Cancer Research Journal » Leukemia

Genetic Six-Pack Could Cause Common Leukemia

Lisa — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:12:22 +0000

Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom have discovered evidence that a combination of low-risk genes increase a person’s risk of developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of leukemia in the developed world. CLL will be diagnosed in approximately 10,000 Americans this year.

Close relatives of CLL patients are seven times likelier to develop the blood cancer than the general population. However, unlike the BRCA genes associated with breast cancer, scientists have been unable to locate a specific gene which identifies those at higher risk for CLL.

Instead of isolating one specific gene, Professor Robert Houlston and his team at The Institute of Cancer Research found a combination of six genes put patients at risk for CLL. The genes appeared to have only a marginal effect when passed on individually, but when all six genetic sequences were present the risk increased significantly.

Experts say the team’s findings may lead to more effective therapies and screening for CLL. As one doctor said,

“This finding is very exciting as it carries the possibility of improving treatments for individuals who we know are at risk of developing this leukaemia. Clinical applications are still a little while away but this is a very important step forward in understanding the basis of this common leukaemia.”

Dr David Grant
Scientific Consultant, Leukaemia Research

If you’d like to learn more, the study has been published in the August 31, 2008, online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.

If you’re a patient in the US with questions about CLL, you can visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.

Source: The Institute of Cancer Research (UK)

Technorati Tags: genomics; hematologic malignancy; hereditary cancers; oncology

MPD Blood Cancer Treatment Begins Human Trials

Lisa — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:27:30 +0000

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have begun Phase I clinical trials of a new drug designed to treat myeloproliferative diseases (MPD) that sometimes develop into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have already used the new drug, an orally-administered compound known as TG101348, to successfully treat chronic blood cancers in mice. Brigham and Women’s animal study showed the investigational drug dramatically increased survival rates without causing toxicity.

The TG101348 drug (designed by biopharmaceutical company TargeGen, Inc) works by targeting JAK2, a protein that promotes blood cell growth.

Mutations in JAK2 can produce runaway red and white blood cell growth leading to bone marrow damage, blood clots, painful spleen enlargement, excessive bleeding and infections. While some patients live for years with MPD, others develop AML — a potentially fatal form of blood cancer.

MPD affects approximately 80,000 patients in the US and limited treatment options currently exist. But TG101348’s promising results in mice have the scientists enthusiastic about testing it’s effectiveness in human trials. As one Dana-Farber researcher said,

“A betting person would be excited about this.”

Richard Stone, MD
Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

If you’d like to learn more about the TG101348 study, a report has been published in the April 7, 2008, edition of the journal Cancer Cell.

Source: Brigham and Women’s Hospital News

Technorati Tags: polycythemia vera; National Institutes of Health; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; MPD Foundation; Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Mayo Clinic; hematologic malignancies

Kanzius Machine Uses Radio Waves to Kill Cancer Cells

dc — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:47:34 +0000

Here’s a story from 60 Minutes about a device known as the Kanzius Machine that uses radio waves to destroy cancer cells.

Video Enclosure: 60 Minutes Story on Kanzius Machine

Developed by retired broadcaster and leukemia patient John Kanzius, the Kanzius Machine works by using a noninvasive radio wave generator to warm nanoparticles within cancer cells. This heating process is designed to kill the cancer cells while creating little or no damage to nearby healthy cells.

Though still years away from human trials, the Kanzius Machine has shown promise in pre-clinical experiments conducted by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University and TherMed LLC. Results of these tests demonstrated the Kanzius Machine destroyed liver cancer tumors in rabbits with no apparent side effects.

According to the study’s senior author,

These are promising, even exciting, preclinical results in this liver cancer model. Our next step is to look at ways to more precisely target the nanotubes so they attach to, and are taken up by, cancer cells while avoiding normal tissue.
Steven Curley, M.D.
M. D. Anderson Department of Surgical Oncology

You can find more information about the Kanzius Machine at the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation. Results of the study were published in the December 15, 2007 issues of the journal Cancer.

Source: 60 Minutes

Related stories: Health News Review; Wired.

Technorati tags: Houston; nanotubes

Minnesota Kids Get Laughing Gas Before Cancer Treatments

Lisa — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:54:48 +0000

Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota has won the Innovation of the Year in Patient Care Award from the Minnesota Hospital Association for making chemotherapy, CT scans and other medical procedures less frightening for children.

