DNA分析可能有助于预测哪个肿瘤可能对化学疗法产生抵抗而哪个肿瘤不会。Andy Minn及其同事发现了一组称为干扰素相关DNA损伤抵抗特征（IRDS）的遗传标记，它们与一个动物模型中对放射性疗法和/或化学疗法产生抵抗有关。这组科学家在34个癌细胞系和乳腺癌患者身上证实了他们的发现。
大多数关于遗传标记的研究提供了哪些患者有残留病以及需要进一步治疗的信息。相比之下，IRDS基因特征提供了关于残留病是否将对治疗做出响应的信息。对于乳腺癌患者，IRDS状态预测了手术后辅助化疗的效果。这组作者说，由于IRDS基因能让癌症对化疗和放疗产生抵抗，而且让IRDS基因沉默可能导致对一种常见化疗药物阿霉素的重新敏感，把IRDS作为研究重点有可能提供有用的信息，从而发现逆转拥有IRDS表达疾病的患者的治疗抵抗的方法。他们提出IRDS状态有可能让临床医生提供对额外的癌症治疗的风险和收益的个人化评估。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
PNAS November 10, 2008, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0809242105
An interferon-related gene signature for DNA damage resistance is a predictive marker for chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer
Ralph R. Weichselbaum, Hemant Ishwaran, Taewon Yoon, Dimitry S.A. Nuyten, Samuel W. Baker, Nikolai Khodarev, Andy W. Su, Arif Y. Shaikh, Paul Roach, Bas Kreike, Bernard Roizman, Jonas Bergh, Yudi Pawitan, Marc J. van de Vijver, and Andy J. Minn
Individualization of cancer management requires prognostic markers and therapy-predictive markers. Prognostic markers assess risk of disease progression independent of therapy, whereas therapy-predictive markers identify patients whose disease is sensitive or resistant to treatment. We show that an experimentally derived IFN-related DNA damage resistance signature (IRDS) is associated with resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiation across different cancer cell lines. The IRDS genes STAT1, ISG15, and IFIT1 all mediate experimental resistance. Clinical analyses reveal that IRDS(+) and IRDS(?) states exist among common human cancers. In breast cancer, a seven–gene-pair classifier predicts for efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy and for local-regional control after radiation. By providing information on treatment sensitivity or resistance, the IRDS improves outcome prediction when combined with standard markers, risk groups, or other genomic classifiers.
