New MIT Article on Tumor-recurrance
For those out there who might be interested in the latest scientific news on tumor recurrence, you can check out the following MIT research news article.(I apologize if the link doesn't work, it's an internal news report to the MIT staff. So I posted it here just in case...) -- Cynthia
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/tumor-recurrance-1029.html
Cancer’s hiding spots revealed
Discovery that tumor cells can escape from chemotherapy could lead to new treatments that prevent relapse.
After receiving chemotherapy, many cancer patients go into a remission that can last months or years. But in some of those cases, tumors eventually grow back, and when they do, they are frequently resistant to the drugs that initially worked.
Now, in a study of mice with lymphoma, MIT biologists have discovered that a small number of cancer cells escape chemotherapy by hiding out in the thymus, an organ where immune cells mature. Within the thymus, the cancer cells are bathed in growth factors that protect them from the drugs’ effects. Those cells are likely the source of relapsed tumors, said Michael Hemann, MIT assistant professor of biology, who led the study.
The researchers plan to soon begin tests, in mice, of drugs that interfere with one of those protective factors. Those drugs were originally developed to treat arthritis, and are now in clinical trials for that use. Such a drug, used in combination with traditional chemotherapy, could offer a one-two punch that eliminates residual tumor cells and prevents cancer relapse, according to the researchers.
“Successful cancer therapy needs to involve a component that kills tumor cells as well as a component that blocks pro-survival signals,” said Hemann, who is a member of MIT’s David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. “Current cancer therapies fail to target this survival response.”
Hemann and graduate student Luke Gilbert described the findings in the Oct. 29 issue of the journal Cell.
Stress response
In the new study, the researchers treated mice with lymphoma with doxorubicin, a drug commonly used to treat a wide range of cancers, including blood cancers. They found that during treatment, cells that line the blood vessels release cytokines — small proteins that influence immune responses and cell development.
The exact mechanism is not known, but the researchers believe that chemotherapy-induced DNA damage provokes those blood-vessel cells to launch a stress response that is normally intended to protect progenitor cells — immature cells that can become different types of blood cells. That stress response includes the release of cytokines such as interleukin-6, which promotes cell survival.
“In response to environmental stress, the hardwired response is to protect privileged cells in that area, i.e., progenitor cells,” said Hemann. “These pathways are being coopted by tumor cells, in response to the frontline cancer therapies that we use.”
The discovery marks the first time scientists have seen a protective signal evoked by chemotherapy in the area surrounding the tumor, known as the tumor microenvironment. “It’s completely unexpected that drugs would promote a survival response,” said Hemann. “The impact of local survival factors is generally not considered when administering chemotherapy, let alone the idea that frontline chemotherapy would induce pro-survival signals.”
“It’s a very interesting model for drug resistance — different from the way people have been thinking about this,” said David Straus, a physician who specializes in treating lymphoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Straus, who was not involved in the study, said it remains to be seen if the results will translate to human patients, but the finding does suggest several potential drug targets, including IL-6 and a protein called Bcl2, which is activated by IL-6 and signals cells to stay alive.
While the MIT researchers observed this protective effect only in the thymus, they believe there may be other protected areas where tumor cells hide, such as the bone marrow.
This finding could help explain why tumors that have spread to other parts of the body before detection are more resistant to frontline chemotherapy: They may have already engaged a protective cytokine system, helping them to survive the drugs’ effects.
Hemann hopes to further clarify the mechanism in future studies, in collaboration with Professor Michael Yaffe, also a member of the Koch Institute. He also plans to investigate whether this kind of pro-survival signal is elicited in other types of cancer, including tumors that have metastasized.
Comments
-
Thank you
Thank you. I hope the research community is looking hard at this.
aloha,
Kathleen0 -
Thank you for posting itKathleen808 said:Thank you
Thank you. I hope the research community is looking hard at this.
aloha,
Kathleen
so interesting!0 -
Hmmm....
Doesn't that explain why chemotherapy is a common cause of
"second cancers"; cancers unrelated to the initial cancer?
That fact was well known among all oncologists, if not the
entire medical profession... So this is not really "news", it's
simply another explanation of "why" it happens.
