Onco Actu du 24 juillet 2018

	1. Biologie
Breast cancer fuelled by mysterious Yin Yang protein [Imperial College London] The results revealed that two particular enhancers, regulating SLC9A3R1 and Yin Yang 1 genes, are activated at specific stages when they might help cancer cells grow and evade treatment. In particular Yin Yang1 was found to switch on SLC9A3R1, which helped tumours grow.
Experimental breast cancer drug could help patients with leukemia, too [FierceBiotech] In mouse models of T-ALL, the researchers used genetic engineering to block HSF1. That killed all the cancer cells without affecting healthy tissues, they discovered. Removing HSF1 did not interrupt the production of normal blood cells, they said, nor could they find any other adverse effects.
Rarity of cancer in elephants may help explain cancer in humans [Washington Post] Elephants have 100 times as many cells as humans. But they seldom get cancer. This is surprising, because cancer is a result of cell division gone wrong, and the more cells an organism has, the higher the chances that some will mutate into tumors. Also, because elephants live so long — between 60 and 70 years — their cells have more opportunities to mutate.
‘Hijacked’ Cell Response to Stress Reveals Promising Drug Targets for Blood Cancer [NYU Langone Health] Reporting in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers say their study is the first to directly link activation of HSF1, which is critical to the production of dozens of other proteins, including HSP90, to any leukemia.
	1.1 Biologie - Gènes
Analysis of prostate tumors reveals clues to cancer’s aggressiveness [WUSTL] “We saw too many repeated copies of DNA in this region of the genome. In some of these patients, the androgen receptor looks totally normal. But they have too much androgen receptor because the receptor’s regulatory region is dialed up, which would be missed by the protein-coding focused sequencing studies.”
Massive genome havoc in breast cancer is revealed [Cold Spring Harbor Lab] In their analysis, the team combined the results of long-read sequencing with results of another kind of experiment that reads the messages, or transcripts, that are being generated by activated genes. This fuller picture yielded an extraordinarily detailed account of how structural variations disrupt the genome in cancer cells and sheds light on how cancer cells rapidly evolve.
	2.6 Etiologie - Environnement
Monsanto's 'cancer-causing' weedkiller destroyed my life, dying man tells court [The Guardian] Johnson’s case has attracted international attention, with the judge allowing his team to present scientific arguments about glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide.
	4. Dépistage, diagnostic et pronostic
Crunching Numbers: What Cancer Screening Statistics Really Tell Us [NCI] An improvement in survival—how long a person lives after a cancer diagnosis—among people who have undergone a cancer screening test is often taken to imply that the test saves lives. But survival cannot be used accurately for this purpose because of several sources of bias.
	4.2 Dép., diag. & prono. - Génome
What do people know about genome sequencing and medicine? [Enseqlopedia] At the very least with questionnaires like KOGs we may be able to identify gaps in knowledge and consider how best to fill them before asking for consent. There’s a lot to do insofar as education of patients, doctors and other non-genetics healthcare providers, and the public.
	5.12.1 Immunothérapies - partenariats
Gritstone, Bristol-Myers Squibb to trial immunotherapy combos in solid tumors [FierceBiotech] The duo will first evaluate GRANITE-001 in tandem with Opdivo in patients with common solid tumors, such as metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and gastroesophageal, bladder and colorectal cancers, the companies said in a statement. The two-part phase 1 dose escalation trial will also test GRANITE-001 with systemic Opdivo and localized injection of Yervoy.
Kite and Gadeta Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Gamma Delta T Cell Receptor Technology for Solid Tumors [Gilead] This platform has the potential to combine the advantages of conventional T cells, which express alpha and beta TCR chains, with TCRs derived from gamma delta T cells that recognize novel targets in cancer cells, according to preclinical models evaluating the lead TEG candidates.
	5.12.3 Immunothérapies-combinaisons
Roche's Tecentriq extends its hot streak with liver cancer combo breakthrough [FiercePharma] The agency based the decision on phase 1b data, presented at last month’s American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, that showed the Tecentriq-Avastin pairing could provoke a response in 65% of study patients at a median 10.3 months of follow-up.
	5.12.5 Immunothérapies - Pharma
Bristol-Myers Squibb commercial chief Gordon jumps ship ahead of key Opdivo launch [FiercePharma] Right now, BMS is waiting as the FDA reviews its application for a combination of Opdivo and fellow immunotherapy Yervoy in that field. If Bristol can pick up a nod, though, it’ll be playing from behind, as archrival Keytruda from Merck already bears a chemo-combo OK that’s helped it build out a lead.
