oncologywatch

Price ND, Foltz G, Madan A, et al. Systems biology and cancer stem cells. J Cell Mol Med. 2008 Jan-Feb;12(1):97-110. PMID: 18031300

A comprehensive review of the state of science regarding cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subset of cells found within tumors and hematological malignancies and theorized to be responsible for starting and maintaining cancer. The authors are from the Institute for Systems Biology, the Seattle Neuroscience Institute, and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering & Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

From the conclusion:

"The identification and prospective isolation of CSCs from leukaemia and a number of solid tumours has spawned a new paradigm in cancer research. From the perspective of systems biology – with the goal of predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory (P4) medicine – we envision increasingly global assessment of CSCs and their microenvironments (niche) at the level of complete transcriptome, proteome and epigenome, using empowering new high-throughput technologies. The resulting gene expression profile signatures of cancer stem cell would serve as more accurate indicatives for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Emerging proteomic technologies employing MS and protein chip platforms would allow for identification of better cell-surface markers and their interaction with the resident stem cell niche and potential diagnostic markers from both body fluids and tumour tissues. Incorporating these data into biological networks will provide fundament insights into the biology of CSCs and their abilities for renewal and differentiation. These combined efforts will ultimately lead to new therapeutic strategy specifically targeting CSCs for unprecedented personalized cancer therapy."

OncologyWatch: Posts about free-access articles on aspects of oncology theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Wang XG, Revskaya E, Bryan RA, et al. Treating cancer as an infectious disease–viral antigens as novel targets for treatment and potential prevention of tumors of viral etiology. PLoS ONE. 2007 Oct 31;2(10):e1114. PMID: 17971877

A fascinating paper by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

From the discussion:

"We performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to assess a novel strategy to treat virus associated tumors using radiolabeled mAbs targeted against viral proteins. This strategy is fundamentally different from prior uses of [radioimmunotherapy] in oncology that target tumor-associated human antigens thus resulting in significant uptake of radioactive antibody in normal tissues, leading to toxicity. The results of our study suggest that by targeting instead viral and not self-proteins it may be possible for radiolabeled mAbs to concentrate more specifically within tumor tissue, resulting in greater efficacy and less toxicity. This strategy also raises an exciting additional possibility to prevent virus-associated cancers in chronically infected patients by eliminating cells infected with oncogenic viruses before they transform into cancer."

OncologyWatch: Posts about free-access articles on aspects of oncology theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Spaccarotella KJ, Kris-Etherton PM, Stone WL, et al. The effect of walnut intake on factors related to prostate and vascular health in older men. Nutr J. 2008 May 2;7:13. PMID: 18454862

Investigators at Penn State, Rutgers and East Tennessee State report on a small 8-week study examining the effects of walnuts on serum tocopherols and prostate specific antigen in men at risk for prostate cancer.

From the introduction:

"Walnuts may provide an inexpensive and practical method for supplementing intake of both tocopherols and other nutrients that may protect against prostate cancer. For example, 75 g of walnuts contain 0.52 mg α-T [alpha-tocopherol] and 15.6 mg γ-T [gamma-tocopherol]. Walnuts also contain ellagic acid (590 μg/g), which has been shown to effectively induce apoptosis and inhibit angiogenesis. In addition, walnuts are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that favorably affect CVD risk, and several recent feeding studies with walnuts have reported a total and LDL cholesterol lowering effect following consumption of about 70–80 g/d of walnuts."

In their small sample (21 participants), the researchers found that 8 weeks of walnut supplementation improved biomarkers of prostate and vascular status, including a "significant decrease in the α-T: γ-T ratio with an increase in serum γ-T and a trend towards an increase in the ratio of free PSA:total PSA."

OncologyWatch: Posts about free-access articles on aspects of oncology theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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Chow SC, Chang M. Adaptive design methods in clinical trials - a review. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2008 May 2;3:11. Review. PMID: 18454853

Shein-Chung Chow of Duke University School of Medicine and Mark Chang of Millennium Pharmaceuticals have written an excellent review article about adaptive design in clinical trials, focusing on research in rare diseases, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

So what is adaptive design? From the paper:

"In clinical trials, it is not uncommon to modify trial and/or statistical procedures during the conduct of clinical trials based on the review of interim data. The purpose is not only to efficiently identify clinical benefits of the test treatment under investigation, but also to increase the probability of success of clinical development. Trial procedures are referred to as the eligibility criteria, study dose, treatment duration, study endpoints, laboratory testing procedures, diagnostic procedures, criteria for evaluability, and assessment of clinical responses. Statistical procedures include randomization, study design, study objectives/hypotheses, sample size, data monitoring and interim analysis, statistical analysis plan, and/or methods for data analysis. In this article, we will refer to the adaptations (or modifications) made to the trial and/or statistical procedures as the adaptive design methods. Thus, an adaptive design is defined as a design that allows adaptations to trial and/or statistical procedures of the trial after its initiation without undermining the validity and integrity of the trial."

Adaptive design fits well with translational research, as it makes it possible to reflect real-time clinical experience in a clinical trial. Chow and Chang also present the problematic aspects of adaptive design, and in the end could help investigators employ adaptive design to optimize development of new therapies for hard-to-treat cancers and other challenging diseases.

OncologyWatch: Posts about free-access articles on aspects of oncology theory, practice and policy (about the blogger). This blog is not a source for medical advice.

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