Oh well..... another day in the tank. And here I thought it
was a tankless job....
Better health!
John0 -
Glowing Jellyfish CellsPhillieG said:Cool
Micky Mouse and friends will be very happy.
It's the least we can do for all of the mice that we give cancer to!
Interesting article...thanks for the post
Glowing Jellyfish Cells Detect Cancer - When Will it be Ready for Trials?
November 03, 2010 10:22 AM EDT
Glowing jellyfish cells have been able to detect cancer. The cells actually light up the cancerous tumors, and using a special camera, doctors are able to find the cancer.
The hope is that this new glowing jellyfish cells technology will revolutionize cancer detection for many types of the dreaded disease. Scientists put fluorescent jellyfish proteins into human cancer cells, which is how they are able to locate the tumors.
Technology Doesn't go Deep Enough - Glowing Jellyfish Cells Detect Cancer Earlier
According to Professor Norman Maitland, lead investigator, "Cancers deep within the body are difficult to spot at an early stage, and early diagnosis is critical for the successful treatment of any form of cancer."
Current technology does not often penetrate deep enough into the body’s tissues to diagnose very small cancer in the beginning stages, but this new glowing cells are easier to locate. The team calls it “virimaging.”
This work built upon the 2008 Nobel Prize winning word of Dr. Roger Y. Tsien, and American chemist who took luminous cells from jellyfish and isolated the protein that glows. The team who developed the cancer detection actually altered the protein to allow it to show up as red or blue. The glowing jellyfish cells were originally green.
Hopefully this new cancer detection test will start in clinical trials within the next five years. If it continues to work as they hope, it could mean many lives saved through early detection.
It is fantastic that an animal whose sting is so dreaded can end up providing something so important for humans. The glowing jellyfish cells sound like they have amazing potential, which is probably why Tsien won the Nobel Prize for his work in isolating them. Hopefully these trials will continue, and a new early detection test for cancer will be developed. Until there is a cure for cancer, early detection seems like the best hope for many who get it.
© Copyright: News Today Online by Kate James at Gather.com0 -
Side effectsHeartofSoul said:Glowing Jellyfish Cells
Glowing Jellyfish Cells Detect Cancer - When Will it be Ready for Trials?
November 03, 2010 10:22 AM EDT
Glowing jellyfish cells have been able to detect cancer. The cells actually light up the cancerous tumors, and using a special camera, doctors are able to find the cancer.
The hope is that this new glowing jellyfish cells technology will revolutionize cancer detection for many types of the dreaded disease. Scientists put fluorescent jellyfish proteins into human cancer cells, which is how they are able to locate the tumors.
Technology Doesn't go Deep Enough - Glowing Jellyfish Cells Detect Cancer Earlier
According to Professor Norman Maitland, lead investigator, "Cancers deep within the body are difficult to spot at an early stage, and early diagnosis is critical for the successful treatment of any form of cancer."
Current technology does not often penetrate deep enough into the body’s tissues to diagnose very small cancer in the beginning stages, but this new glowing cells are easier to locate. The team calls it “virimaging.”
This work built upon the 2008 Nobel Prize winning word of Dr. Roger Y. Tsien, and American chemist who took luminous cells from jellyfish and isolated the protein that glows. The team who developed the cancer detection actually altered the protein to allow it to show up as red or blue. The glowing jellyfish cells were originally green.
Hopefully this new cancer detection test will start in clinical trials within the next five years. If it continues to work as they hope, it could mean many lives saved through early detection.
It is fantastic that an animal whose sting is so dreaded can end up providing something so important for humans. The glowing jellyfish cells sound like they have amazing potential, which is probably why Tsien won the Nobel Prize for his work in isolating them. Hopefully these trials will continue, and a new early detection test for cancer will be developed. Until there is a cure for cancer, early detection seems like the best hope for many who get it.
© Copyright: News Today Online by Kate James at Gather.com
"The only side effect noted, was an insatiable desire to
eat plankton, fish eggs and larvae........."
(In China, it is known as the Jerry Flish diet).
John0 -
John, a QuestionJohn23 said:Hmmm....
Doesn't that explain why chemotherapy is a common cause of
"second cancers"; cancers unrelated to the initial cancer?