Children’s Hospitals and Clinics have been using nitrous oxide, a mild sedative commonly referred to as laughing gas, to relax young cancer patients before they get an IV, a spinal tap, or a catheter.

Until recently, most nitrous oxide was administered to US patients by dentists or by paramedics treating traumatic injuries in the field, but that may soon change. In Children’s Hospitals case, the practice has been so successful their doctors now offer nitrous oxide during 20 different procedures including relatively routine treatments like removing stitches.

Unlike deeper sedatives, patients administered nitrous oxide are awake so they can move and respond to the health professionals treating them, plus their muscles are relaxed so they frequently experience less pain. In addition, the effects of laughing gas wear off quicker (usually in 5 to 10 minutes) so the kids and their caregivers can resume other activities sooner.

One mother whose 11 year old son is battling leukemia said the nitrous technique has been a comfort to both of them and Children’s medical staff finds the program is making the cancer treatment process easier for professionals and patients alike. As one said,

“I wish we could have found it many, many years ago. I often wonder why we didn’t think of it.”

Mary Kay Farrell, RN
Radiology Nurse

If you’d like to learn more about other methods cancer patients use to relax, you can click here to visit the Mayo Clinic cancer treatment web site.

Source: WCCO.com (CBS)

FDA to AML Patients: Liquid Leukine Linked to Fainting

Lisa — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:30:15 +0000

The US Food and Drug Administration and Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals are withdrawing liquid Leukine® (sargramostim) from US markets after receiving reports the new formula causes patients to faint.

Leukine® is prescribed to fight infection in adult acute myelogenous leukemia patients who’ve undergone induction chemotherapy and others experiencing bone marrow transplant graft failure.

The withdrawal specifically applies to formulations of liquid Leukine® containing edentate disodium (EDTA). Lyophilized Leukine®, which does not contain EDTA, is still approved for medical use.

The FDA is advising healthcare professionals to immediately stop the use of liquid Leukine® and return all unused vials to the manufacturer.

Bayer announced it is establishing a special program to assist oncologists and hematologists who require priority access to lyophilized Leukine® due to the liquid formula’s withdrawal. More information on the return process can be obtained by calling Bayer toll-free at 1-888-842-2937.

Source: FDA MedWatch

Technorati Tags: adverse drug reactions; Berlex Laboratories; blood cancer; hematologic malignancy; immunotherapy; transplant rejection; pharmacology; syncope; Wayne, NJ; white blood cell/WBC count

Stanford Locates Human Progenitor Cell Linked to Leukemia

Lisa — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:06:49 +0000

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have isolated a human blood cell involved in the creation of all blood cells found in the body.

This cell, called the multipotent progenitor, is the offspring of stem cells found in bone marrow. Later generations of progenitor cells become the red blood cells, platelets, and immune cells which comprise human blood.

Earlier studies involving mice indicate mutations in progenitor cells may trigger a blood cancer known as acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML. Isolating the progenitor cell in humans will enable scientists to further investigate its role in AML and other blood diseases.

The findings may also benefit future bone marrow transplant patients because progenitor cells can be used to produce all the body’s different blood cells in a lab dish.

If you’d like to learn more, results of the research have been published in Cell Stem Cell.

Source: Stanford Medical Center Report

Tags: Irving Weissman, MD; Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD; Christopher Park, MD, PhD; Walter V. and Idun Y. Berry Foundation; NIH-funded; Palo Alto, CA; hematology; Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; hematologic oncology

Defense Contract Could Benefit Leukemia Patients

Lisa — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:55:48 +0000

A multi-million dollar government contract awarded to develop a treatment for military personnel attacked with radioactive weapons could also benefit leukemia patients whose bodies reject bone marrow transplants.

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc (NASDAQ: OSIR) will receive up to $224.7M from the US Department of Defense to speed development of Prochymal™, an intravenous drug designed to treat people accidentally or maliciously exposed to radiation. A portion of the funds will go to the Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) which is helping Osiris develop the drug.

Aside from its potential military applications, Prochymal™ is in late-stage human trials investigating its effectiveness as treatment for a potentially fatal inflammatory condition called graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) which commonly afflicts blood cancer patients after bone marrow transplants.

The drug is manufactured from mesenchymal stem cells extracted from healthy adult bone marrow. These extracted cells replace damaged cells in the patient helping restore their body’s repair functions.

