New analysis helps guide use of erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

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• New analysis helps guide use of erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer
• Gene signature helps identify risk of relapse in lung cancer patients
• New research could mean cellphones that can see through walls
• Merkin Family Foundation to fund next generation of Broad Institute scientists
• Finding ET may require giant robotic leap
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy optimal for localized prostate cancer
• Raising the pulse to beat teenage blues
• New genetically engineered mice aid understanding of incurable neuromuscular disease
• Early introduction of biologic therapy improves Crohn's disease outcomes

New analysis helps guide use of erlotinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lugano-CH/Aurora-US-CO/Geneva-CH, 18 April 2012 -- Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer should only receive treatment with the drug erlotinib before receiving standard chemotherapy if their tumor is known to harbor EGFR mutations, researchers report at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The results of biomarker analyses of a recently reported clinical trial confirm that patients with unknown or negative mutation status should be treated with the standard chemotherapy first, they say. The TORCH trial was a randomized phase III trial conducted in Italy and Canada, which compared the efficacy of treatment with erlotinib, followed at progression of disease by cisplatin and gemcitabine, against the standard reverse sequence. Erlotinib is a drug that specifically targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase. The primary endpoint of the original TORCH study was overall survival and 900 patients were planned, however the study was stopped early as the first interim analysis showed that the erlotinib-first regimen was inferior to the standard approach. In the new study, Dr Ming Tsao and colleagues conducted an exploratory analysis on the TORCH patient tumor samples that were available for analysis, looking for molecular biomarkers known to be potential predictors of benefit from EGFR inhibitors. Our results show a significant interaction in progression-free survival favoring treatment with erlotinib first in EGFR-mutated patients, and favouring first treatment with chemotherapy in EGFR wild type [non-mutated] patients, said Dr Tsao, from the Princess Margaret Hospital. However there was no significant interaction between treatment efficacy and overall survival. This shows that using erlotinib to treat patients with a mutated tumor is always effective, both in first and in second line; of course, it is much more convenient for these patients to receive it as first... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Gene signature helps identify risk of relapse in lung cancer patients Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lugano-CH/Aurora-US-CO/Geneva-CH, 18 April 2012 -- A new genetic signature identified by Spanish researchers may provide doctors with robust and objective information about which patients with early stage lung cancer are at low or high risk of relapse following surgery, investigators report at the 3rd European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva. Their work also opens new avenues for immunotherapy for lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease that is often not diagnosed until it has grown and spread throughout the body. Even those patients who are diagnosed early enough to undergo surgical removal of the tumor still have a discouraging 30% rate of relapse. Researchers hope that identifying which patients have the greatest risk of relapse will allow doctors to focus other treatment strategies, in order to improve their chance of being cured after surgery. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, have found a 50-gene predictor that appears to be capable of doing just that. In a study of 84 patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer, who had undergone surgery to remove their tumor, the gene signature accurately predicted which patients were at low risk of relapse. The researchers analyzed genetic expression in the tumor mass using microarray technology. Following patients for six years, they were able to correlate gene expression patterns with the clinical course of disease, and the risk of relapse. The Spanish research team's report at the meeting shows that the genes of the predictor were over-expressed in roughly one-third of patients, all of whom had a low risk of relapse. Further analysis showed that these genes were related to the activity of important immune system white blood cells, known as B lymphocytes. All of these genes overexpressed in the low-risk group are highly related to B lymphocyte activity, said Dr Florentino Hernando presenting the results at... http://www.rxpgnews.com

