Onco Actu du 30 janvier

	1. Biologie
Oestrogen causes neuroblastoma cells to mature into neurons [Karolinska Institutet] The female sex hormone oestrogen can perform an important role in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer mainly affecting young children. In laboratory experiments, researchers at Karolinska Institutet demonstrate that oestrogen treatment and overexpression of the oestrogen receptor cause malignant neuroblastoma cells to mature into neuron-like cells.
	1.4 Biologie - Technos
Scientists use pocket-size device to map human genetic code [Reuters] Using a device about the size of a mobile phone and called a MinION, made by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, researchers from Britain, the United States and Canada said they were able to sequence much longer strands of DNA than previously, making the process cheaper and swifter.
Breakthrough leads to sequencing of a human genome using a pocket-sized device [University of Birmingham] A new nanopore technology for direct sequencing of long strands of DNA has resulted in the most complete human genome ever assembled with a single technology, scientists have revealed.
	3.1 Prévention - Tabac
American Association for Cancer Research Provides Comments to the FDA on Nicotine Replacement Therapies [AACR] The AACR Tobacco & Cancer Subcommittee recommends improving the appeal and nicotine delivery of NRT to increase uptake and efficacy of these smoking cessation products.
	3.1.1 Prévention - Tabac - e-cigs
E-cigarettes less harmful than conventional cigarettes, but may lead youth to start smoking, says National Academies report [The Cancer Letter] The report, commissioned by FDA at the direction of Congress, is the result of a comprehensive and systematic review of over 800 peer-reviewed studies on e-cigarettes.
Vaping may raise cancer and heart disease risk, study suggests [The Guardian] Nicotine in e-cigarettes may convert into DNA-damaging chemicals, mouse trial indicates, but critics say results are irrelevant to humans.
	4.9 Dép., diag. & prono. - Sein
Fake facts and alternative truths in medical research [BMC Medical Ethics] The objective of this study is to investigate how polarised research produce “polarised facts.” Mammography screening for breast cancer is applied as an example. A literature search identifies 8 studies publishing results for Overdiagnosis to Mortality Reduction Ratio (OMRR) and reveals that OMRR varies 25-fold, from 0.4 to 10.
	5. Traitements
Chemotherapy, a Trusty Weapon Against Cancer, Falls Out of Favor [Wall Street Journal] Breast-cancer doctors are at odds over whether some patients should get less chemo—or none at all.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
An Unlikely Treatment for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Prostate Cancer Drugs [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center] The recent JCO study reported results from 78 women with advanced triple-negative breast cancer that expressed the androgen receptor. The purpose of the phase II trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the prostate cancer drug enzalutamide (Xtandi®).
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Kiss-and-tell way to track cell contacts [Nature] The authors refer to this method of tracking a molecular ‘kiss’ between cells as LIPSTIC.
	5.12.9 Immunothérapies - SITC
Immuno-Oncology Conference Features Checkpoints, CAR-Ts and More [Cancer Health] This new way of looking at cancer could also be challenging for patient support and advocacy groups, which have traditionally been organized by cancer type.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Innate Pharma and MedImmune enter clinical trial collaboration [Innate Pharma] Innate Pharma and MedImmune will evaluate the combination of Innate Pharma’s first-in-class IPH5401 antibody and Imfinzi® (durvalumab) in a Phase I/II study for patients with selected solid tumors.
	5.2.2 Pharma - Fusions & Acquisitions
Sanofi CEO: $16 Billion Deal Binge Does Not Represent A Change In Strategy [Forbes] Today's purchase of Ablynx NV, a Belgium-based biotech firm, for $4.8 billion and last week's decision to buy Bioverativ, a U.S. firm focused on hemophilia, for $11.6 billion both met a stringent set of criteria: they had to be strategic, fitting Brandicourt's strategy in both cases of betting on rare diseases where treatments can have higher prices, a return on capital in a matter of three to five years, and, if possible, be accretive to earnings.
	5.3 Traitements - FDA, EMA, NICE...
Statement by Executive Director Guido Rasi in The Hague [EMA] There is yet another layer of complexity: EMA’s final building in Amsterdam will not be ready by then, so we will need to first move to temporary premises in the city, and then to the final building. This double transfer will force us to invest more resources.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
Olaparib Approved for Treating Some Breast Cancers with BRCA Gene Mutations [NCI] The primary endpoint of the trial—which was funded by olaparib’s manufacturer, AstraZeneca—was progression-free survival. In the study, median progression-free survival was 7.0 months for patients in the olaparib group compared with 4.2 months for patients in the standard-therapy group.
	5.4 Traitements - Economie
Trump says new health secretary will ‘get those prescription prices way down’ [STAT] Azar comes to the government from the drug company Eli Lilly — which itself is the target of scrutiny for raising the price of insulin. Exactly what Azar and Trump will do remains unclear.
New Cancer Drugs Fund benefiting thousands of patients and releasing £140million for the NHS [NHS England] Since the new CDF opened in July 2016, nearly 15,700 patients have benefited from the 52 drugs treating 81 different types of cancer. Of these patients, around 5,000 have received treatment sooner than they would have under the previous system.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
Upcoming Symposium to Feature New Research on Physical Activity, Sexual Aids, Follow-Up Care for Cancer Survivors [ASCO] Abstracts presented at the Symposium will focus on efforts to better understand the needs of millions of cancer survivors worldwide, and to develop comprehensive care models that meet those needs.
	6.10 Politiques
Brexit Health Alliance warns of UK at back of the medicine queue [Pharmafile] The report used the examples of Switzerland, Australia and Canada, as providing examples of countries that have struggled to attract new medicine applications prior to large markets, such as the US and the EU.
	6.3 Associations/Fondations
Gary Reedy describes plan for turning around the American Cancer Society [The Cancer Letter] Reedy is a pharma industry guy. He came up through SmithKline Beecham, Centocor, and J&J. After 37 years in pharma jobs, he is accustomed to cranking out tangible results, ambitious sales quotas, quantifiable targets, aggressive strategies.
	6.4 Médico-éco
Preventive Care Saves Money? Sorry, It’s Too Good to Be True [NY Times] Contrary to conventional wisdom, it tends to cost money, but it improves quality of life at a very reasonable price.
	6.6 Publications
Fixing Instead of Breaking, Part One — Open Citations [The Scholarly Kitchen] With so much broken by the Internet, we may be moving into a mode of fixing things. Are open citations part of the solution, or more of the problem?
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
Why Apple will succeed where other tech giants have failed: Helping people track their health info [CNBC] The health-technology landscape has dramatically changed. Ten years ago, when Microsoft and Google were battling to make the personal health record idea resonate with consumers, much of the basic infrastructure needed to spur adoption did not exist.
	6.8 Communication
Men can get breast cancer too. Let's add blue to the pink ribbon [The Telegraph] Men who once would have hidden their diagnosis away are now as determined to raise awareness and fight for their right to treatment as their female peers. Perhaps half the pink ribbon should be blue – as is beginning to be seen in the USA.