New findings in Cell Stem Cell focus on Id1 and its effects on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
Aug 16, 2018
Lino Tessarollo, Ph.D., Director of the Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Jonathan R. Keller, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, and others recently published findings in Cell Stem Cell focused on Id1, an inhibitor of DNA binding, and its effects on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are cells that form blood cellular components. These findings may have application for treatments such as bone marrow transplantation. Read more...
DNA-damaging drugs show promise in helping treat dogs with lymphoma
Aug 6, 2018
DNA-damaging drugs called TOP1 inhibitors are widely used to treat various cancers, but they have limitations. A clinical trial in dogs with lymphoma suggests that three alternative drug candidates with a similar mechanism may be effective. Read more...
Study reveals regions where harmful DNA breaks are most likely to occur
Aug 2, 2018
Center for Cancer Research investigators have discovered that double-strand DNA breaks—the most dangerous form of DNA damage, which can lead to cancer—tend to occur during DNA replication at regions known as poly(dA:dT) tracts. Their findings represent a first step toward investigating ways to prevent these harmful DNA breaks. Read more...
New study characterizes protein’s role in regulating DNA replication in human cancer cells
Jul 20, 2018
Center for Cancer Research investigators have found that the RepID protein recruits the CRL4 protein complex to chromatin early in the cell cycle, playing a critical role in regulating DNA replication. The findings suggest possible therapeutic targets to tighten the reigns on DNA replication. Read more...
Blocking MEK signaling pathway could inhibit rhabdomyosarcoma growth
Jul 18, 2018
New CCR research shows that a form of a cancer that occurs mainly in children, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, which is driven by mutations to the RAS gene, may be susceptible to inhibition by drugs that target a pathway in which MEK protein signaling, triggered by RAS, plays an important role. This new mechanistic understanding of a complex biological process led investigators to test a drug, trametinib, in mice implanted with the cancer. Their findings show that trametinib might be a good agent to test in clinical trials for this disease. Read more...
CAR T-cell therapy proves effective against multiple myeloma
Jun 27, 2018
A first-in-human clinical trial of multiple myeloma-targeted CAR T cells produced remissions in patients with advanced disease who had received numerous prior treatments. Read more...
Protein complex could be key to drug responsiveness in lymphoma patients
Jun 26, 2018
Continuing a decades-long refinement in understanding how and why a drug is more effective in some patients with lymphoma than others has led to the discovery of a complex of proteins that affects drug responsiveness. Read more...
New cryo-EM images provide blueprint for drug development
Jun 18, 2018
In a recent collaborative study published in Nature, CCR researchers have visualized the interaction between two critical components of the body’s cellular communication network using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The near-atomic resolution images provide a blueprint that could lead to more effective medications for cancer and other conditions. According to Sriram Subramaniam, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Laboratory of Cell Biology and a senior author of the study, “The use of cryo-EM technology to obtain structural information on important pharmaceutical targets such as GPCRs in various states demonstrates that we are now in a position to apply these methods for drug discovery applications.” Read more...
Clinical trial suggests moxetumomab pasudotox may be an effective treatment for hairy cell leukemia
Jun 15, 2018
Findings from a phase III international clinical trial, led by Robert Kreitman, M.D., Senior Investigator in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), show moxetumomab pasudotox (Moxe) may be an effective treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Initially developed by an LMB team led by Ira Pastan, M.D., Moxe is a toxin-based drug that can eliminate tiny deposits of cancer cells hiding in bone marrow – referred to as minimal residual disease. These deposits often avoid being killed by standard chemotherapy and are thought to be the cause of relapsed HCL. According to Dr. Kreitman, Moxe offers an option for HCL patients to avoid additional chemotherapy and may potentially improve long-term outcomes. Read more...
Pediatric clinical trial supports use of selumetinib for children with neurofibromatosis type 1
Jun 15, 2018
Preliminary results from a phase II clinical trial at the Center for Cancer Research support the use of the investigational drug selumetinib for shrinking tumors in children and young adults with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). NF1 is a genetic syndrome that often causes tumors, called plexiform neurofibromas, to develop in nerve cells on or under the skin. Although most of these tumors are not cancerous, patients commonly experience pain, reduced mobility and difficulty breathing. Results from the study, led by Brigitte Widemann, M.D., Chief of the Pediatric Oncology Branch, not only confirm findings from a smaller 2016 study demonstrating the drug’s ability to shrink large tumors, but also suggest the drug may improve symptoms. Read more...