Onco Actu du 6 novembre 2018

	1. Biologie
Breast cancer cells become invasive by changing their identity [Karolinska Institutet] “Induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition may be described as a process resembling how boats in a harbour being unhitched from their anchoring points become ready to move out,” says Dr. Fuxe. “This is where a protein called CXADR, or CAR, comes in.”
Relapsed leukemia flies under immune system’s radar [WUSTL] The researchers found that the relapsed cancer cells did not have recurring genetic mutations that caused them to go into stealth mode by disabling the genes that control immune recognition. Rather, the cells possessed something like a “dimmer switch,” dialing down the expression of immune markers.
	1.4 Biologie - Technos
Upgraded computational tool boosts search for cancer vulnerabilities [Broad Institute] Using a new model dubbed DEMETER2, the Broad's Cancer Dependency Map team has compiled the largest dataset of genetic dependencies in cancer to date.
	3.1.1 Prévention - Tabac - e-cigs
Doctors don't know whether they should encourage smokers to switch to e-cigarettes [The Telegraph] The survey of more than 500 cancer specialists, GPs and nurses found more than half said they did not know enough about vaping to make recommendations to their patients. It comes despite advice from Public Health England (PHE) which suggests the devices are at least 95 per cent less harmful than cigarettes.
Teen vapers smoke just as much as youth who don't use e-cigarettes [Reuters] “Collectively, findings from this paper suggest that e-cigarette use may result in an overall adverse impact to the public health of youth and young adults.”
	4.12 Biopsies liquides
NCRI 2018: Using liquid biopsies to understand cancer treatment [institute of Cancer Research] The message from the session was exciting – that liquid biopsies are not only giving us new insight into how cancer develops, but are already starting to improve treatment for patients by guiding clinical decisions.
Blood Test Shows Promise for Detecting Genetic Changes in Brain Tumors [NCI] The test is still being investigated and is not ready for clinical use, according to the researchers.
	4.3 Dép., diag. & prono. - Industriels
Illumina Buys PacBio: More Thoughts [Omics! Omics!] And for anyone thinking this is the death knell of short reads, dump ice water on your head repeatedly until that idea goes away. Many forces will keep short reads in business for a long time. They're still cheaper. The workflows are far better established -- simple institutional inertia will slow adoption.
	5. Traitements
Ramirez: We no longer offer minimally invasive radical hysterectomy at MD Anderson [The Cancer Letter] “Basically, it was a bias by patients, bias by physicians that was driving this movement towards a growing embracing of the minimally invasive approach, without actually having cancer-related outcome data,” Ramirez said.
Minimally invasive surgery lowers survival in cervical cancer, new studies show [The Cancer Letter] “Taken together, these findings are practice-changing, and should prompt gynecologic oncologists to employ open surgical techniques for their patients with early cervical cancer who are candidates for radical surgery.”
	5.12.1 Immunothérapies - partenariats
Lilly and NextCure Announce Collaboration to Discover and Develop Novel Immuno-Oncology Medicines [Lilly] The collaboration seeks to discover novel cancer targets utilizing NextCure's proprietary FIND-IO™ platform.
After playing possum in I/O, Eli Lilly shows new signs of life with $40M-plus cash discovery deal for NextCure [EndPoints] The biotech has been developing its FIND-IO platform, exploring cell surfaces in search of new ways to trigger an immune response to cancer.
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Infinity Pharmaceuticals Announce a New Clinical Collaboration to Evaluate Opdivo (Nivolumab) in Combination with IPI-549 in Urothelial Cancer [BMS] Infinity will operationalize MARIO-275: MAcrophage Reprogramming in Immuno-Oncology, a global, randomized Phase 2 study to evaluate the effect of adding IPI-549 to Opdivo in checkpoint-naïve advanced urothelial cancer patients who have progressed or recurred following treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.
