Category Archives: Cancer

Investigational oral drug combo shows promise for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

“Ixazomib is an investigational, oral proteasome inhibitor with promising anti-myeloma effects and low rates of peripheral neuropathy,” says Shaji Kumar, M.D., a hematologist at Mayo Clinic and lead author of the study. “While it is well known that a combination of bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone is highly effective in treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, we wanted to study the safety, tolerability and activity of ixazomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.” Dr. Kumar and colleagues enrolled 65 patients (15 to phase 1 and 50 to phase 2) between November 2010 and February 2012. …

Need to encourage patients to screen for colon cancer? Try a lottery

Patients who were told they had a 1-in-10 chance of winning $50 were more likely to complete home stool blood tests that help screen for colon cancer, according to a new study led by a researcher at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and University of Michigan. The findings appear in a special issue of Annals of Internal Medicine…

New approach to fighting chronic myeloid leukemia

Abl-kinase and leukemia Abl-kinase can turn “on” molecules that are involved in many cell functions including cell growth. In chronic myeloid leukemia, the chromosome that contains the gene for Abl-kinase swaps a section with another chromosome, causing what is known as the “Philadelphia chromosome.” When this mutation takes place in the blood stem cells in the bone marrow, Abl-kinase fuses with another protein, turning into a deregulated, hyperactive enzyme. This causes large numbers of blood-forming stem cells to grow into an abnormal type of white blood cell, which gives rise to chronic myeloid leukemia. To treat this type of leukemia we use drugs that specifically bind and block a part of Abl-kinase called the “active site.” As the name suggests, this is the part of the enzyme that binds molecules to turn them on. …

Chlamydia knock out body’s own cancer defense

Hundreds of mutations occur every day in almost every cell in our body. The protein p53 is then activated in order to limit these changes in the genome: either the cell repairs the damaged DNA or, if that is not possible, it triggers the cellular suicide program. In this way, cells are normally protected against the development of cancer. As the Berlin-based team at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology reported last year, chlamydial infections lead to a drastic increase in the mutation rate. …

Gene Mutations and Process for How Kidney Tumors Develop identified

“These studies, which were performed in collaboration with Genentech Inc., identify novel therapeutic targets and suggest that predisposition to kidney cancer across species may be explained, at least in part, by the location of tumor suppressor genes with respect to one another in the genome,” said Dr. James Brugarolas, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Developmental Biology, who leads UT Southwestern’s Kidney Cancer Program at the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center. The scientists’ findings are outlined in separate reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Genetics. …

Metabolic ‘reprogramming’ by p53 gene family leads to tumor regression

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center investigation showed that, in vivo, the genes p63 and p73 can be manipulated to upregulate or increase levels of IAPP, a protein important for the body’s ability to metabolize glucose. IAPP is found in some diabetes drugs already on the market. The research findings were published in today’s issue of Nature. …

The secret life of anti-cancer drugs

But what happens to these drugs? When do they become accessible to cancer patients — if at all? In a new review published in ecancermedicalscience, researchers trace the journey anti-cancer drugs take between discovery and clinical practice. “Bringing a new medication to clinical practice is a lengthy process and involves many stakeholders with a very diverse background, ranging from researchers, regulatory agencies, payers, physicians and patients,” says Dr Felipe Ades of the Jules Bordet Institute, lead author of the review…