Bert Vogelstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bert Vogelstein
Born	(1949-06-02) June 2, 1949 (age 76) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Known for	p53, Vogelgram, somatic evolution in cancer
Spouse(s)	Ilene Vogelstein
Children	R. Jacob Vogelstein, Joshua T. Vogelstein, and one more, Grandchildren: 5
Awards	Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2013) Warren Triennial Prize (2014)
Scientific career
Fields	Oncology, Pathology
Institutions	Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Doctoral students	Kenneth Kinzler

Bert Vogelstein (born in 1949) is a leading scientist in cancer research. He works at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is known for his important discoveries about how cancer develops. His work has changed how scientists understand and study cancer today.

Understanding Cancer's Start

In the 1980s, Dr. Vogelstein created new ways to study human tumors. He looked closely at different stages of colorectal cancer. This led him to suggest a new idea in 1988. He proposed that cancer happens because of a series of changes, called mutations, in specific genes. These genes are known as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

The p53 Gene Discovery

One of the most important genes Dr. Vogelstein studied is called p53. Other scientists had found the p53 protein earlier. But no one knew how big its role was in human cancers. In 1989, Dr. Vogelstein and his team made a huge discovery. They found that the p53 gene (also called TP53) was often mutated in many human tumors. It was like a common thread connecting different cancers.

They also figured out how p53 stops tumors from growing. They showed that p53 attaches to DNA in a special way. This action helps control when cells are born and when they die. Later studies by his group showed that TP53 is the gene most often mutated in cancers.

The APC Gene and Colon Cancer

In 1991, Dr. Vogelstein and his colleague Kenneth W. Kinzler found another important gene. This gene is called APC. It was linked to a condition called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). People with FAP develop many small, harmless growths, some of which can turn into cancer.

Dr. Vogelstein and Kinzler later showed that changes in the APC gene cause most cases of colon and rectal cancers that are not inherited. They also found out how APC works. It helps control a protein called beta-catenin, which is important for cell growth.

Finding Genes for Inherited Cancers

Dr. Vogelstein and Kinzler also worked with other scientists to find genes for another type of inherited colorectal cancer. This one is called Hereditary NonPolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC). They were the first to find where one of the main genes for HNPCC was located on a chromosome. This discovery helped them and other groups find specific repair genes, like MSH2 and MLH1. These genes are responsible for most cases of HNPCC.

Mapping Cancer's Genes

In the early 2000s, Dr. Vogelstein, Kinzler, and their team started big experiments. They wanted to find mutations across the entire human genome. This process is called "exomic sequencing." It means figuring out the sequence of every protein-making gene in human DNA.

They first studied tumors from the colon, breast, pancreas, and brain. These studies helped create "maps" of human cancer genomes. These maps showed all the genetic changes found in different cancers. Other labs around the world later confirmed these findings. While doing this work, Dr. Vogelstein's team found several new genes important in cancer. These include PIK3CA, IDH1, IDH2, and many others.

Liquid Biopsies: A New Way to Detect Cancer

Dr. Vogelstein also came up with the idea that specific gene mutations could be used to find cancer. This led to a new field called "liquid biopsies." In the early 1990s, he showed that these mutations could be found in the stool of colon cancer patients. They could also be found in the urine of bladder cancer patients.

To do this, they developed a method called "Digital PCR." This method looks at DNA molecules one by one to see if they are normal or mutated. One technique they invented for Digital PCR is called "BEAMing". This technique is now used in some advanced DNA sequencing machines. More recently, they developed SafeSeqS. This method uses unique "barcodes" for each DNA molecule. SafeSeqS makes it much easier to find very rare gene changes in DNA.

Fighting Drug Resistance

In 2019, Dr. Vogelstein started working with a group at Harvard University. They used math models to understand how cancer becomes resistant to medicines. They found that giving different targeted drugs one after another might not cure cancer. Even if the cancer can't become resistant to both drugs at once. This suggests that giving several targeted drugs at the same time might be a better strategy for a possible cure.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Bert Vogelstein has received many important awards for his work. These awards recognize his major contributions to cancer research.

Affiliations

Dr. Vogelstein is a member of several important scientific groups and societies:

See also

• In Spanish: Bert Vogelstein para niños