RxPG News : Blood

Discovery that can lead to new drugs for Leukaemia

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:50:16 PST

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have discovered for the first time a pathway that makes cancerous leukaemia cells resistant to treatment.Published online in the journal Blood on Friday January 18, the discovery is the first stage in the development of new drugs that could significantly improve survival rates for leukaemia sufferers.

Screening for p53 would predict sensitivity to proteasome inhibitors

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 11:40:03 PST

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine have determined a way to pre-screen cancer patients to see if they are suitable candidates for proteasome inhibitors, a promising class of anti-cancer drugs. They propose to test for p53, a well-known tumor-suppressor protein that is broken down by cellular machinery called proteasomes. This study appears online in the journal Blood, in advance of print publication in June 2007.

Oblimersen enhances sensitivity to chemotherapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 03:36:18 PST

The first "antisense" drug to be tested in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) shows benefit in a phase III clinical trial for a specific subset of patients - those who are still sensitive to a chemotherapy drug often used to treat this cancer.

African-Americans receive fewer stem cell transplants than whites

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:56:43 PST

Lower transplant rates in ethnic communities may be explained somewhat by a lack of suitable anonymous donors, a problem the medical community has long known and been working to address. Surprisingly, the study found the discrepancy in treatment held true even when the transplant was autologous (e.g. self-donated stem cells were used) or when the cells were donated by a relative, typically a sibling.

Predicting response of treatment in Multiple Myeloma patients

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:50:40 PST

Researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, in cooperation with industry partners, have, for the first time, identified tumor specific alterations in the cellular pathway by which the multiple myeloma drug bortezomib (Velcade) works, and they have identified nine new genetic mutations in cancer cells that should increase a patient's chance of responding to the agent.The investigators say these findings, presented Sunday, Dec. 10, at the 2006 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in Orlando, may help physicians tailor treatment to patients with multiple myleoma, a difficult-to-treat cancer of plasma cells that is the second most common blood cancer in the United States.

Lenalidomide effective in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 11:19:06 PST

Patients treated with lenalidomide for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or disease that no longer responds to chemotherapy have experienced a major response to therapy, according to a phase II study conducted by Asher Chanan-Khan, MD, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI).

Medication errors affect children's leukemia treatment

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:34:00 PST

Almost one in five children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) does not receive the appropriate chemotherapy regimen due to medication errors, according to a new study. Published in the September 15, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that 10 percent of chemotherapeutic medications for outpatients were prescribed or administered incorrectly. Though most were of little clinical significance, in some patients the errors may have put the patients at risk either for relapse or for overdose-related complications.

JAK-STAT pathway inhibitors are likely to be effective against some leukemias

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 23:28:00 PST

New research indicates that drugs that target a cell growth pathway known as the JAK-STAT pathway are likely to be effective against certain chronic leukemias. Researchers recently discovered that a mutation in the JAK2 gene is responsible for the majority of cases of three rare kinds of chronic leukemia, all of which are resistant to the leukemia drug Gleevec. The new study identifies a second mutation in the same pathway that can also cause the disease, leading researchers to think that drugs targeting JAK-STAT signaling should be effective against leukemias caused by either mutation.

HO-1 in sickle cell disease

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 03:33:00 PST

Researchers have unexpectedly shown that sickle cell-associated kidney injury may be reduced by inhibiting the enzyme activity of a protein that commonly confers protection in other diseased states. The paper by Juncos et al., 'Anomalous renal effects of tin protoporphyrin in a murine model of sickle cell disease,' appears in the July issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Dasatinib treats resistant cases of CML

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:29:00 PST

An experimental therapy that battles drug resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) has proved "extremely effective" in fighting cancer, giving patients for whom all conventional therapies have failed another option, researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center reported.

HBZ protein enhance ability of HTLV-1 to establish persistent infection

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 19:56:00 PST

A protein made by a cancer-causing virus using an unusual gene enables that virus to infect immune cells and persist in the host, new research shows. The study examines the function of a protein called HBZ, which is made by the human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), a retrovirus and a distant cousin to HIV, the cause of AIDS.

Gene expression signature for Burkitt lymphoma identified

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:47:00 PST

An international research study involving the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the National Cancer Institute and 10 other institutions has successfully identified the gene expression signature for Burkitt lymphoma. The discovery, which is reported in the June 8 edition of The New England of Medicine, will allow physicians to better diagnose and treat Burkitt lymphoma and better distinguish it from another more common form of malignant lymphoma. Burkitt lymphoma is a rare aggressive B cell lymphoma that accounts for 30 to 50 percent of lymphomas in children but only 1 to 2 percent of lymphomas in adults. Burkitt lymphoma is rapidly fatal if untreated, but it is curable with intensive therapy. Burkitt lymphoma features a high degree of proliferation of the malignant cells and deregulation of the c-myc gene, which is characteristic of Burkitt lymphoma. The distinction between Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most common form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in adults, is critical, because the management of these two diseases differs. About 300 new cases of Burkitt lymphoma, typically in children, are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

Bcr-Abl mutation and the loss of Arf genes triggers an aggressive form of ALL

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:46:00 PST

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have used mouse models to determine why some forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are extremely aggressive and resist a drug that is effective in treating a different type of leukemia. The investigators found that the combination of a mutation called Bcr-Abl and the loss of both copies of the tumor suppressor gene Arf in bone marrow cells triggers an aggressive form of ALL. Inactivation of both Arf genes facilitated the multiplication of leukemic cells that did not respond to the drug imatinib (Gleevec®). Imatinib is already successfully used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), another blood cell cancer caused by the Bcr-Abl mutation.

