Tazemetostat is a small molecule inhibitor of EZH2 being developed by Epizyme, Inc for the treatment of patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, including germinal center and non-germinal center diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, as well as genetically-defined solid tumors. In many human cancers, misregulated EZH2 enzyme activity results in misregulation of genes that control cell proliferation—without these control mechanisms, cancer cells are free to grow rapidly. Continue reading
Category Archives: Tumor Suppressor Genes
ROCA Ovarian Cancer Test for Early Detection
Each year, about 20,000 women in the United States get ovarian cancer. Among women in the United States, ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death, after lung and bronchus, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. In 2012 (the most recent year numbers are available)— 20,785 women in the United States were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and 14,404 women in the United States died from ovarian cancer. Continue reading
Why do elephants have lower rates of cancer than humans?
Why elephants do not get cancer is a famous conundrum that was posed by epidemiologist Richard Peto of the University of Oxford, UK, in the 1970’s. Peto noted that, in general, there is little relationship between cancer rates and the body size or age of animals. Continue reading
Liquid Biopsy from Pathway Genomics – Appropriate Uses
Liquid biopsy is the use of blood to diagnose cancer. Pathway Genomics launched its CancerIntercept test that screens for multiple cancers. Continue reading
Prostate Cancer Genetic Map Unveiled
Researchers have identified a handful of mutations in patients with advanced prostate cancer for which therapeutics are already available, or in development. The genomes of 150 patients with metastatic (Stage 4) hormone-resistant disease were analyzed in order to develop a precision medicine framework for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Continue reading
Kevetrin – p53 Inducer by Cellceutix
Thioureidobutyronitrile (Kevetrin) is an intravenous drug currently in a Phase 1 study in patients with advanced solid malignancies. It acts by promoting apoptosis in several ways: Continue reading
Why more males develop brain tumors than females
It is widely known that brain tumors, in particular glioblastomas and medulloblastomas, affect males more than females. Moreover, given the age of onset and analysis of incidence by age, sex hormones have been ruled-out as the cause. Continue reading
Beleodaq, a new pan-HDAC inhibitor approved for peripheral T-cell lymphoma
HDAC inhibitors work by blocking Histone De-ACetylase enzyme, which removes acetyl groups from the proteins that encase DNA, that is histones. They are triggered by CpG sequences on DNA promoters; HDACs put chromatin in a configuration that favors LACK of transcription. So, blocking HDACs favors transcription – see prior post. Continue reading
Epigenetic signature in blood for breast cancer risk
As reported in Genomic Medicine on June 27, an epigenetic signature in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations was found by examining DNA methylation (DNAme) patterns on whole blood samples. Importantly, this signature predicted for a high risk of developing breast cancer even in those patients who did NOT have BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Continue reading