It's Not Just the Sun: deCODE Discovers Sequence Variants Affecting Susceptibility...

It's Not Just the Sun: deCODE Discovers Sequence Variants Affecting
Susceptibility to Skin Cancer
New risk factors for basal cell carcinoma that are independent of fair
pigmentation; findings to be integrated into deCODEme(TM) and deCODEme
Cancer(TM) scans

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scientists at deCODE
genetics (Nasdaq: DCGN) and academic colleagues from Europe and the United
States today present in the journal Nature Genetics the discovery of common
genetic risk factors for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that affect people with
fair and dark complexions alike. deCODE had previously discovered five common
single-letter variants in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) linked to
risk of BCC, the most common cancer in people of European descent. However,
most of these earlier findings were also correlated with fair skin, well known
to accompany vulnerability to the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation in
sunlight.

By contrast, three of the SNPs presented today do not correlate with light
pigmentation, and may thus provide new insight into the underlying biological
perturbations that lead to BCC independent of environmental exposure. One of
these, in the keratin 5 (KRT5) gene on chromosome 12, leads to a subtle but
potentially damaging alteration to the KRT5 protein, which supports the
structural integrity of the skin. Those with one copy of the variant are at
more than 30% greater likelihood of developing BCC than those who do not carry
the variant, while those who carry two copies are at more than 50% greater
risk. Another of the SNPs is located on chromosome 9p21, the same region of
the genome that deCODE has linked to increased risk of heart attack and others
have linked to type 2 diabetes. deCODE used its population genetics resources
in Iceland to demonstrate that a third risk variant, on chromosome 7q32,
confers greater risk if inherited from the father than from the mother.

"It is important to find genetic causes of BCC that do not appear to be
modulated directly by sensitivity to the sun. This may bring us closer to
understanding the underlying biology of a very common form of cancer, and KRT5
in particular may point us to new pathways for developing new drugs or skin
care products. We are also pleased to be able to fold these discoveries
directly into our deCODEme(TM) scans. For sun exposure is still the most
important risk factor for BCC, and while people with fair skin are already
aware of the need to protect themselves when they go outdoors, others with
darker complexions may also be at higher risk of BCC than they think. This is
also one of the first reports of a sequence variant conferring risk of a
disease that is dependent on the parent of origin. With all of our findings
over the past year, we believe we have found variants that play a role in most
cases of BCC," said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE.

The study also provided conclusive evidence that a previously identified SNP
in the TERT-CLPTM1L region of chromosome 5 confers susceptibility to BCC but
protects agains cutaneous melanoma. A previously known SNP in the SLC45A2 gene
on chromosome 5 was confirmed to confer risk of squamous cell carcinoma as
well as BCC. The study involved three stages. First, the SNPs with the best
results from previous genome-wide scans of more than 300,000 SNPs were tested
in large numbers of individuals with and without BCC. The first two phases
included participants from Iceland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Italy,
Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. The SNPs on chromosomes 12, 9p21 and 7q32, as
well as those on chromosome 5, were then tested and confirmed in participants
from the United States and Spain.

In all, the study included genotypic data from some 45,000 people. deCODE and
its collaborators would like to thank those who took part for making the work
possible. Financial support for various portions of the work was provided by
the US National Institutes of Health (grants T32E007155, R01CA082354, and
R01CA57494), Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, the Netherlands, the
National Bank of Austria, the Radiumhemmet Research Funds and the Swedish
Cancer Society.

About deCODE
deCODE is a bio-pharmaceutical company developing drugs and DNA-based tests to
improve the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of common diseases. Its lead
therapeutic programs, which leverage the company's expertise in chemistry and
structural biology, include DG041, an antiplatelet compound being developed
for the prevention of arterial thrombosis; DG051 and DG031, compounds
targeting the leukotriene pathway for the prevention of heart attack; and
DG071 and a platform for other PDE4 modulators with therapeutic applications
in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. deCODE is a global leader in
human genetics, and has identified key variations in the genome (SNPs)
conferring increased risk of major public health challenges from
cardiovascular disease to cancer. Based upon these discoveries deCODE has
brought to market a growing range of DNA-based tests for gauging risk and
empowering prevention of common diseases. Through its CLIA-registered
laboratory, deCODE offers deCODE T2(TM) for type 2 diabetes; deCODE AF(TM) for
atrial fibrillation and stroke; deCODE MI(TM) for heart attack; deCODE
ProstateCancer(TM) for prostate cancer; deCODE Glaucoma(TM) for a major type
of glaucoma; and deCODE BreastCancer, for the common forms of breast cancer.
deCODE is delivering on the promise of the new genetics.(SM) Visit us on the
web at www.decode.com; on our diagnostics site at www.decodediagnostics.com;
for our pioneering personal genome analysis service and new focused disease
scans, integrating the genetic variants included in these tests and those
linked to another twenty common diseases, as well as for our new deCODEme
Cardio(TM) and deCODEme Cancer(TM) scans, at www.decodeme.com; and on our blog
at www.decodeyou.com.

Any statements contained in this presentation that relate to future plans,
events or performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results, and the timing of events, to differ materially from those
described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, among others, those relating to our ability to obtain sufficient
financing to continue as a going concern, our ability to develop and market
diagnostic products, the level of third party reimbursement for our products,
risks related to preclinical and clinical development of pharmaceutical
products, including the identification of compounds and the completion of
clinical trials, our ability to form collaborative relationships, the effect
of government regulation and the regulatory approval processes, market
acceptance, our ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights for
our products, dependence on collaborative relationships, the effect of
competitive products, industry trends and other risks identified in deCODE's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without
limitation, the risk factors identified in our most recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. deCODE
undertakes no obligation to update or alter these forward-looking statements
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE deCODE genetics

Edward Farmer, +44-7796-010107, edward.farmer@decode.is, or Gisli Arnason,
+354-570-1900, gisli.arnason@decode.is, or Joy Bessenger, +1-212-481-3891,
joy.bessenger@decode.is, all of deCODE genetics