Oncogene News and Research

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An oncogene is a gene that, when mutated or expressed at high levels, helps turn a normal cell into a tumor cell.

PD-1, PD-L1 differentially expressed in NSCLC

The expression of the immune checkpoint protein programmed death-1 receptor and its ligand varies according to tumour and patient characteristics in oncogene-addicted non-small-cell lung cancer, research indicates.

9 Dec 2014

Scientists suspect role of mini-chromosomes in cancers, diseases caused by gene mutations

Cancers are due to genetic aberrations in certain cells that gain the ability to divide indefinitely. This proliferation of sick cells generates tumors, which gradually invade healthy tissue. Therefore, current therapies essentially seek to destroy cancer cells to stop their proliferation. Through high-throughput genetic sequencing of glioblastoma cells, one of the most deadly brain tumors, a team of geneticists from the University of Geneva's (UNIGE) Faculty of Medicine discovered that some of these mutations are caused by supplemental extrachromosomal DNA fragments, called double minutes, which enable cancer cells to better adapt to their environment and therefore better resist to treatments meant to destroy them.

6 Dec 2014

Study finds that cancer cells may be susceptible to metabolic stress

Research at the University of Adelaide has discovered cancer cells may be particularly susceptible to metabolic stress - opening the way for new targeted therapy that won't harm normal cells.

3 Dec 2014

CCR5 receptor plays key role in driving prostate cancer metastases

Although prostate cancer can be successfully treated in many men, when the disease metastasizes to the bone, it is eventually lethal. In a study published online December 1st in the journal Cancer Research, researchers show that the receptor CCR5 best known for its role in HIV therapy, may also be involved in driving the spread of prostate cancer to the bone.

1 Dec 2014

MD Anderson study sheds light on little-known protein complex

A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center led by Mong-Hong Lee, Ph.D., a professor of molecular and cellular oncology, has demonstrated the significance of CSN6 in regulating Myc which may very well open up a new pathway for treating and killing tumors.

21 Nov 2014

UNC researchers develop new approach to block KRAS oncogene

Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine and colleagues at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new approach to block the KRAS oncogene, one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer.

14 Nov 2014

Mayo Clinic study finds that chromosomal rearrangements can help trace lineage of lung cancer

A diagnostic test based on chromosomal rearrangements can trace the lineage of lung cancer to determine whether two separate lung cancers in the same patient are independent tumors or a tumor that has spread to another region of the lung, a Mayo Clinic study has found. For patients with multiple tumors, that distinction could mean the difference between early stage cancer that may be cured by surgery and incurable late-stage disease.

12 Nov 2014

New treatment could halt growth of tumours in prostate cancer patients

Scientists believe a new treatment, shown to be effective in mice, could halt the growth of tumours in patients with prostate cancer.

11 Nov 2014

Astellas, Dana-Farber to develop K-Ras inhibitors for treatment of lung, pancreatic cancers

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber) and Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced a three-year collaboration to research and develop small molecule inhibitors of oncogenic K-Ras for the treatment of cancer, including lung cancer.

4 Nov 2014

MIT researchers develop new way to model effects of cancer-causing genetic mutations

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with cancer. However, sifting through this deluge of information to figure out which of these mutations actually drive cancer growth has proven to be a tedious, time-consuming process.

24 Oct 2014

Research findings point toward new therapeutic target for aggressive breast cancer

One of the first-known oncogenes has a protein partner that helps breast cancer proliferate and when it's blocked, so is the cancer, scientists report.

15 Oct 2014

Scientists identify new biomarker for diagnosing cause of thyroid cancer

The expression of the protein CLIP2 provides information on whether a papillary thyroid carcinoma was induced by radiation or had a sporadic origin. With this discovery, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have identified a new biomarker for the diagnosis of the cancer cause.

7 Oct 2014

Trovagene begins new study to assess precision cancer monitoring technology in lung cancer management

Trovagene, Inc., a developer of cell-free molecular diagnostics, announced today that it has expanded its clinical program to include a study designed to evaluate use of the Company's precision cancer monitoring technology in the management of lung cancer patients.

30 Sep 2014

Scientists discover mechanism that resists cancer drugs in estrogen-positive breast cancer

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which estrogen prepares cells to divide, grow and, in the case of estrogen-positive breast cancers, resist cancer drugs. The researchers say the work reveals new targets for breast cancer therapy and will help doctors predict which patients need the most aggressive treatment.

29 Sep 2014

Scientists discover new clues about drug used in treating blood cancer

Keck Medicine of USC scientists have discovered new clues about a drug instrumental in treating a certain blood cancer that may provide important targets for researchers searching for cures.

26 Sep 2014

Sigma-Aldrich enters into new gene editing partnership with U-M Medical School's Vector Core

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation announced today it has entered into a new gene editing partnership with the University of Michigan Medical School's Vector Core. Under the partnership, Sigma-Aldrich will provide the Vector Core with Sigma CRISPR technology, experimental design consultation, and dedicated gene editing bioinformaticians.

18 Sep 2014

Disrupting cancer regulator MYC: an interview with Professor Kim Janda

MYC is an oncogenic member of the basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper transcription factor family. In its monomeric form, MYC’s tertiary structure is intrinsically disordered and the protein is transcriptionally inactive.

17 Sep 2014

UCSD researchers launch phase 1 trial to assess novel monoclonal antibody for CLL patients

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have launched a phase 1 human clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a new monoclonal antibody for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of blood cancer in adults.

17 Sep 2014

Researchers identify non-protein-coding RNA whose expression linked to ovarian cancer

Over the years researchers have made tremendous strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer by searching genomes for links between genetic alterations and disease.

10 Sep 2014

Genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely driving force behind human skin cancers

A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

8 Sep 2014