Onco Actu du 23 mai 2019

	1. BIOLOGIE
Linking metabolism and cancer genes in common lung cancers [Institute of Cancer Research] Researchers have discovered that the two most common forms of lung cancer metabolise nutrients differently, revealing new vulnerabilities that could be exploited in future treatment for patients.
	2. ETIOLOGIE
Sleep apnoea possibly linked to cancer risk in women [NHS Choices] The study does not show that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes cancer. It only shows there may be a link between the 2 conditions. The low number of people who had cancer in the study shows it's unlikely that sleep apnoea has a big effect on cancer.
	2.11 ETIOLOGIE - ALIMENTATION
Poor diet may increase risk for preventable cancers [UPI] More than 80,000 invasive cancers diagnosed in 2015 may be linked to diet-related causes, according to new findings published Wednesday in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. That accounts for 5.2 percent of all cancers in the United States.
	2.6 ETIOLOGIE - ENVIRONNEMENT
Costly cancer lawsuits may spur search to replace world's most common weed killer [Science] Already hindered by the evolution of resistant weeds, glyphosate’s future is further clouded by new legal defeats.
U.S. judge appoints Ken Feinberg mediator for Bayer Roundup settlement talks [Reuters] Chhabria, who oversees some 900 federal Roundup lawsuits, on April 11 ordered the parties to start confidential mediation. He appointed Feinberg after the parties failed to agree on a mediator.
	2.7 ETIOLOGIE - OBÉSITÉ
Ultra-Processed Diet Leads to Extra Calories, Weight Gain [NIH Director's Blog] Both diets consisted of three daily meals, and volunteers were given permission to eat as much food as they liked. Importantly, a team of dieticians had carefully designed the ultra-processed and unprocessed meals such that they were well matched for total calories, calorie density, macronutrients, fiber, sugars, and salt.
	3.1 PRÉVENTION - TABAC
In landmark case, Brazil sues top tobacco firms to recover public health costs [Reuters] “Since the profit from this business is sent abroad, it is fair that these multinational companies pay for this responsibility they have left to Brazilian society,” prosecutor Davi Bressler said in the statement.
	4. DÉPISTAGE, DIAGNOSTIC ET PRONOSTIC
Using 3D to test personalised treatments in five days [Université de Genève] UNIGE researchers have developed a cell co-culture platform that can reproduce a patient’s tumour in 3D and test the best treatment combinations for its specific case in just five days.
	4.1 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - PROSTATE
New technique promises improved metastatic prostate cancer detection [American Institute of Physics] The device forces cell samples through tiny channels less than 10 microns wide. When prostate cancer cells are forced through these channels, the metastatic cells exhibit "blebbing," in which portions of the cell's outer layer bulges outward from the more rigid inner layer.
	4.10 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - POUMON
Deep Learning Model’s Potential to Increase the Accuracy of Lung Cancer Screening [ESMO] While the vast majority of patients remain unscreened, the authors draw attention on potentials for deep learning models to increase the accuracy, consistency and adoption of lung cancer screening worldwide.
	4.2 DÉP., DIAG. & PRONO. - GÉNOME
Metastatic Breast Cancer Genomes Point to Distinct Features, Tumor Evolution [Genome Web] A team from France, Switzerland, and the US has characterized genomic alterations that are specific to advanced, metastatic forms of breast cancer using exome sequence and clinical outcome data.
	5.1 TRAITEMENTS - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Fruit Fly Model Provides Personalized Cancer Therapy Recommendation [Genome Web] Specifically, the team altered orthologs of nine key driver genes identified through genomic analysis of a patient's tumor and conducted a robotic screen of the fruit fly models to find that a combination of trametinib and zoledronate could act as a cancer treatment option.
Genetically Personalized Fruit Flies Screen for Cancer Drugs [The Scientist] Fly avatars bearing multiple genetic changes akin to those of a cancer patient lead to a tailor-made treatment that has shrunk the patient’s tumors.
	5.12.1 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PARTENARIATS
Affimed hangs onto Genentech alliance after dropping stranded PhI program as CSO exits [EndPoints] That leaves AFM13 and AFM24 — both of which engage CD16A in immune cells — the stars of the show. The former targets CD30 in tumor cells, while the latter is designed to bind with EFGR.
	5.12.11 IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES - PRÉ-CLINIQUE
Penn Research Provides Insight into Genetic Link to Potential Treatment Response Among BRCA1/2 Breast Cancer Patients [Penn Medicine] “We had assumed that all BRCA1/2 cancers with the highest homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) scores were most likely have the strongest immune response,” said study author Susan Domchek. “But with this data, we now know that these assumptions were incorrect.”
	5.17 TRAITEMENTS - RADIOTHÉRAPIE
Proton therapy for cancer lowers risk of side effects [WUSTL] After controlling for differences between the groups, such as age and additional medical problems, the researchers found that patients receiving proton therapy experienced a two-thirds reduction in the relative risk of severe side effects within 90 days of treatment, compared with patients receiving X-ray radiation therapy.
Proton Therapy Lowers Risk of Side-Effects Compared to Conventional Radiation [Penn Medicine] Importantly, overall survival and disease-free survival were similar between the two groups, suggesting that the reduction in toxicity seen with proton therapy did not come at the cost effectiveness. While researchers say more study is needed, they point out that this study is the best information we have so far as randomized controlled trials continue to prove difficult to complete.