Executives at the biotechnology company believe the Pentagon contract will facilitate the company’s efforts to develop the product for the treatment of a variety of diseases. As one company official explained,

“If you can clear the hurdles to get into the market, you make it easier for the rest of the therapies to reach patients.”

C. Randal Mills, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Osiris Therapeutics

Osiris plans to seek US Food and Drug Administration approval for Prochymal™ as a GvHD treatment by the end of the 2008 and a radiation exposure treatment in 2009. The company is also evaluating the drug as a potential therapy for Type I diabetes and Crohn’s disease.

If you’re interested in learning more about clinical trials open to leukemia patients in the United States, you can find out more at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Source: washingtonpost.com

Tags: hematologic oncology; pharmaceutical companies; bioterrorism

Can Space Cause Cancer? M-FISH May Give NASA Answers

Lisa — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:19:39 +0000

Officials at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would like to know if space travel increases an astronaut’s risk of developing leukemia.

To find out, they are turning to scientists at Stony Brook University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Texas.

The researchers will use mice and a $1.4M grant from NASA to investigate whether protons present in space radiation lead to cancer. Instead of launching the mice into space, the scientists will use particle beam accelerators at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory to simulate the types of radiation exposure encountered during space missions.

Once the mice are exposed to the protons, a high resolution genome study technique called multi-color fluorescence in site hybridization — commonly referred to mFISH or M-FISH — will be employed to evaluate how much chromosomal damage occurs in bone marrow cells.

While this study is primarily focused on leukemia, the team believes their study may yield insights into other cancers as well. As one mFISH expert explained,

“This method is robust and sensitive, and it enables us to examine the entire mouse genome and conduct studies to map out genomic instability caused by the radiation exposure.”

Kanokporn Noy Rithidech, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology
Stony Brook University Medical Center

If you’d like to learn more about radiation’s health effects, you can find additional information on the Environmental Protection Agency web site.

Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Tags: Department of Energy; nuclear physics; solar particles; blood cancers; hematology; radiation oncology; molecular epidemiology; cosmic radiation; biochemistry

Chloroquine Blocks Burkitt Lymphoma

Lisa — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:59:52 +0000

A study conducted by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital shows chloroquine, a common prescription drug used to treat malaria, prevents certain types of cancers from developing.

The Scripps and St Jude’s researchers used mouse models to test chloroquine’s impact on tumors. Their investigation revealed the drug blocked Burkitt lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and ataxia telangiectasia, an immunodeficiency disease that predisposes humans to leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers.

More research is required, but the scientists are hopeful this discovery will lead to the development of new drugs to prevent cancer. As one explained,

“The fact that the drug attacks premalignant cells, and cells that overexpress transcription factor MYC, a notorious contributor to tumorigenesis that is implicated in more than 70 percent of all cancers, make the use of this drug very attractive for chemoprevention and cancer treatment.”

John Cleveland
Dept of Cancer Biology, The Scripps Research Institute
Jupiter, Florida

The study has been published in the online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and is scheduled to appear in January 2008 print edition of JCI.

Source: US News & World Report

Related Links: Science Daily; ASscribe.org; azonano.com; unisi.it

Related Spanish Link: Ataxia-Telangiectasia from the University of Maryland Medical Center

Tags: A-T; chemotherapy; cancer drugs; oncology; amebicide; blood cancers; chromosome 8; Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL); Epstein-Barr Virus; Memphis, TN

Cancer Group Holds Charity Concert on Mount Everest

Lisa — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:55:29 +0000

The international charity Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF) has successfully completed an exhausting 14-day trek and acoustic rock concert at the base camp of Mount Everest to raise funds for the Nepal Cancer Relief Society.

Musicians from The Alarm, Stray Cats, The Fixx, Squeeze and other groups performed at the event held at an elevation of 18,500 feet.

Acclaimed MTV Unplugged producer Alex Coletti headed a documentary team to record the group’s preparations and the October 21st performance. Cancer survivor and musician Shannon Foley, executive director of LHSF in the United States, has contacted the Guinness Book of World Records to obtain formal recognition as the highest concert held on Earth.

In addition to raising funds for better equipment at the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital near Kathmandu, LHSF organizers hope the unusual event will increase awareness about the disease and the challenges patients in developing countries face when they require cancer treatment.

Source: lovehopestrength.com

Related Audio: Good News Broadcast from WhiteBlox.com

Tags: James Chippendale; CSI Entertainment; Denver; Mike Peters; leukemia survivor; non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor