Electronic Precinct - February 1999

DNA Detectives

The laboratory housing the new sequencer was opened by Sir Robert Shields, seen here with Reserach Technician Alison Mason and Professor John Neoptolemos (right).

The Department of Surgery has unveiled a powerful new weapon in the fight against diseases of the pancreas. It has installed a machine which will use DNA techniques to detect pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis.

The Department is the centre of a European registry for hereditary pancreatitis and familial pancreatic cancer. Samples of DNA are sent to Liverpool for analysis from all over Europe. The gene which is responsible for hereditary pancreatitis has already been identified by Liverpool's collaborators in the USA and the Department is working to find the gene which is responsible for familial pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer affect the pancreas, which is part of the digestive system and regulates sugar levels in the body. The diseases are more common in the UK than the rest of Europe and are a particular problem in Liverpool. Pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer can be inherited and the Department of Surgery is co-ordinating a Europe-wide programme to identify families which are affected by the diseases.

The new, £120,000 DNA sequencer has been bought and will be operated with the support of the North West Cancer Research Fund, the Francis and Augustus Newman Trust and Solvay AG.