That fact was well known among all oncologists, if not the
entire medical profession... So this is not really "news", it's
simply another explanation of "why" it happens.
Oh well..... another day in the tank. And here I thought it
was a tankless job....
Better health!
John
Does chemotherapy "cause" the second cancer or is it caused because the first cancer is not fully killed off?0 -
Hey Phil !PhillieG said:John, a Question
Does chemotherapy "cause" the second cancer or is it caused because the first cancer is not fully killed off?
Howzitgoin'? (redux)
"Does chemotherapy "cause" the second cancer or is it caused
because the first cancer is not fully killed off?"
The chemicals used in "chemo" are all well respected as being
highly carcinogenic. That's the reason many oncologists resist
prescribing chemotherapy if there's a chance it will not work.
Good oncologists weigh the benefit vs risk, since "do no harm"
is the criteria.
Should you fear chemotherapy for it's carcinogenic risks?
Sure, but you also have to do what any good oncologist does,
and weigh the risks against the benefits. If you have a tumor,
and that tumor is about to grow into a critical area, you have to
stop it as quickly as possible. Chemo or radiation is the fastest
way to do that.
On the other hand..... if you're told that cancer "may be" throughout
your body, it just might be a better choice to use an alternative
option, rather than to chance needless exposure to what was
never designed to kill random cancer cells.
There are options and more options.... But staying as healthy
as possible in spite of cancer, is the best option!
Be well!
John0 -
When you say 2nd cancer, imPhillieG said:John, a Question
Does chemotherapy "cause" the second cancer or is it caused because the first cancer is not fully killed off?
When you say 2nd cancer, im thinking a different primary cancer (lung) which chemo can do. If the first primary cancer (colon) is not totally killed off, then it will look to met to other locations in body thru blood stream or lymphatic system and also thru the Spinal fluid which is the liquid that flows between the layers of the meninges. It circulates around the brain and spinal cord and travel to distant locations.
Often, the metastatic location is the nearest cluster of small blood vessels found by the circulating cancer cells. Thus lung cancer commonly metastasizes to the brain; colon cancer commonly metastasizes to the liver. Or, the cancer may have a preferred site of metastasis. The brain is a preferred site for melanoma and small cell lung cancer. A metastasis of a metastasis may develop as well a colon cancer may metastasize to the liver which in turn may metastasize to the lung which may in turn metastasize to the brain.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas often spread only to the spinal fluid. Small cell lung cancer, breast cancer and melanoma commonly involve both the brain and spinal fluid. Non-small cell lung cancer usually affects only the brain.
I spoke to a member about 2 weeks ago who had 3 primary types of cancer at same time, cervical, appendix and colon.0 -
.John23 said:Hey Phil !
Howzitgoin'? (redux)
"Does chemotherapy "cause" the second cancer or is it caused
because the first cancer is not fully killed off?"
The chemicals used in "chemo" are all well respected as being
highly carcinogenic. That's the reason many oncologists resist
prescribing chemotherapy if there's a chance it will not work.
Good oncologists weigh the benefit vs risk, since "do no harm"
is the criteria.
Should you fear chemotherapy for it's carcinogenic risks?
Sure, but you also have to do what any good oncologist does,
and weigh the risks against the benefits. If you have a tumor,
and that tumor is about to grow into a critical area, you have to
stop it as quickly as possible. Chemo or radiation is the fastest
way to do that.
On the other hand..... if you're told that cancer "may be" throughout
your body, it just might be a better choice to use an alternative
option, rather than to chance needless exposure to what was
never designed to kill random cancer cells.
There are options and more options.... But staying as healthy
as possible in spite of cancer, is the best option!
Be well!
John
.0 -
Second cancersHeartofSoul said:When you say 2nd cancer, im
When you say 2nd cancer, im thinking a different primary cancer (lung) which chemo can do. If the first primary cancer (colon) is not totally killed off, then it will look to met to other locations in body thru blood stream or lymphatic system and also thru the Spinal fluid which is the liquid that flows between the layers of the meninges. It circulates around the brain and spinal cord and travel to distant locations.
