Chromosomal translocations (CT) are considered as the primary cause of many cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia and some solid tumors. Among all the chromosomal aberrations, mostly chromosomal translocations are used as diagnostic markers for cancer and its therapeutics. Therefore, CTs have vast clinical interest. A tumor-associated fusion gene may occur when a translocation joins two separate genes. Recent advances in sequence technologies, researchers identified a huge number of cancers associated with CT events than previously used cytogenetic technologies (FISH, SKY, CGH and PCR), which were used for identifying cancer-associated CT events. Currently fusion gene databases recorded with their genomic elements only exist. However, no database described regulatory (Transcription factors and microRNAs) and functional elements (Domains, Domain-Domain interactions and Protein-Protein interactions) of fusion genes, which plays a crucial role in cancer prognosis. In our research, we constructed a database, FARE-CAFE is a unique database for essential functional and regulatory elements of fusion genes, with subsequent experimental information, which cannot be found in any other CT database. The FARE-CAFE data should be useful for fusion oncoprotein structural, functional and simulation related studies to understanding the role in cancer pathways. We also studied the impact of functional and regulatory elements of cancer associate fusion genes with three case studies. This knowledge will substantially facilitate the cancer biologist’s mission of elucidating the pathogenesis of various types of cancer and ultimately be useful to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.
Database URL: http://ppi.bioinfo.asia.edu.tw/FARE-CAFE
