Onco Actu du 4 avril 2018

	1. Biologie
Answers to 100-year-old mystery point to potential breast cancer therapies [Baylor College of Medicine] These and other findings allowed the researchers to connect for the first time the Warburg pathway to cancer growth. PFKFB4, an enzyme involved in the Warburg pathway, also is able to modify SRC-3, a potent driver of cancer growth. Absence of PFKFB4 or SRC-3, or the presence of an SRC-3 form that cannot be modified by PFKFB4, eliminates recurrence and metastasis.
New TCGA Papers Shed Light on Cancer Development [Genome Web] The first tranche of peer-reviewed papers related to the Pan-Cancer Atlas were published online today, with more expected to follow in five journals published by Cell Press.
	2.11 Etiologie - Alimentation
Coffee and Cancer: What the Research Really Shows [ACS] Overall, it seems that there may be health benefits to coffee drinking, but the risks remain unclear.
	3.7 Prévention - Alcool
NIH Turned Down Investigators Who Provoked Ire From Alcohol Industry [The Scientist] An email exchange and an unusual meeting suggest a connection between an institute’s pursuit of industry support and the rejection of a grant application.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
One centre for cancer diagnoses trialled [Pharmafile] The new centres will perform a battery of tests on those who are referred to the centres with symptoms that could be cancer, but aren’t immediately clearly indicating one type of cancer. This type of screening has been recommended to the NHS after it was successfully introduced in Denmark.
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
Liquid biopsy of cerebrospinal fluid for the precise characterization and molecular diagnosis of brain tumors [VHIO] These latest findings have not only unmasked the molecular characteristics of diffuse gliomas using CSF ctDNA as a liquid biopsy, but also promise a more precise and rapid diagnosis that could ultimately help to steer treatment decision making matched to the classification of these tumors.
'This is like finding a needle in a haystack': U of T researchers develop liquid biopsy technology for prostate cancer [University of Toronto] Kelley, lead investigator on the study published today in Nature Chemistry, explained how her team has advanced a completely new approach, using magnetic nanoparticles with DNA capture probes on their surface that can target circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood samples to see if the cells contains biomarkers associated with drug resistance.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
Home Genetic Tests May Be Riddled With Errors, And Companies Aren’t Keeping Track [HuffPost] Before you sign up for a home DNA test, learn more from this couple’s story.
	5.1 Traitements - Pré-clinique
Study reveals a way to make prostate cancer cells run out of energy and die [CSHL] The new findings, reported today in Cell Reports, suggest that such drugs have the potential to eliminate cancer cells at doses that leave healthy cells intact. The timing is critical, however. When glucose levels are high, this window of opportunity is completely lost. “The hope is that carefully timed administration of these drugs can generate a much better window of selective killing,” Trotman says.
Lung cancer drug shows promise as targeted therapy for thousands with breast cancer [Institute of Cancer Research] The discovery demonstrates that by inhibiting ROS1 – a form of cell surface receptor – cancer cells without fully-functioning E-cadherin proteins are unable to survive, paving the way for a brand new, targeted approach to treating the disease.
DNA-encoded molecules provide a new edge in cancer drug hunts [Novartis] Novartis researchers are using new technologies, such as DNA-encoded libraries, to find new ways to treat disease.
	5.10 Traitements - Essais
Cancer researchers push to relax rules for clinical trials [Nature] US government examines whether criteria for participating in drug studies unnecessarily exclude some people.
	5.12 Immunothérapies
Penn Study Maps Potential of Manipulating Gut Microbiome to Boost Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapies [Penn Medicine] Reporting in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insights, a team led by senior author Andrea Facciabene, PhD, a research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology and Obstetrics/Gynecology, found that the effectiveness of adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) in mice with cancer is significantly affected by differences in the natural makeup of gut bacteria and treatment with antibiotics.
	5.12.2 Immunothérapies - CAR-T
Cellectis and Allogene Therapeutics Intend to Continue Strategic Cancer Immunotherapy Collaboration to Accelerate Development and Commercialization of Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf CAR T Therapies [Cellectis] Allogene intends to assume from Pfizer the global strategic collaboration agreement originally formed with Cellectis in 2014.