New simple and inexpensive test for follow-up of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 15:14:00 PST

Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have developed a relatively simple and inexpensive test that identifies children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who have responded well enough to their first round of chemotherapy that they might be successfully treated with a much less aggressive follow-up treatment.

miRNAs abnormal signalling may lead to platelet-related leukemias

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 22:01:00 PST

Scientists have identified a handful of microRNAs (miRNAs) that appear to play a significant role in the development of platelets blood cells critical to the bodys ability to form clots following an injury. They also say some of these same miRNAs, when acting abnormally, may contribute to certain forms of leukemia.

DNA itself can act as a mutagen

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:01:00 PST

When otherwise normal DNA adopts an unusual shape called Z-DNA, it can lead to the kind of genetic instability associated with cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

New Drug VX-680 May Overcome Deadly Leukemia Mutation

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 22:08:00 PST

HHMI researchers have discovered how a new generation of drugs thwarts a deadly mutation that causes chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

Garden insecticides may increase leukaemia risk

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:22:00 PST

Household insecticides may increase the risk of leukemia, says a new study, reinforcing the theory that pesticide exposure may play a role in childhood acute leukaemia.

Childhood leukaemia linked with household insecticides

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:54:00 PST

Household insecticides may increase the risk of childhood leukaemia, suggests French research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine .

The cure rate for ALL could reach 90 percent

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 05:21:00 PST

The cure rate for the once almost universally fatal childhood cancer acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) could reach 90 percent in the near future, thanks to improvements in diagnosis and treatment over the past four decades, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

PCBs, Furans May Factor in Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 20:03:00 PST

Scientists have found some additional evidence that environmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a study published in the December 1 issue of Cancer Research. By comparing blood levels of PCBs in 100 pairs of healthy volunteers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, Anneclaire De Roos, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and colleagues determined that high levels of three specific molecular forms of PCBs are linked to an increased risk of developing cancer that starts in patients lymph tissue.

Test Vaccine Effective for Follicular Lymphoma

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:58:00 PST

A team of researchers has demonstrated the clinical efficacy and benefits of a vaccine for a type of blood cancer, follicular lymphoma, amongst first time relapse patients. Specialists from two University of Navarre centres the University Hospital and the Research Centre for Applied Medicine (CIMA) - have worked jointly since 2001 on the research.

Treatment advances for follicular lymphoma have reduced deaths by 70%

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 23:22:00 PST

New treatment advances for patients with follicular lymphoma, previously considered an incurable cancer, have reduced deaths in the first four years by 70 percent. A newly published study recommends that doctors carefully choose their patients' initial therapies because there are significant differences in overall survival rates, according to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

Risk of Lymphoma Higher Among People With Family History of Hematopoietic Malignancy

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 04:17:00 PST

A new study has confirmed the association between family history of hematopoietic malignancy--cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as leukemia and lymphoma--and the most common types of lymphoma.

New blood transplant method stops fatal side effect

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:35:00 PST

Findings published in the Sept. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that the new therapy pioneered at Stanford University School of Medicine has paid off for lymphoma and leukemia patients. Holmes became the 40th person to undergo this procedure after Stanford researchers had shown that it could boost the relative levels of regulatory T cells in the immune system of mice - an effect that turned out to be beneficial before undergoing a hematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplantation, a common treatment for blood cancers.

MicroRNA genes are involved in CLL development

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 04:52:00 PST

A new and unusual class of genes plays an important role in the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to new research here. At the same time, these genes may provide a new form of therapy for the disease.

Tositumomab Brings New Hope for Refractory Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:02:00 PST

Health Canada has approved a new treatment that could offer hope for those who suffer from what is considered an incurable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and who have failed on, or relapsed following, other treatments. Health Canada approved Bexxar(TM) (tositumomab and iodine I 131 tositumomab) therapy for the treatment of patients with CD20 positive relapsed or refractory, low grade, follicular, or transformed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including patients with rituximab- refractory NHL.

AMD-3100 May Help Cancer Patients in Need of Stem Cell Transplants

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:54:00 PST

A new drug may help cancer patients mobilize the cells necessary to restore their blood-forming system after high-dose chemotherapy, according to results from a clinical trial at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and at other centers across the nation.

Lenalidomide & dexamethasone combination shows promise for multiple myeloma treatment

Sun, 04 Sep 2005 07:16:00 PST

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center investigators report that combination therapy with lenalidomide (RevlimidTM) and dexamethasone (combination is called Rev/Dex) looks like a breakthrough treatment for multiple myeloma. Results of a Phase II clinical trial were published online Aug. 23 in Blood.

