Onco Actu du 16 décembre 2016

Onco Actu interrompt sa parution pendant la période des fêtes de fin d'année.

Prochain bulletin : le 2 janvier 2017!

	1. Biologie
New insight into cancer-associated liver enzymes could boost drug development [FierceBiotech] Feng’s team conducted multiple studies around the enzyme Shp2, which is known to drive tumor formation. One study found that deleting both Shp2 and the tumor-suppressing enzyme Pten, curbed leukemia development. But another study found, counterintuitively, that removing this cancer enzyme actually promoted liver cancer.
Cancer cells spread way earlier than thought, seeding metastases that cause most deaths [STAT] “The vast majority of patients [diagnosed with cancer] already have disseminated cells,” said Aguirre-Ghiso. “That’s a negative. But the positive is that these cells haven’t activated their proliferation programs, so there is an opportunity to intervene,” by somehow attacking their weak spots — something that will require whole new avenues of basic research.
	2. Etiologie
Herpes Virus Linked to Most Common Type of Childhood Cancer [ASH] Newborns with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) — a common virus in the herpes family — may have an increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), according to new research published online today in Blood.
	2.7 Etiologie - Obésité
New obesity figures for England show growing problem [Cancer Research UK] Alison Cox, director of cancer prevention at Cancer Research UK, said that rising bodyweight is “putting the NHS under enormous strain and the health of the nation at risk”.
	3. Prévention
Smoking and drinking among young people at lowest level on record [The Guardian] Fewer than 5% of children aged eight to 15 have smoked, down three-quarters since 2003, while only about 17% admitted ever drinking alcohol, a fall of two-thirds, according to an annual survey of health trends.
	3.1 Tabac
FDA takes action on applications seeking to market modified risk tobacco products [FDA] In its review, the FDA must look at whether a product, as actually used by consumers, will significantly reduce harm and the risk of tobacco-related disease to individual users and benefit the health of the population as a whole.
FDA denies Swedish Match request to remove warnings [Reuters] The agency said the company could not remove a warning that the products may cause gum disease and tooth loss. But it deferred a decision on whether to allow the company to claim the products cause less harm than cigarettes.
	3.6 Prévention - Activité physique
Pokémon no-go: game's exercise effects short-lived in most players [NHS Choices] The study takes advantage of technology not specifically aimed at improving health, but with the potential to do so. Aside from the Pokémon game, the researchers targeted participants with iPhones capable of recording people's steps by default, rather than relying on people's estimates of their walking time, or having to issue them with accelerometers.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
One Patient, Two Cancer DNA Tests, Two Different Results [The Atlantic] “With a tumor biopsy, it’s like you read the book cover to cover. With a liquid biopsy, you read an entire shelf of books, but you only read the dust jackets.”
Sysmex, Astellas and Daiichi Sankyo Sign Memorandum of Understanding on the Creation of a Method for Analyzing Circulating Tumor Cells [Astellas] The parties will collaborate on creating a novel CTC analysis method, which will be not only for R&D on liquid-biopsy-based diagnostics and drugs, but also for driving establishment of standardized CTC analysis in a clinical setting.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Genos Will Sequence Your Genes—And Help You Sell Them to Science [Wired] In a first for the personal genomics movement, the company is creating a research pipeline with academic and commercial partners, and paying customers to donate their data.
	4.5 Dép., diag. & prono. - Colorectal
Many Early Onset Colon Cancers are Caused by Genetic Mutations Passed Through Families [OSU] Based on this new data, the OSUCCC – James research team recommends genetic counseling and a broad, multi-gene panel test of cancer susceptibility genes for all early-onset colorectal cancer patients, regardless of family history or the results of tumor screening for Lynch syndrome.
	5. Traitements
Novocure's noninvasive brain cancer therapy could succeed in ovarian cancer [FierceBiotech] Through four adhesive patches, the wearable device delivers noninvasive therapy to the region of the brain where the tumor is located.
A new type of molecular medicine may be needed to halt cancers [The Economist] So far, he has analysed data from 20,000 tumour samples and generated maps for 36 types of tumour. All told, he has identified about 300 proteins that are probably master regulators in at least one sort of cancer.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Pfizer and Astellas Announce Top-Line Results from Phase 4 PLATO Trial of XTANDI® (enzalutamide) Capsules in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer [Pfizer] “While the PLATO trial did not meet its primary endpoint, it is critical that we continue to focus on addressing the unmet needs of men with metastatic CRPC, who have a poor prognosis despite treatment advances."
Xtandi fails a combo study, blocking a path to continued use for Pfizer, Astellas [EndPoints] The investigators had been looking for a rationale to continue treatment with Xtandi, which would have expanded its blockbuster market even further.
Pfizer's Xtandi fails in progression trial vs. J&J's Zytiga [Reuters] Xtandi, currently approved in the United States for patients with advanced prostate cancer that has spread, is sold by Pfizer in partnership Astellas Pharma Inc.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Opinion: Balancing Risks and Rewards of CAR T-Cell Therapy [The Scientist] New approaches to treating cancer have shown great promise, but they also come with serious risks that give us cause for concern.
