Retinoblastoma News and Research

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A retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of the retina, occurring most often in young children below 5 years. In one of three cases it is bilateral i.e., affecting both eyes. About 250-350 new cases occur every year in the USA, in children younger than 15 years.

Children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative chemotherapy

New results from a prospective clinical trial conducted in France show that children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative (adjuvant) chemotherapy to prevent disease recurrence or metastasis; the results also suggest that certain patients with intermediate-risk disease can receive less aggressive adjuvant treatment, or perhaps forego it altogether. Avoiding chemotherapy spares patients from treatment side effects and long-term health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and development of a second cancer.

5 Mar 2013

Study demonstrates function of newly discovered regulatory mechanism of myeloid cells in cancer

Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center have found a potential mechanism by which immune suppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells can prevent immune response from developing in cancer.

20 Feb 2013

Optic nerve assessment predicts retinoblastoma outcomes

Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy for International Retinoblastoma Staging System stage III retinoblastoma can indicate a patient's likely event-free and overall survival, indicate study results.

22 Dec 2012

Study focuses on nontraditional lifestyle of Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor proteins

Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered a protein that does its best work with one foot in the grave.

13 Dec 2012

RXi receives SBIR grant to enable discovery and preclinical development of sd-rxRNAs

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted technologies, today announced that it was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

5 Oct 2012

Older father, US-born Hispanic mother, increases childhood retinoblastoma risk

The risk for retinoblastoma in children under 6 years of age is associated with paternal age and maternal birthplace and ethnicity, show US study results.

15 Aug 2012

Stroma plays an important role in regulating spread of cancer cells

A major breakthrough by scientists at Queen's University Belfast could lead to more effective treatments for throat and cervical cancer.

8 Aug 2012

Children of U.S.-born Latina women more likely to develop retinoblastoma

In a large epidemiologic study, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center found that the children of U.S.-born Latina women are at higher risk of having retinoblastoma, a malignant tumor of the retina which typically occurs in children under six.

7 Aug 2012

Two cellular proteins team up to provide steady supply of RBCs

Two cellular proteins team up to provide a steady supply of red blood cells (RBCs), according to a study by Lizhao Wu, PhD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, and colleagues.

14 Jul 2012

p53 protein may show a typical prion-like behavior when mutated

Prions, the causal agents of Mad Cow and other diseases, are very unique infectious particles. They are proteins in which the complex molecular three-dimensional folding process just went astray. For reasons not yet understood, the misfolding nature of prions is associated to their ability to sequester their normal counterparts and induce them to also adopt a misfolding conformation.

26 Jun 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear announces recipients of 2012 Curing Kids Fund grants

The Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids fund has awarded grants for research projects that aim to help the brain locate sound, identify genes that cause congenital blindness, cure deafness through hair cell regeneration, and improve treatment for childhood eye cancer.

16 May 2012

Researchers discover small molecules that kill HPV-infected cancer cells

Researchers at The Wistar Institute announce the discovery of small molecules that kill cancer cells caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Their results, in both cell and mouse models, demonstrate that the small molecule inhibitors protect a tumor-suppressing protein targeted by viral proteins, thus killing the infected tumor cells.

27 Apr 2012

Possibility to render cancer tumours harmless without affecting other cells

New research findings show how it may be possible to render cancer tumours harmless without affecting the other cells and tissues in the body. The findings apply to cancers including breast, lung and bowel cancer. The study was carried out at Lund University in Sweden.

20 Apr 2012

ACCR designates Georgetown student as early-career scientist

David A. Solomon, who will graduate from Georgetown University School of Medicine this year with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees, has been designated one of four outstanding early-career scientists by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) -- a highly prestigious honor. Solomon will present his work at a special symposium, Future Leaders in Basic Cancer Research, on April 2nd at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 in Chicago.

28 Mar 2012

Researchers identify first gene mutation associated with chronic, often fatal form of neuroblastoma

Researchers have identified the first gene mutation associated with a chronic and often fatal form of neuroblastoma that typically strikes adolescents and young adults. The finding provides the first clue about the genetic basis of the long-recognized but poorly understood link between treatment outcome and age at diagnosis.

14 Mar 2012

St. Jude introduces 'Explore' website for pediatric genome project

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has launched a freely available website for published research results from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP). The PCGP is the largest effort to date aimed at sequencing the entire genomes of both normal and cancer cells from pediatric cancer patients, comparing differences in the DNA to identify genetic mistakes that lead to childhood cancers.

12 Jan 2012

Researchers identify mechanism that makes retinoblastoma so aggressive

New findings from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) have helped identify the mechanism that makes the childhood eye tumor retinoblastoma so aggressive. The discovery explains why the tumor develops so rapidly while other cancers can take years or even decades to form.

11 Jan 2012

ORNL tool reveals previously undiscovered role of retinoblastoma

Armed with a new ability to find retinal anomalies at the cellular level, neurobiologists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have made a discovery they hope will ultimately lead to a treatment for cancer of the retina.

22 Dec 2011

Chemical disruption to key interaction shown to limit metastasis in test mice

Finding ways to counteract or disrupt the invasive nature of cancer cells, called "metastasis," has been a long-term goal of cancer researchers. Now, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., have identified an interactive pathway that regulates metastases in some cancers that may be vulnerable to chemical targeting in order to prevent cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth.

14 Dec 2011