New research could mean cellphones that can see through walls Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Comic book hero superpowers may be one step closer to reality after the latest technological feats made by researchers at UT Dallas. They have designed an imager chip that could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood, plastics, paper and other objects. The team's research linked two scientific advances. One involves tapping into an unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum. The other is a new microchip technology. The electromagnetic spectrum characterizes wavelengths of energy. For example, radio waves for AM and FM signals, or microwaves used for cell phones or the infrared wavelength that makes night vision devices possible. But the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum, one of the wavelength ranges that falls between microwave and infrared, has not been accessible for most consumer devices. We've created approaches that open a previously untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for consumer use and life-saving medical applications, said Dr. Kenneth O, professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas and director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE). The terahertz range is full of unlimited potential that could benefit us all. Using the new approach, images can be created with signals operating in the terahertz (THz) range without having to use several lenses inside a device. This could reduce overall size and cost. The second advance that makes the findings applicable for consumer devices is the technology used to create the microchip. Chips manufactured using CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technology form the basis of many consumer electronic devices used in daily life such as personal computers, smart phones, high definition TV and game consoles. CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips, Dr. O said. The combination of CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and receiver on the back of a cellphone, turning it into a... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Merkin Family Foundation to fund next generation of Broad Institute scientists Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The Merkin Family Foundation today announced a commitment to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to establish the Merkin Institute Fellows, a program that will support some of the most promising and ambitious scientists pursuing bold research at the Broad Institute. The Merkin Family Foundation's commitment will be used to create the first endowed fellowship program at the Broad Institute and will provide sustained support for these outstanding scientists as they blaze important new trails in science and medicine. Establishing the Merkin Institute Fellows program at the Broad Institute is deeply significant to me, said Dr. Richard Merkin, President and CEO of Heritage Provider Network. I've dedicated my life's work to transforming global healthcare delivery and encouraging promising scientists to pursue much needed bold research projects that will help us move from care to cure. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Broad Institute is its high caliber talent that is advancing groundbreaking research in science and medicine, said Eli Broad, founder of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. This new fellowship program, created through Dick's generosity and foresight, will ensure a continued pipeline of the best and brightest minds in science as they fulfill the full potential of the Broad Institute. Dr. Merkin is a visionary whose sustained support for the next generation of scientists is a reflection of his deep commitment to transforming medicine, said Dr. Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute. Dr. Merkin's remarkable leadership and generosity have already enabled us to better understand the genetic circuitry that gives stem cells their unique properties, and this continued support will allow our scientists to explore the implications for disease and treatment, and open up additional fields of research. Promising scientists pursuing critical projects will be selected annually as Merkin Institute Fellows. Some of... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Finding ET may require giant robotic leap Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Autonomous, self-replicating robots -- exobots -- are the way to explore the universe, find and identify extraterrestrial life and perhaps clean up space debris in the process, according to a Penn State engineer, who notes that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence -- SETI -- is in its 50th year. The basic premise is that human space exploration must be highly efficient, cost effective, and autonomous as placing humans beyond low Earth orbit is fraught with political economic, and technical difficulties, John D. Mathews, professor of electrical engineering, reported in the current issue of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society. If aliens are out there, they have the same problems we do, they need to conserve resources, are limited by the laws of physics and they may not even be eager to meet us, according to Mathews. He suggests that only by developing and deploying self-replicating robotic spacecraft -- and the incumbent communications systems -- can the human race efficiently explore even the asteroid belt, let alone the vast reaches of the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, and beyond. Mathews assumes that any extraterrestrial would need to follow a similar path to the stars, sending robots rather than living beings, which would explain why SETI has not succeeded to date. If they are like us, they too have a dysfunctional government and all the other problems plaguing us, said Mathews. They won't want to spend a lot to communicate with us. It is extremely difficult to broadcast into the galaxy and requires vast resources. Radio signals need to emanate in every direction to fill the sky, and the energy requirement to broadcast throughout space is quite high. Current infrared lasers can communicate across our solar system, said Mathews. The problem in terms of SETI is they are highly directed beams. Point-to-point communications using infrared signaling requires less power, but the signals are extremely... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy optimal for localized prostate cancer Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Chapel Hill - A treatment for localized prostate cancer known as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is better than conventional conformal radiation therapy (CRT) for reducing certain side effects and preventing cancer recurrence, according to a study published in the April 18, 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2012, approximately 241,740 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The study also showed IMRT to be as effective as proton therapy, a newer technique that has grown in popularity in recent years. Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, senior author, says, Patients and doctors are often drawn to new treatments, but there have not been many studies that directly compare new radiation therapy options to older ones. Chen is assistant professor of radiation oncology and a research fellow at the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. He explains, In the past 10 years, IMRT has largely replaced conventional CRT as the main radiation technique for prostate cancer, without much data to support it. This study validated our change in practice, showing that IMRT better controls prostate cancer and results in fewer side effects. Our data show that in comparing IMRT to proton therapy, IMRT patients had a lower rate of gastrointestinal side effects, but there were no significant differences in rates of other side effects or additional therapies. Study scientists report that compared to CRT, IMRT was associated with fewer diagnoses of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as rectal bleeding or diarrhea, hip fractures and additional cancer therapy, but more difficulty with sexual function. Proton therapy was associated with more GI problems than IMRT. The UNC team used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data from 2000-2009 for approximately 13,000... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Raising the pulse to beat teenage blues Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A unique study to test the effectiveness of personally tailored exercise programmes on young people with depression has been launched by researchers at The University of Nottingham. The power of exercise in helping people with depression is well-documented in studies looking into adult populations but not in young people. Also, at present the majority of teenagers find it hard to stick to the standard programme of self-motivated exercise they are prescribed by GPs or health care professionals. Now researchers in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy are to test a new specially designed exercise programme which will be personally tailored to half of the young people who take part as volunteers in the trial. A researcher on the trial, Tim Carter, said: Previous work has found that young people with depression or low mood don't do much exercise and therefore are not getting the potential physical or mental health benefits. A recent study has shown that exercising at individuals' preferred intensity is more likely to have positive effects on depression levels and keep people interested. We feel that by providing motivational support in a friendly, stimulating exercise class we can potentially improve young people's self esteem, physical fitness, quality of life and, most importantly, lift their mood. The HEALTH project (Help Enable Active Lifestyles Towards Health) is a two and a half year study funded by the National Institute of Health Research. The researchers are looking for 158 young people between 14 and 17 years with depression or low mood who have been referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County NHS Trusts. Half the participants will be randomly assigned to a control group receiving standard NHS mental health care as usual and the other half will be assigned to the intervention group. They will also get standard NHS mental health care but in... http://www.rxpgnews.com