Father of patient in Juno immunotherapy trial speaks out: ‘He died for greed’ [STAT] Max’s father can’t understand why Juno waited so long to disclose his son’s death and went full speed ahead with the ROCKET trial — until two more patients died from similar cytokine storms in their brains.
	5.2 Pharma
Nanobiotix reports positive Phase I/II preliminary data on feasibility and safety of NBTXR3 in liver cancers trial [Nanobiotix] Good safety and feasibility of the treatment at 10% dose level.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Cancer Research UK and Bicycle Therapeutics have collaborated to trial new therapy for advanced solid tumours [Cancer Research UK] BT1718 targets Membrane Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT1-MTP) which is highly expressed in many solid tumours, including triple negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
GSK chief: Immuno-oncology isn't cost-effective for global cancer treatment [FiercePharma] Witty continues to make the case that high-priced treatments don't make business sense in the long run. Consider immuno-oncology. Speaking Tuesday at the opening of GSK’s Rockville, Maryland, vaccine research site, Witty said that he doesn’t see pricey immunotherapies for cancer, now biopharma’s hottest field, as a “cost-effective … global healthcare solution.”
R&D productivity recovery? Deloitte sees no sign just yet [FierceBiotech] "Pricing is perhaps the most publicized challenge, with political and public scrutiny on the topic intensifying," he said. "The majority of companies are struggling to achieve historical peak sales despite continuing to launch many new products."
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
NICE and the FDA working together [NICE] NICE Scientific Advice participates in FDA payer programme for medtech industry.
New drug OKs fell off a cliff in 2016 and the FDA wants you to know why [EndPoints] After tracking surging new drug approvals for much of the past 5 years, which helped alleviate concerns about the industry’s overall R&D productivity rate, the agency posted only 19 new BLAs and NDAs in 2016 — a low the agency hasn’t seen since the bad old days of 2007. The reason for the sudden plunge, Jenkins explains in his presentation, has to do with the fact that the FDA sped up 5 approvals, shifting them from 2016 up into 2015.
CDER New Drug Review: 2016 Update [FDA] What are the trends in new drug development and approvals? – IND activity, NME submissions, and NME approvals – Utilization and impact of expedited programs
	5.5 ASCO
Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, Elected ASCO President for 2018-2019 Term [ASCO] An active ASCO member since 1995, Dr. Bertagnolli is chief of the division of Surgical Oncology at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, and an associate surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Breast cancer gene testing in the US rose after Angelina Jolie announcement [Cancer Research UK] Rates rose from 0.71 tests per 100,000 women in the 15 working days before publication, to 1.13 tests in the 15 working days after. But there was no overall increase in mastectomy rates, with an average of 7 mastectomies a month per 100,000 women from January to December 2013.
'Angelina Jolie effect' boosted genetic testing rates, study suggests [The Guardian] Writing in the British Medical Journal, Sunita Desai and Anupam Jena of Harvard Medical School describe how they sought to answer the question by scrutinising data on US health insurance claims from more than nine million women aged between 18 and 64 .
	6.10.1 Politiques (USA)
A Closer Look at the 21st Century Cures Act [Cancer Research Catalyst] It is vitally important that NIH also receive robust, sustained, and predictable funding increases through the regular appropriations process. Therefore, the funding that is provided for the specific initiatives that are included in 21st Century Cures must supplement, not supplant, annual appropriations to the NIH, according to the AACR.
Drain Bethesda’s Swamp: Replace Francis Collins as NIH Director [it is NOT junk] Scientific progress almost always begins with basic discoveries. But in his efforts to curry favor with Congress, Collins has consistently promoted translational research with a dubious track record over basic biomedical research.
	6.6 Publications
High-profile Science paper retracted for misconduct [Retraction Watch] At the time of its publication, the paper received some press coverage. Ashton-Rickardt called the protein a “game-changer” in The Telegraph, noting: "This is exciting because we have found a completely different way to use the immune system to fight cancer."
Prominent cancer researcher committed nearly 30 acts of misconduct [Retraction Watch] The researcher, Sandra Dunn, is prominent in her field, but she left UBC in 2015 under unclear circumstances, shortly after it concluded its investigation. Dunn now heads a private company, Phoenix Molecular Designs, which says it develops therapies for cancer patients and lists local charities among its “partners and supporters.”
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
Should Big Data Pick Your Next Doctor? [Forbes] The company uses a database of some 700,000 physicians, 96% of the U.S. total, and merges it with insurance-claims data and biographical information to grade doctors based on the quality of their work.
	6.7.1 Bioinformatique
Research transparency depends on sharing computational tools, says John Ioannidis [Stanford Medicine] A team of scientists including Stanford’s John Ioannidis, MD, DSc, has proposed a set of principles to improve the transparency and reproducibility of computational methods used in all areas of research. The group’s summary of those principles, known as the Reproducibility Enhancement Principles, was published recently in a paper in Science.