	5.2 Pharma
Lilly Oncology’s strategy? Listen to tough talk from patients—and save data for later [FiercePharma] Lilly Oncology’s marketing chief has some key words for pharma marketers: Don’t lead with scientific data. Put patients’ insights at the forefront instead—and in as creative a way as possible. That’s the focus of Lilly’s brand promotions for its next-generation drugs Cyramza, Lartruvo and Verzenio.
With FDA nod, Pfizer and Astellas’ Xtandi gets its shot at blockbuster sales boost [FiercePharma] The drug, already approved for metastatic disease, nabbed an agency green light Friday for nonmetastatic prostate cancer, a goal Pfizer and Astellas have had squarely in their sights since February, when they unveiled data from their phase 3 Prosper trial.
Celgene Announces Phase III ‘AUGMENT' Study of REVLIMID® in Combination with Rituximab (R²) for the Treatment of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Indolent Lymphoma Met Primary Endpoint [Celgene] Data from AUGMENT will be submitted to a future medical meeting and Celgene plans to prepare global regulatory submissions in the first quarter of 2019.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
Immunomedics announces clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca in first-line triple-negative breast and urothelial cancers [Immunomedics] Phase 1/2 Studies will Evaluate the Combination of Imfinzi® (Durvalumab) and Sacituzumab Govitecan in Previously-Untreated Patients with Triple-negative Breast Cancer and Urothelial Cancer.
Puma Biotechnology and Strata Oncology Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Enrollment in Neratinib HER2 Mutation Basket Study (SUMMIT Trial) [Puma] Under the terms of the agreement, Strata will exclusively refer HER2-mutated advanced cancer patients identified through the Strata Trial for consideration of enrollment to Puma’s SUMMIT Trial for neratinib.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
FDA Grants Approval of TIBSOVO®, the First Oral, Targeted Therapy for Adult Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia and an IDH1 Mutation [Agios] Approval of TIBSOVO® was Based on Phase 1 Study Results, Including Rate and Duration of Complete Remission (CR) and CR with Partial Hematologic Recovery (CRh) and Rate of Conversion to Transfusion Independence.
Agios wins FDA nod for targeted AML drug Tibsovo [FiercePharma] About 6% to 10% of AML patients have the IDH1 mutation, according to the biotech. Tibsovo is the only approved drug for patients with the mutation.
Novartis Kisqali® now first and only CDK4/6 inhibitor indicated in US as first-line therapy specifically for premenopausal women; and as initial therapy with fulvestrant in postmenopausal women [Novartis] FDA approval is based on MONALEESA-3 and MONALEESA-7 clinical trials, which demonstrated robust efficacy of Kisqali combination therapy in multiple treatment partners and settings.
FDA Approves Ivosidenib for Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukaemia [ESMO] FDA also approved the IDH1 assay for use in selecting patients for treatment with ivosidenib.
	6.4 Médico-éco
2019 Medicare Reimbursement Proposed Cuts a Bad Idea for Individuals with Cancer [ASCO] ASCO strongly opposes provisions in the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule that could significantly cut cancer care resources that are needed to provide high-quality care to individuals with cancer.
Doctors don't always recognize ‘financial toxicity’ of cancer [Reuters] Jagsi and her colleagues surveyed 2,502 patients with early stage breast cancer as well as 370 surgeons, 306 medical oncologists and 169 radiation oncologists who were treating them. Just over half of the medical oncologists said they had someone on their staff who often or always discussed the financial burdens of treatment with patients, as did 43.2 percent of radiation oncologists and 15.6 percent of surgeons.
	6.5 Médecines alternatives
Alternative Cancer Treatments May Be Bad for Your Health [NY Times] People who used herbs, acupuncture and other complementary treatments tended to die earlier than those who didn’t.
	6.6 Publications
Why Hasn’t the Academy Taken Back Control of Publishing Already? [The Scholarly Kitchen] Faculty tend to think of publishers not in their capacity as readers and rarely as an ongoing enterprise but as the organizations to which they would submit their own work. A publisher, in other words, is viewed purely as an editorial shop. But editorial is only one part of what publishers do, and it is in all the other aspects — production, marketing, cost controls, strategic planning — that commercial firms win out.
	6.7.2 Applis
Novartis community-focused NET app gets a 'featured' boost from Apple's App Store [FiercePharma] Developed with Numinous Games—which dreamed up the award-winning “That Dragon, Cancer” app about a young boy and his family’s journey through terminal cancer—along with input from the NET community, Galaxies of Hope uses visual storytelling and music to depict perspectives from patients, doctors and caregivers.