	5.12.8 Immunothérapies - Economie
Invectys secures €15 million equity financing to advance lead program INVAC-1 into groundbreaking phase II clinical trial in CLL [Invectys] Invectys is a biopharmaceutical company spun out from Institut Pasteur developing new immune-oncology treatments for patients affected by hematological and solid tumors. Its lead product INVAC-1 is a remarkable first-in-class molecule that sailed through its Phase I clinical trial.
	5.2.1 Pharma - Partenariats
In another try at lung cancer niche, J&J nabs a potential Tagrisso rival for $50M-plus [EndPoints] Korean drugmaker Yuhan is collecting $50 million upfront on the deal, which centers around lazertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor designed to target multiple mutations of the receptor.
	5.3.4 Traitements - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
Pfizer snags OK for Xalkori follow-up Lorbrena in its 3rd cancer approval in 2 months [FiercePharma] Lorbrena is the third recent drug in Pfizer’s stable to make its way into the FDA’s good graces. In September, the company snagged an approval for another targeted lung cancer med, EGFR-focused Vizimpro, and clearance for PARP inhibitor Talzenna followed in mid-October.
FDA approves lorlatinib for second- or third-line treatment of ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC [FDA] Approval was based on a subgroup of 215 patients with ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC, previously treated with one or more ALK kinase inhibitors, enrolled in a non‑randomized, dose-ranging and activity-estimating, multi‑cohort, multicenter study (Study B7461001; NCT01970865).
	6.1 Observation
‘Morning people’ have lower breast cancer risk [BBC News] They looked at 341 snippets of DNA (the instructions for the human body) that control whether we are likely to be a lark or an owl. They used this knowledge to perform an experiment on more than 180,000 women in the UK Biobank project and nearly 230,000 women in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium study.
	6.12 Ethique
Cancer Society Executive Resigns Amid Upset Over Corporate Partnerships [NY Times His departure was largely attributed to his dismay over some commercial partnerships, including with Herbalife International, the controversial supplements company, people close to him said.
	6.6 Publications
Wellcome is updating its open access policy [Wellcome] In aligning with Plan S, we will also join cOAlition S and work in partnership with our funding partners in Europe and beyond to support a transition to full, unrestricted and immediate access to all research articles.
In win for open access, two major funders won't cover publishing in hybrid journals [Science] The new policies, also from Wellcome, differ from the Plan S principles with respect to article processing fees for OA journals. Plan S aspires to cap these fees at a certain amount, but Wellcome, noting that publishers vary in how much they enhance articles, plans to continue to pay whatever fees the foundation deems “reasonable.”
Peer Review: The Worst Way to Judge Research, Except for All the Others [NY Times] A look at the system’s weaknesses, and possible ways to combat them.
Wellcome and Gates join bold European open-access plan [Nature] On 5 November, the London-based Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington, announced they were both joining ‘Plan S’, adding their weight to an initiative already backed by 13 research funders across Europe since its launch in September.
	6.7 DMP, Big Data & applis
Big Data Analysis Predicts Risk Of Radiotherapy Side Effects [NCRI] Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, have, for the first time, applied big data analytics to information from more than 700 men given radiotherapy to treat their prostate cancer.
	6.7.1 IA/bioinformatique
First Blockchain-based Genomic Data Marketplace Launches [The Scientist] EncrypGen will enable individuals to sell their deidentified data for research.
	6.7.3 DMP
Why Doctors Hate Their Computers [New Yorker] With Epic, paper lab-order slips, vital-signs charts, and hospital-ward records would disappear. We’d be greener, faster, better. But three years later I’ve come to feel that a system that promised to increase my mastery over my work has, instead, increased my work’s mastery over me. I’m not the only one.
	6.8 Communication
When medicine & media sugarcoat the true impact of patient harms [HealthNewsReview] Now think about what happens when journalists or marketing people try to translate these kinds of clinical trial results that are described in these ways in medical journals. The vague, subjective terminology serves to minimize the sense of potential harms, while the discussion of potential benefits is often emphasized and exaggerated.
	6.9 Controverses
Evolution Revolution: CRISPR in Cancer Care [Cure] CRISPR technology can edit the genetic code of most living things. How will it be used to prevent and treat cancer, and what are the ethical considerations?