Often, the metastatic location is the nearest cluster of small blood vessels found by the circulating cancer cells. Thus lung cancer commonly metastasizes to the brain; colon cancer commonly metastasizes to the liver. Or, the cancer may have a preferred site of metastasis. The brain is a preferred site for melanoma and small cell lung cancer. A metastasis of a metastasis may develop as well a colon cancer may metastasize to the liver which in turn may metastasize to the lung which may in turn metastasize to the brain.
Acute lymphocytic leukemia and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas often spread only to the spinal fluid. Small cell lung cancer, breast cancer and melanoma commonly involve both the brain and spinal fluid. Non-small cell lung cancer usually affects only the brain.
I spoke to a member about 2 weeks ago who had 3 primary types of cancer at same time, cervical, appendix and colon.
Exactly, Steve! But there's been a ton of debate regarding the ability
to have a "second cancer" of the same type, in the same organ, after
the original cancer is gone (or not). I.E.: A second incidence of the
same type cancer, not a metastatic incident, and caused by
chemicals that were originally used to kill off the initial cancer.
Whew, ehh? It sounds complicated.
The really humbling part of cancer, is that it's such a simple
life-form. It's incredibly fragile, and it doesn't take much to kill
a cancer cell. The problem is delivering the poison to the target.
Present day delivery systems for chemotherapy are like the
"scud" missiles.... they can carry a nuclear warhead, but the
ability to hit the target is poor; It can kill more of the "good guys"
due to it's inaccuracy.
Using the immune system to do the job seems like the best idea
to me. I wish they would spend more for research in that area!
Stay well,
John0 -
John, I thought I would getJohn23 said:Second cancers
Exactly, Steve! But there's been a ton of debate regarding the ability
to have a "second cancer" of the same type, in the same organ, after
the original cancer is gone (or not). I.E.: A second incidence of the
same type cancer, not a metastatic incident, and caused by
chemicals that were originally used to kill off the initial cancer.
Whew, ehh? It sounds complicated.
The really humbling part of cancer, is that it's such a simple
life-form. It's incredibly fragile, and it doesn't take much to kill
a cancer cell. The problem is delivering the poison to the target.
Present day delivery systems for chemotherapy are like the
"scud" missiles.... they can carry a nuclear warhead, but the
ability to hit the target is poor; It can kill more of the "good guys"
due to it's inaccuracy.
Using the immune system to do the job seems like the best idea
to me. I wish they would spend more for research in that area!
Stay well,
John
John, I thought I would get your feedback on targeted therapies which are far less toxic then chemo but far more specific in identifying cancer cells.
Weve talked about chemical delivery systems using chemo drugs, radiation delivery options, TCM, alternative methods, life style and our own immune system as methods to treat or and minimize the chances of acquiring cancer. There is a category of treatment that is under the umbrella of targeted cancer therapies which are drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and progression.
Because scientists often call these molecules “molecular targets,” targeted cancer therapies are sometimes called “molecularly targeted drugs,” “molecularly targeted therapies,” or other similar names. By focusing on molecular and cellular changes that are specific to cancer, targeted cancer therapies may be more effective than other types of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and less harmful to normal cells.
Targeted cancer therapies are being studied for use alone, in combination with other targeted therapies, and in combination with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.
How are targeted therapies developed?
Once a target has been identified, a therapy must be developed. Most targeted therapies are either small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies. Small-molecule drugs are typically able to diffuse into cells and can act on targets that are found inside the cell. Most monoclonal antibodies usually cannot penetrate the cell’s plasma membrane and are directed against targets that are outside cells or on the cell surface.
Targeted cancer therapies have been developed that interfere with a variety of other cellular processes. FDA-approved targeted therapies are listed below:
Some targeted therapies block specific enzymes and growth factor receptors involved in cancer cell proliferation. These drugs are also called signal transduction inhibitors.
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®) is approved to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumor (a rare cancer of the gastrointestinal tract) and certain kinds of leukemia.
Dasatinib (Sprycel®) is approved to treat some patients with CML or acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Nilotinib (Tasigna®) is approved to treat some patients with CML. It is another small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Trastuzumab (Herceptin®) is approved for the treatment of certain types of breast cancer. It is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2).