	5.2 PHARMA
Array's ‘extremely compelling’ new colon cancer data spark blockbuster talk [Fierce Pharma] Granted, the company has a long way to go to meet those high expectations. The trial, called Beacon, only involved previously treated patients, and the data didn’t answer key questions about the safety and durability of the treatment, Wall Street analysts concluded.
No news is bad news for Tocagen [Biopharma Dive] Tocagen said Tuesday its brain cancer trial has not been able to show so far that a combination therapy of experimental agents Toca 511 and Toca FC extended survival when compared with chemotherapy or Avastin. Investors took the announcement as a sign that the trial is likely to fail, as shares fell 35% Wednesday to a record low.
AstraZeneca Offers a Perch to Cancer High Flier Who Stumbled [Bloomberg] The second day into Jose Baselga’s tenure as head of AstraZeneca Plc’s cancer research, his new boss called him in to discuss a rival company’s drug. Under development by Daiichi Sankyo Co., it represented the latest generation of treatments the researcher had tested earlier in his career. The drug could transform the way doctors look at one of the most common forms of breast cancer, Baselga told Astra Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot, who was already thinking about a deal.
Another Eli Lilly oncology drug is in trouble, as Japan issues Verzenio safety warning [EndPoints] Japan’s health ministry last week issued an alert that 14 patients taking the drug had developed a serious lung disease — of which at least four were suspected to have been caused by Verzenio (abemaciclib), including one case of death, the Japan Times reported on Friday.
	5.2.2 PHARMA - FUSIONS & ACQUISITIONS
Amgen bids $167M to buy drug discovery shop Nuevolution [Fierce Biotech] Using the platform, Nuevolution synthesizes DNA-encoded small molecules and screens them for activity against targets. Amgen thinks the approach enables Nuevolution to quickly find candidates for hard-to-hit targets.
Amgen offers to swallow Denmark-based drug discovery partner in $167M deal [EndPoints] Nuevolution first tied up with the large US biotech in 2016 to work on finding fresh cancer and neuroscience drugs for Amgen.
	5.3 TRAITEMENTS - FDA, EMA, NICE...
Innovation Strategic Priority Project Report [ICMRA] There were two areas identified under the umbrella of horizon scanning: analysis of global best practices in horizon scanning methodologies and leveraging from the outcomes of horizon scanning (innovation of products and technologies and required expertise).
Drug regulators look to harmonize how they tackle innovation [EndPoints] The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) recently released a report on how various regulators worldwide are working together to better identify and address future regulatory challenges posed by new categories of therapeutics, like cell and gene therapies, and new tools for drug development, such as artificial intelligence (AI).
	5.5.4 ASCO (IMMUNOTHÉRAPIES)
5 novel immuno-oncology targets to know before ASCO [Biopharma Dive] Because Keytruda, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo, Roche's Tecentriq and others are the standard of care in many cancer settings, many new immunotherapies ultimately will need to show they work in tandem with the PD-(L)1 antibodies.
	6.1 OBSERVATION
Why Are Liver Cancer Death Rates Up? [Cancer Research Catalyst] Hepatitis C infection and the rise in obesity are suspected of fueling liver cancer increases in the U.S. Hepatitis C infection can now be treated with antiviral agents and often eliminated, but fatty liver disease may be a greater concern.
Study shows incidence rates of aggressive subtypes of uterine cancer rising [NIH] The increasing incidence of nonendometrioid subtypes is not likely explained by the rising prevalence of obesity and changes in use of hormone replacement therapy, as these factors are more strongly associated with the endometrioid subtypes, the rates of which remained more stable over the study period, Dr. Clarke explained.
The Mortality-to-Incidence Ratio Is Not a Valid Proxy for Cancer Survival [Journal of Global Oncology] The 1-M/I ratio lacks any theoretical basis as a proxy for cancer survival. It is not a valid proxy for cancer survival in practice, either, whether at 5 years or at any other time interval since diagnosis. It has none of the useful properties of a population-based survival estimate. It should not be used as a surrogate for cancer survival.
	6.10 POLITIQUES
How European scientists will spend €100 billion [Nature] The European Union has partially approved the shape of its next giant research-spending programme, but it faces political tensions.
	6.3 ASSOCIATIONS/FONDATIONS
Exposing drug industry funding of UK patient organisations [BMJ] The hierarchy of funding within each condition area also reflected the industry’s commercial priorities. In neoplasms, multiple myeloma attracted £7 495 729 (35.9%), followed by breast cancer (19.6%); 26 other types of cancer attracted less than 10% of funding. Diabetes received £3 741 181 (57.6%), the most of any endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic disease.
	6.6 PUBLICATIONS
Science in Europe: by the numbers [Nature] The region already hosts some of the world’s leading scientific countries, and some of its smaller states are quickly catching up.
PLOS Journals Now OPEN for Published Peer Review [PLOS Blog] Peer review history will have its own DOI enabling reviewers to take credit and earn citations for their contributions. If the reviewers have chosen to sign their reviews, their name will also appear on the published reviews but they can also chose to remain anonymous.
	6.9 CONTROVERSES
J&J's good news, bad news day in talc court yields win in South Carolina, $25M loss in New York [Fierce Pharma] As Johnson & Johnson continues to defend itself against allegations its talc powders can cause cancer, the company prevailed in a South Carolina trial and lost in New York on Tuesday.