New genetically engineered mice aid understanding of incurable neuromuscular disease Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A team of scientists from the University of Missouri created a genetically modified mouse that mimics key features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited neuromuscular disease affecting approximately 150,000 people in the United States. Charcot-Marie-Tooth, or CMT, is a group of progressive disorders that affects the peripheral nervous system, the part of the nervous system that connects the brain and spinal cord to targets such as muscles. The disease largely affects the distal nerves, those running to the feet and hands, and can progress to include the legs and arms. Wasting and weakening of the muscles occurs because the distal nerves are either dying or not functioning properly, said Michael Garcia, study leader and associate professor of biological sciences. The condition can be very debilitating depending on the muscles affected and the degree to which they are affected. No cure exists for CMT, but Garcia hopes that insights gleaned from the new mouse model may aid the development of therapeutic interventions. By learning about the basics of disease initiation and progression, perhaps we can soon test therapeutics designed to stop or reverse the pathology, he said. Garcia and colleagues created the mouse model by inserting a mutated copy of a human gene into fertilized mouse egg cell. Similar mutations in that particular gene have been linked to a specific form of CMT, known as Type 2e, in humans. The cells were then implanted into female mice. The offspring that contained the mutated human gene were reared and observed for signs of CMT. At four months of age, the mice developed a condition with several of the same hallmarks of humans with CMT Type 2e, including muscle wasting and weakness, foot deformities, and reduced ability to move. No significant neural problems or detachment of the nerves from the muscle was observed in the mice, which surprised the scientists. With such severe muscle... http://www.rxpgnews.com

Early introduction of biologic therapy improves Crohn's disease outcomes Posted: 17 Apr 2012 05:00 AM PDT ( From http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A large-scale study of medical claims data shows that introducing sophisticated biologic therapies early in the course of treatment for Crohn's disease improves response to medication and reduces the need for surgery. There is no known cure for Crohn's disease, and traditional treatment is focused on a step-up strategy of managing inflammatory symptoms, starting with simpler and less costly oral medications such as aminosalicylates (5-ASAs) and corticosteroids, and escalating through a series of steps to more expensive biological therapies that target specific proteins in the immune system's inflammatory response. David Rubin, MD, associate professor of medicine and co-director of the University of Chicago Medicine's Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, studied a newer top-down strategy that reverses this order of treatment. He found that patients treated with biologic therapies earlier were significantly less likely to need steroids, lose response to their biologic therapy, and require surgery related to their Crohn's disease. We're essentially reversing the management strategy in Crohn's disease, Rubin said. He emphasized that the medications often used first for patients with Crohn's are also the least effective and carry risks for side effects. We've long discussed and debated that 5-ASAs don't work in the majority of Crohn's patients, and certainly don't change any outcomes, he said. Steroids are ineffective long-term and are also dangerous because they have significant side effects such as infections. Crohn's is a disorder in which the body's immune system appears to have lost the ability to regulate itself and becomes overactive, causing progressive damage to the bowel structure and function. Patients often need bowel surgery to repair this damage. Researchers have made great progress finding genetic and environmental contributors to Crohn's disease, but the actual cause is unknown. Rubin said that physicians have... http://www.rxpgnews.com

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