Erlotinib (Tarceva®) is approved to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has metastasized. Cetuximab (Erbitux®) is a monoclonal antibody that is approved for treating some patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck or colorectal cancer.0 -
Steve -HeartofSoul said:John, I thought I would get
John, I thought I would get your feedback on targeted therapies which are far less toxic then chemo but far more specific in identifying cancer cells.
Weve talked about chemical delivery systems using chemo drugs, radiation delivery options, TCM, alternative methods, life style and our own immune system as methods to treat or and minimize the chances of acquiring cancer. There is a category of treatment that is under the umbrella of targeted cancer therapies which are drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in tumor growth and progression.
Because scientists often call these molecules “molecular targets,” targeted cancer therapies are sometimes called “molecularly targeted drugs,” “molecularly targeted therapies,” or other similar names. By focusing on molecular and cellular changes that are specific to cancer, targeted cancer therapies may be more effective than other types of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and less harmful to normal cells.
Targeted cancer therapies are being studied for use alone, in combination with other targeted therapies, and in combination with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.
How are targeted therapies developed?
Once a target has been identified, a therapy must be developed. Most targeted therapies are either small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies. Small-molecule drugs are typically able to diffuse into cells and can act on targets that are found inside the cell. Most monoclonal antibodies usually cannot penetrate the cell’s plasma membrane and are directed against targets that are outside cells or on the cell surface.
Targeted cancer therapies have been developed that interfere with a variety of other cellular processes. FDA-approved targeted therapies are listed below:
Some targeted therapies block specific enzymes and growth factor receptors involved in cancer cell proliferation. These drugs are also called signal transduction inhibitors.
Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®) is approved to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumor (a rare cancer of the gastrointestinal tract) and certain kinds of leukemia.
Dasatinib (Sprycel®) is approved to treat some patients with CML or acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Nilotinib (Tasigna®) is approved to treat some patients with CML. It is another small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Trastuzumab (Herceptin®) is approved for the treatment of certain types of breast cancer. It is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2).
Erlotinib (Tarceva®) is approved to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer that cannot be removed by surgery or has metastasized. Cetuximab (Erbitux®) is a monoclonal antibody that is approved for treating some patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck or colorectal cancer.
There's some interesting information that is available, and some
quite old! This is from 2002:
For at least 30 years, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been heralded as
promising targets for cancer therapy on the basis of their massive up-regulation in
malignant tissues and their unique ability to degrade all components of the extracellular
matrix. Preclinical studies testing the efÞcacy of MMP suppression in tumor
models were so compelling that synthetic metalloproteinase inhibitors (MPIs) were
rapidly developed and routed into human clinical trials. The results of these trials have
been disappointing. Here we review the studies that brought MPIs into clinical testing
and discuss the design and outcome of the trials in light of new information about the
cellular source, substrates, and mode of action of MMPs at different stages of tumor
progression. The important lessons learned from the MPI experience may be of great
value for future studies of MPIs and for cancer drug development in general.
From: Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors and Cancer—Trials and Tribulations
Of course, there's big money to be made with it:
The targeted cancer drug market will double in value, from $25 billion in 2008 to $51 billion in 2015
Now, that will certainly help..... (hmmmm)
And of course, nothing that's manufactured is truly safe for our bodies:
See: Cutaneous toxicities of targeted cancer therapies
Other good reading: Therapies for Cancer Bring Hope and Failure
The war continues.... And we suffer the battle while others get richer
on the backs of the victims.
Stay sane and well,
John0 -
outlasting the metastasis process
This news may give rationale to the long term success rate of milder, continuous treatments in other countries that use continuous oral chemo for 1-2-3 years, and even longer in exceptional cases.
If one models the thymus as a continuous stirred tank reactor, little or no growth division occurring in the "hideout", with slowly declining tumor colony outputs, cure might become a matter of length of continuous treatment time, and treatment tolerability, to outrun or outlast the metastasis process.
Trials of capecitabine (Xeloda) in the US are starting to try find a workable continuous dose for long term treatments. In asia they've already documented the success of continuous tegafur-uracil (UFT) biomodulated with cimetidine and protein-polysaccharide mushroom extracts (PSK, Japan; PSP, China) in stage III colorectal patients.0
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