Onco Actu du 10 avril 2019

	1. BIOLOGIE
New tool helps find genetic culprits in cancer’s spread [Yale] Using CRISPR gene editing technology, the researchers created a library with almost 12,000 unique constructs (DNA that can knock out genes in a cell) that target 325 pairs of genes implicated in metastasis in human cancers. Several of these pairings of mutant genes caused aggressive spread of tumors in mice, they found.
	4.12 BIOPSIES LIQUIDES
Blood-based screen for colon cancer shows promise [University of Wisconsin–Madison] In a study published April 8, 2019, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists identified four blood-based fingerprints – human protein markers – associated with the pre-cancerous forms of colon cancer that are most likely to develop into disease.
	4.2 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
More genetic testing needed for ovarian cancer patients, new research suggests [Stanford Medicine] The researchers used the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program to study women diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer in California and Georgia from 2013 to 2014. They linked information from the database with the results from four laboratories that provided most of the cancer genetic testing in the nation during that time period.
Fewer Women with Ovarian, Breast Cancer Undergo Genetic Testing than Expected [NCI] The findings, published April 9, 2019, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, were surprising, especially the low rate of testing among women with ovarian cancer, said lead author Allison Kurian, M.D., M.Sc., of Stanford University School of Medicine.
	4.3 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - INDUSTRIELS
Myriad Genetics Submits First Module of the Premarket Approval Application to FDA for the myChoice® HRD CDx Test [Myriad] myChoice HRD Is Intended to Identify Patients with Ovarian, Fallopian or Primary Peritoneal Cancer Who May Benefit from Treatment with Zejula (niriparib).
	5.1 TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Cancer-Killing Combination Therapies Unveiled with New Drug-Screening Tool [UCSF] “An important message from our work is that scientists can use leukemia cells as a platform to find drug combinations that also work in solid tumors. Our screening platform is very generalizable,” Roose said.
	5.12 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES
New Target for Cancer Immunotherapy: Exosomes [NIH Director's Blog] Blelloch notes that many intriguing questions remain. For example, it’s not yet clear why antibodies that target PD-L1 on cancer cells don’t disable PD-L1 found in exosomes.
	5.12.2 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - CAR-T, THÉRAPIES CELLULAIRES
Immune cells fighting blood cancer visualised for the first time [Institut Pasteur] Even if some CAR T cells are more active than others, they demonstrated that in general, a CAR T cell is capable of directly killing a tumor cell within approximately 25 minutes of recognizing its target.
	5.12.3 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES-COMBINAISONS
BeiGene lines up a next-gen CTLA-4 to complement its PD-1 pillar in new deal worth up to $270M [EndPoints] Through a development and commercialization pact with San Diego-based BioAtla, BeiGene is pairing its PD-1 drug tislelizumab with BA3071, a CTLA-4 blocking “conditionally active biologic” that gets turned on or off based on whether it’s inside the tumor microenvironment.
	5.2 PHARMA
Bayer cuts with one hand, adds cancer R&D jobs in Kendall Square with the other [Fierce Biotech] Around half of the new staffers will be researchers focused on targeted therapies to prevent cancer cells from proliferating, with the vast majority being hired from the local area.
	5.3.4 TRAITEMENTS - AMM (FDA, EMA,...)
Lynparza approved in EU for the treatment of germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative advanced breast cancer [AstraZeneca] First PARP inhibitor approved in the EU for patients with this difficult-to-treat disease and third EU approval for Lynparza.
	5.6 ESMO
ESMO Drives EU-level Action to Tackle Shortages of Essential Medicines [ESMO] Among other measures, ESMO recommends that a common European definition of medicine shortages be created and that EU-level strategic plans and actions be introduced to respond to such shortages.
	5.6.4 ESMO - POUMON
Studies give new insights on immunotherapy in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC [ESMO] Real-life study suggests shorter overall survival with immunotherapy in elderly. Pooled analysis demonstrates improved overall survival with immunotherapy.
	5.9.9 AACR - IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES
Immunotherapy Developers, Clinical Researchers Continue to Seek New Dx Strategies [Genome Web] Both areas (cytology and immunohistochemistry, gene expression signatures) were highlighted in presentations at last week's annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, amongst other efforts incorporating more peripheral protein markers, new methods for calculating microsatellite instability, and novel measures of tumor heterogeneity.
	6. LUTTE CONTRE LES CANCERS
CDC Issues Key Clarification on Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain [ASCO] Agency Clarifies CDC Guideline Not Meant to Limit Access to Appropriate Pain Management for Individuals with Cancer, Sickle Cell Disease.
On the use of surveys and interviews in social studies of cancer: understanding incoherence [ecancer] Drawing on our own research on the accessibility and affordability of cancer care in India, we present examples from interviews and identify some limitations inherent in survey-based research approaches. We argue that social studies of cancer require a more rigorous methodology to produce robust and reliable data.
Study cancer survivors [Nature] More and more people are living for years after treatment. Researchers should look for ways to identify and ease the long-term effects.
	6.11 PATIENTS
Cancer professionals need to be aware quality of life is an abstract concept for many patients [The Guardian] Far from fear-mongering, a thorough discussion about what it means to have impaired quality of life is vital for patients to make a fully informed choice. If doctors don’t offer such a discussion, patients and relatives should insist on it.
	6.7.1 IA/BIOINFORMATIQUE
Rethink government with AI [Nature] Policymakers should harness data to deliver public services that are responsive, efficient and fair, urge Helen Margetts and Cosmina Dorobantu.