Tag: cancer
Integrating molecular epidemiology and microbiome science
How cancer patients respond to therapy
Understanding the variation in responses to cancer therapeutics would create better treatment for many patients and provide an important basis for further research into new or personalised treatments. It is understood there is a connection between patient response to treatment and their microbiome. However, there is currently a lack of consensus on the microbial signatures present in responsive versus unresponsive […]
Anagrelide: Finding new use as an adjuvant therapy in cancer management
Dr Richard Franklin, Anagrelide Project Director at SUDA Pharmaceuticals Ltd, is pioneering a radically new application which would see the platelet-lowering drug anagrelide developed as an oromucosal spray formulation. This has the potential to make the most of its recently discovered ability to block cancer cell-stimulated platelet formation and to inhibit cancer cell migration towards platelet precursors (megakaryocytes) while at […]
Whole-body MRI more efficient than multiple scans at assessing spread of cancer
For most patients, a cancer diagnosis means some tough times ahead. Standard assessments to determine the best treatment can be time-consuming, adding to the patient’s stress and anxiety. Professor Stuart Taylor, based at the University College London Hospital, wants to see a more widespread use of whole-body MRI scans in cancer patients. He proposes this as a faster and cheaper […]
Towards a quantitative personalised oncology
Dr Heiko Enderling from Moffitt Cancer Center, together with researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, focus on Mathematical Oncology, and radiotherapy in particular, highlighted by the interconnectivity of metastatic disease through a patient’s immune system. Studies show that different radiation doses induce anti-tumour immunity at different strengths. This prompted the research team to develop […]
Carcinogenesis: When transmission of epigenetic information goes awry
Genes are blueprints that code for proteins and in turn, proteins drive most activities within our cells. But between genes and their protein products is the layer of epigenetics – genes may be expressed differently depending on the heritable, epigenetic features that switch them on and off. Charting new territories in carcinogenesis, Professor Patrick Riley at University College London explores […]
Reduced PSA Prostate Cancer Screening: Life-threatening consequences?
In 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force issued a grade D recommendation against PSA-based prostate cancer screening. This is because early diagnosis of low-grade cancers can lead to unnecessary overtreatment and patient suffering. However, many epidemiologists are concerned that this could lead to severe unintended consequences. Dr Thomas E. Ahlering, from the University of California, has further explored these concerns […]
A career in cancer
Dr Bruce Zetter is the Charles Nowiszewski Professor of Cancer Biology at Harvard Medical School. He is known internationally as an expert on cancer biology, diagnosis and treatment. He currently works to find treatments for highly aggressive, metastatic cancers and also serves as an advocate for young scientists and for improved relationships between academia and industry. Dr Bruce Zetter started […]
Controlling magnesium flux: a central role for the PRL-CNNM complex
Magnesium is an essential metal ion for human health. However, its ability to act as a supplementary therapy against disease is a poorly understood area of science. Professor Michel L. Tremblay and his team at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, are looking to change this though, and are currently investigating the role of the newly discovered pathway, PRL-CNNM, in controlling […]
The genomics of cancer
Many cancers are associated with changes to our genetic material, DNA. These may be small, single unit substitutions, large rearrangements such as deletions or duplications of a part of the DNA sequence, or various other forms of mutations. Although the smaller substitutions have been more intensively studied, Dr Lixing Yang, of the University of Chicago, focuses on uncovering changes at […]
Reprogramming the immune system for personalised immunotherapy against cancer
For decades, researchers have strived to understand how the immune system recognises and fights cancer, ultimately aiming to exploit and augment these processes to create more effective cancer therapies. Dr Richard Koya, Associate Professor of Oncology, Associate Director of the Center for Immunotherapy, and Director of the Vector Development & Production Facility at Roswell Park Cancer Institute is a prominent […]