How tumour cells solve the problems linked to the replication of their unstable DNA
12/10/2013
Genomes must be replicated in two copies during cell division. This process occurs at structures called 'replication forks', which are equipped with enzymes and move along the separated DNA strands. In tumour cells, the replication forks are frequently damaged, giving rise to breaks in the double-stranded DNA.
Tumor cells temporarily lose mutation to evade drugs targeting mutation
12/10/2013
A team of scientists, led by principal investigator Paul S. Mischel, MD, a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has found that brain cancer cells resist therapy by dialing down the gene mutation targeted by drugs, then re-amplify that growth-promoting mutation after therapy...
Novel mechanism described by which glioblastoma tumors resist targeted therapies
12/10/2013
A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered an entirely novel mechanism by which glioblastoma (GBM), the most common kind of brain cancer, evades targeted therapies. Published in the journal Science, the paper describes how GBM tumor cells essentially hide the signaling molecule targeted by such therapies, adding a layer of complexity to current models of drug resistance in cancer.
Study suggests overdiagnosis in screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT
12/09/2013
More than 18 percent of all lung cancers detected by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) appeared to represent an overdiagnosis, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
Brain cancer treatment may lie in reactivating immune cells
12/09/2013
When they examined tumor samples of glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, researchers in Canada discovered they contained deactivated forms of specialized immune cells that normally fight tumor-generating cells. When they tested a drug that reactivates these immune cells in diseased mice, the animals lived two to three times longer.
Several studies in the early 1990s demonstrated that cyclophosphamide (Cy) combined with oral busulfan was inferior to total body irradiation (TBI) for outcomes of myeloablative transplantation. However, since the development of IV busulfan preparations, the optimal preparative regimen has been controversial.
Study shows that gene signature identifies high-risk patients with early-stage NSCLC
12/09/2013
Researchers have shown that testing for a specific collection of genes in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue accurately predicts prognosis. The 15-gene signature appears to have promising potential to identify patients with NSCLC who may or may not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
Flipping a gene switch reactivates fetal hemoglobin, may reverse sickle cell disease
12/09/2013
Hematology researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have manipulated key biological events in adult blood cells to produce a form of hemoglobin normally absent after the newborn period. Because this fetal hemoglobin is unaffected by the genetic defect in sickle cell disease (SCD), the cell culture findings may open the door to a new therapy for the debilitating blood disorder.
Novel device able to monitor treatment response in ovarian cancer
12/09/2013
A microchip-based device developed by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators may greatly simplify the monitoring of patients' response to treatment for ovarian cancer - the most lethal form of gynecologic cancer - and certain other malignancies.
Relapse in children with acute myeloid leukemia can be significantly reduced by targeted treatment
12/09/2013
The addition of a monoclonal antibody called gemtuzumab combined with standard chemotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of relapse and increase rates of disease-free survival in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Post-treatment relapse rates are a major indicator of potential for long-term survival in children with the disease.