Tag Archives: john

Rare stem cells hold potential for infertility treatments

Researchers studying infertility in mouse models found that, unlike similar types of cells that develop into sperm, the stem cells that express PAX7 can survive treatment with toxic drugs and radiation. If the findings hold true in people, they eventually could lead to new strategies to restore or protect fertility in men undergoing cancer treatment. “Unfortunately, many cancer treatments negatively impact fertility, and men who receive such treatments are at high risk of losing their fertility…

Combatting drug resistance for melanoma patients

Scientists have made significant strides identifying important molecules that contribute to melanoma growth and metastases, such as the proteins BRAF and MEK. Therapeutic agents that target these molecules have shown promise in the clinic, and many patients have significant reductions in tumor growth and tumor burden. “While targeted therapy drugs, such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors, have been associated with impressive responses in melanoma patients, most patients will eventually fail therapy,” said Keiran Smalley, Ph.D., associate member of the Cancer Biology and Evolution Program at Moffitt. Tumors can develop different resistance mechanisms and adapt to targeted agents in order to survive and continue to grow. …

New metastasis-suppressor gene identified by cancer researchers — ScienceDaily

Activation of the PI3K/AKT signal pathway is a known driver of the progression of prostate cancer to the castrate-resistant stage, the most lethal form of prostate cancer. Using a genome-wide genetic screen, Dr. Gelman and colleagues identified a previously unknown metastasis suppressor — the FOXO4 protein, which belongs to a family of genes that are produced by all human cells. …

Potential for added medical benefits uncovered for widely used breast cancer drug

A summary of the research, performed on a variety of different animal and human cells, was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Nov. 4, and suggests that exemestane’s effectiveness against breast cancer could be due to more than its ability to halt estrogen production, the scientists say. The study’s results further imply that the drug, a so-called aromatase (estrogen synthesis) inhibitor, could potentially be prescribed more widely, including to men, as a way to counteract the wear and tear on cells that often leads to chronic diseases. "Cells already have their own elaborate protective mechanisms, and in many cases they are ‘idling.’ The right drugs and foods can turn them on to full capacity," says Paul Talalay, M.D., the John Jacob Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine…

New drug targets for aggressive breast cancer

Out of the 1.5 million women diagnosed with breast cancer in the world annually, nearly one in seven of these is classified as triple negative. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have tumours that are missing three important proteins that are found in other types of breast cancer. The absence of these three proteins make TNBC patients succumb to a higher rate of relapse following treatment and have lower overall survival rates. …