovered mutations in the BRAF and ERBB2 genes in approximately 60 per cent of malignant melanomas and 4 per cent of non-small-cell lung cancers respectively.
In 2009, Stratton and colleagues reported the first complete cancer genomes, from a lung tumour and a melanoma. They also analyzed the genomes from 24 different breast tumours and found a diversity of DNA abnormalities, indicating that cancers can be divided in more subcategories than previously thought. Stratton's team maintain the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer
COSMIC cancer database
COSMIC is an online database of somatically acquired mutations found in human cancer. Somatic mutations are those that occur in non-germline cells that are not inherited by children...
(COSMIC) database, a set of online resources available to the scientific community
Scientific community
The scientific community consists of the total body of scientists, its relationships and interactions. It is normally divided into "sub-communities" each working on a particular field within science. Objectivity is expected to be achieved by the scientific method...
. He is also one of the lead researchers in the International Cancer Genome Project, a £600 million, multi-national project to sequence 25 000 cancer genomes, from 50 different types of cancer.
External links
- Stratton's faculty profile
- Cancer Genome Project
- Patterns of mutation in human cancer genomes — video of a seminar given by Stratton at the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. - Every human 'could get their own genome sequence' — Interview with Stratton on BBC's the Today ProgrammeToday programmeToday is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
- Peer reviewed publications by Michael Stratton from PubMedPubMedPubMed is a free database accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez information retrieval system...
- Feature: Professor Mike Stratton - how I got into cancer genetics, from 'Wellcome News' issue 66, spring 2011