Ex-Kite Execs Resurface with $300M and Control of Pfizer CAR-T Cells [Xconomy] UCART19 originated with Franco-American biotech Cellectis (NASDAQ: CLLS), which owns the gene-editing technology behind the product. Cellectis cut a deal with Servier in 2014, which in turn sold U.S. rights to Pfizer. Cellectis no longer controls UCART19 but stands to gain if it succeeds.
Pfizer in deal with Allogene to develop cancer cell therapies [Reuters] “The agreement marks a shift in Pfizer’s strategy from an active role to a passive role in the CAR-T space.”
They built a game-changing cancer-killing therapy. Now they’re taking on a new kind of CAR-T therapy [STAT] The first orders of business for Allogene, according to Chang: to support and accelerate the ongoing studies testing UCART19 in leukemia; to start trials testing UCART19 in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other forms of cancer; to move a second asset into the clinic; and to take control of the manufacturing process.
Pfizer and Allogene Therapeutics Enter Into Asset Contribution Agreement for Pfizer’s Allogeneic CAR T Immuno-oncology Portfolio [Allogene] Allogene Therapeutics, a Two River portfolio company, was formed with one of the largest Series A financings in biotechnology of $300 million.
Arie Belldegrun raises $300M, grabs Pfizer’s allogeneic CAR-T portfolio and launches a groundbreaking drive to commercialization [EndPoints] “I looked at the data and said ‘David, we need to do this, it’s a gold mine.’ It’s a deal I couldn’t refuse,” says Belldegrun. “We know it’s the future.”
They're Back! After Selling Kite, Belldegrun And Chang Seek To Change Cancer Treatment Again [Forbes] In 2014, Pfizer had partnered with the gene-editing company Cellectis to develop an off-the-shelf CART called UCART19, along with the technology behind it. Belldegrun says that Pfizer took a big-company approach to the technology, not developing one or two products, but putting a different team on each one.
	5.2 Pharma
AstraZeneca leukemia drug bags priority review status, setting up third-quarter approval [FierceBiotech] AstraZeneca has yet to share a look at the data but whatever it saw was compelling enough for the FDA put the filing on its fast track.
High-flying biotech Loxo tempers bullish view for cancer drug [Reuters] In an unusual move for biotech - where hype is often the norm - its founders are tempering expectations. They are quick to point out that their task ahead is no small one: Getting doctors and insurers to agree to testing several hundred thousand cancer patients to find the one percent, or less, whose tumor has the mutation its drug targets.
	5.2.3 Pharma - économie
The top 15 drug patent expirations of 2018 [FiercePharma] Leading all other drugs in this year’s top 15 patent expirations is Roche’s megablockbuster Rituxan. The drug's patent expiration comes as a biosimilar threat to that company continues to creep into the picture, forcing Roche to look to new launches for growth.
	6. Lutte contre les cancers
UK's first proton beam cancer centre to open in Newport [BBC News] Treatment is likely to cost about £60,000 a patient, but it is not yet clear whether Welsh NHS patients will be treated in Newport and discussions are continuing between the company and the Welsh NHS.
	6.1 Observation
For women with kidney cancer, belly fat matters [WUSTL] Abdominal fat linked to shorter survival.
	6.4 Médico-éco
Can Doctors Choose Between Saving Lives and Saving a Fortune? [NY Times] If expensive procedures explain some of the costs accrued by Americans, pharmaceutical prices and spending offer an even more alarming explanation.
	6.6 Publications
A Reality Check on Author Access to Open Access Publishing [Absolutely Maybe] As Kyle Siler and colleagues show in the field of global health research, the APC (Author Processing Charge for an open access publication) is adding a new stratification of researchers globally, between those who can afford open publishing in highly regarded journals, and those who can’t.
	6.7.1 IA/bioinformatique
UK can be ‘world leader in AI’ if NHS data can be tapped [Digital Health] “The penny has dropped and dropped very hard about the potential that can come from mobilising the NHS data set that we have,” O’Shaughnessy said. “While we want to unlock the potential [of data], we have to reassure the public that we will use their data safely, legally and securely.”