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Glioblastoma patients with modified PTEN have resistance to EGFR inhibitors

Despite years of research, glioblastoma, the most common and deadly brain cancer in adults, continues to outsmart treatments targeted to inhibit tumor growth.

15 Aug 2012

Scientists identify new genetic alterations underlying high-risk subtype of ALL

Scientists have identified new genetic alterations underlying a high-risk subtype of the most common childhood cancer that could be effectively targeted with existing leukemia therapies.

14 Aug 2012

Ingredient for butter flavor in microwave popcorn is a respiratory hazard

The ingredient 2,3-pentanedione (PD), used to impart the flavor and aroma of butter in microwave popcorn, is a respiratory hazard that can also alter gene expression in the brain of rats. Manufacturers started using PD when another butter flavoring, diacetyl, was found to cause bronchiolitis obliterans, a life-threatening and nonreversible lung disease in workers who inhaled the substance.

13 Aug 2012

Promising stem cell therapy may prevent osteoarthritis after joint injury

Duke researchers may have found a promising stem cell therapy for preventing osteoarthritis after a joint injury.

10 Aug 2012

Nanofibers and VEGF hold promise for cardiovascular repair

A National Cheng Kung University research team has made a breakthrough in the regeneration of new blood vessels in cardiovascular therapy by using nanofibers and vascular endothelial growth factor.

10 Aug 2012

Amgen announces decision to stop ganitumab Phase 3 trial in advanced pancreatic cancer

Amgen today announced a decision to stop the ganitumab (AMG 479) Phase 3 GAMMA (Gemcitabine and AMG 479 in Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas) trial following the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) overseeing the trial.

9 Aug 2012

VEGF inhibitor fails to improve nonsquamous NSCLC overall survival

Adding motesanib to carboplatin–paclitaxel does not boost overall survival in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer, including those with adenocarcinoma, say MONET1 investigators.

8 Aug 2012

Progression-free NSCLC survival boosted by dacomitinib

In patients with non-small-cell lunch cancer, dacomitinib confers a significant progression-free survival benefit over erlotinib across a range of clinical and molecular subgroups, the results of an international study indicate.

8 Aug 2012

Clovis Oncology reports net loss of $15.7 million for second quarter 2012

Clovis Oncology, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter 2012, and provided an update on the progress of its clinical development programs and expected milestones for the rest of the year.

8 Aug 2012

Researchers help quell parents' worry about why infants seem to get sick so often

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System are helping to quell parents' worry about why infants seem to get sick so often.

8 Aug 2012

Clinical trial targets breast cancer cells by injecting trastuzumab directly into the spinal fluid

In two to five percent of women with breast cancer, tumor cells migrate into the spinal fluid invading the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. While a rare complication, the condition is challenging because there is no agreed-upon standard of treatment, leaving little hope for patients affected. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are currently examining a novel approach to delivering an FDA approved drug that they hope will advance research for this type of cancer and lead to discoveries that may improve outcomes in the future.

7 Aug 2012

Breast cancer drug bevacizumab (Avastin): an interview with Dr Anna Dorothea Wagner

Breast cancer is the most important cancer for women in the developed world. About 20% of all patients diagnosed with breast cancer die of metastatic disease.

1 Aug 2012

FibroGen receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for FG-3019 to treat IPF

FibroGen, Inc., today announced that FG-3019, the Company's human monoclonal antibody against connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

31 Jul 2012

Researchers use computational analysis to identify new Achilles heel for drug-resistant breast cancer

Researchers have used computational analysis to identify a new Achilles heel for the treatment of drug-resistant breast cancer. The results, which are published in Molecular Systems Biology, reveal that the disruption of glucose metabolism is an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of tumours that have acquired resistance to front-line cancer drugs such as Lapatinib.

31 Jul 2012

New compound effective at blocking damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy

Researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center have identified a compound that could interrupt the chain of events that cause damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy. The finding is significant because it could lead to a novel therapy that targets two mechanisms at the root of the disease: inflammation and the weakening of the blood barrier that protects the retina.

30 Jul 2012

Fruit flies help pinpoint genetic changes that spell cancer

By studying fruit flies, scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have successfully devised a fast and cost-saving way to uncover genetic changes that have a higher potential to cause cancer. With this new approach, researchers will now be able to rapidly distinguish the range of genetic changes that are causally linked to cancer (i.e. "driver" mutations) versus those with limited impact on cancer progression.

30 Jul 2012