Genigma

The human genome is a sequence of 3,000 millions letters. Its sequence and folding in the space determine how our cells work. We know that in cancer cells the rearrangements of the genetic material (e.g. chromosome translocations) occur and modify the “original” sequence. As a consequence, the contact regions between different parts of the genome are modified possibly leading to alterations in the vital functions of the affected cells.

Genigma is a game for smartphones to involve citizens in the cancer research. Its goal is to build genome reference maps for 4 different specific cancers using cell lines of breast cancer (T47D), bone cancer (U2OS), leukemia (KBM7) and cervix cancer (HeLa).

What is a genome reference?

The genome reference (since 2002) has been used as a base-line of all analysis done in human biology that requires a genome as a reference. However, this reference genome is one that was based on a healthy individual, which later has been corrected over the years to make it more general (less individual) towards an “average” white person. It is clear that this reference genome is good for normal cells BUT cannot represent the cell state of disease, even less of cancer.

We know that many cancers originated from changes in the genome, including large rearrangements in the genome. Therefore, individuals with cancer are likely to have in cancerous cells a genome that is not anymore similar to the reference genome.

One of the major advances in biology was the use of the so-called “cellular lines”, which allows to grow human cells in the lab and do experiments with them. There are several cell lines of cancerous cells, which are routinely used in laboratories world-wide and used to make assessments on the disease. Since most of the cancer research in the laboratory is done with cell lines, we need to have a reference genome for each of these cell lines. The generalized healthy reference genome is not good enough. 

GENIGMA, through its players, addresses that problem by providing “computational power” as well as alternative solutions impossible to accomplish with deterministic algorithms. This can help to better define the reference genomes of cancer cell lines.

Each player will analyse various small fragments of the cancer cells’ DNA, that correspond to real data obtained in the lab. The reference genome will be obtained joining together these small fragments that collectively the players have analysed. This concerted effort will help us to discover which parts of the genome may play a crucial role in cancer development.

Game homepage: https://genigmagame.app/en/

To test the game you need to download the beta in your smartphone:

• for Androids, go to Playstore.
• For iOS, download Testflight and then look for Genigma there. You will not find Genigma in Apple Store at this moment.