Viral protein vFLIP K13 of HHV8 appear to cause lymphoma

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:22:00 PST

A protein previously thought to merely hinder the activity of a key cellular protein linked to cancer cell death, now appears to mimic the cellular signaling of that protein; potentially leading to the development of lymphoma. The findings, published in the Aug. 22 online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), demonstrate that a viral protein associated with human herpesvirus 8, or HHV8, may help to cause lymphoma by activating a key pathway involved in the production of lymphocytes, a common cell type found in lymphoid tissue that divide over and over and eventually develop into lymphoma.

People who drink alcohol have a lower risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 20:26:00 PST

People who drink alcohol have a lower risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) than non-drinkers, researchers at Yale's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) write in an article published in Lancet Oncology.

REVLIMID gets Priority Review Status for the Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 21:25:00 PST

Celgene Corporation announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a Priority Review designation to its New Drug Application (NDA) for REVLIMID with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date by October 7, 2005. The Company is seeking approval to market REVLIMID as a targeted treatment for transfusion-dependent patients with low- and intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with deletion 5q chromosomal abnormality.

VX-680 : An Aurora Kinase Inhibitor Enters an Additional Phase I Study for its Use in Hematologic Cancers

Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:52:00 PST

Merck & Co, Inc and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced the initiation of an additional Phase I clinical study with VX-680, a small molecule inhibitor of Aurora kinases. The two-part, open-label, dose escalation study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of VX-680 when administered over a five-day treatment cycle in patients with hematologic cancers.

Genes linked to treatment resistance in leukemia

Sat, 04 Jun 2005 02:07:00 PST

Today, the most common childhood cancer is cured in about 80 percent of patients; only forty years ago, this number was closer to five percent. In efforts to further increase the survival rate, researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Chicago studied how an individual's genetics might play a role in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. Their findings will be published in the June 15, 2005, issue of Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

Novel combination overcomes drug-resistant myeloma

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 16:51:00 PST

A novel strategy devised by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists has proved highly effective in killing drug-resistant multiple myeloma cells in the laboratory and could open a new form of attack on the deadly blood cancer, they report.

Possible link between leukaemia and overhead power lines

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 16:47:00 PST

Children living close to high voltage overhead power lines at birth may be at an increased risk of leukaemia, finds a large study in this week's BMJ.

Removing the spleen may help fight leukemia

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:05:00 PST

Early surgical removal of the spleen combined with antiangiogenic cancer therapy may halt the progression of leukemia, according to scientists at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre.

FDA Gives Clearance to GRN163L for Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Mon, 23 May 2005 20:20:00 PST

Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN) announced today that it has obtained clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate clinical testing of its lead anti-cancer compound, GRN163L, in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The company filed its first Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for GRN163L in April 2005.

Lenalidomide Can Replace Blood Transfusions in Bone Marrow Disorder

Wed, 18 May 2005 01:45:00 PST

A new study reports that the drug lenalidomide (RevLimid) can help some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) avoid the need for blood transfusions, and even reduce or eliminate the genetic abnormality that characterizes the disease in this subset of patients.

Oblimersen Shows Promising Results in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Fri, 06 May 2005 10:20:00 PST

Researchers from Ohio University, University of Chicago, the National Cancer Institute and Genta, Inc. have reported a promising phase I study of Genasense (oblimersen) in untreated older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The details of this study appeared as an advanced on-line publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on April 11, 2005.

FDA to Discuss the Efficacy of Tipifarnib in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Thu, 05 May 2005 06:53:00 PST

The efficacy rate of Johnson & Johnson's oncologic Zarnestra (tipifarnib) in acute myeloid leukemia is likely to be the focus of discussion in FDA's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee's review on May 5.

Day Care in Infancy Protects Against Childhood Leukaemia

Fri, 29 Apr 2005 14:29:00 PST

Children who attend day care centres on a regular basis in the first few months of life are less likely to develop leukaemia than children who do not, finds a study published online by the BMJ today.

Pathways leading to childhood leukaemia identified

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 19:32:00 PST

The leading UK leukaemia research charity (LRF) reveals today (Friday) that major sign-posts along the pathways leading to childhood leukaemia have been identified.

Bortezomib Based Therapies may Become the New Standard of Care in Multiple Myeloma

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:57:00 PST

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLNM - News) today announced the presentation of positive clinical results for VELCADE in treating patients across the multiple myeloma (MM) treatment paradigm at the 10th Annual International Myeloma Workshop (IMW) in Sydney, Australia. Data regarding the use of VELCADE as a single agent and in combination with standard and emerging MM therapies were reported at the meeting.

Lenalidomide: A Novel Class of Immunomodulatory Drugs for Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Sat, 09 Apr 2005 10:31:00 PST

Celgene Corporation (Nasdaq: CELG - News) announced that it has completed the rolling submission of its New Drug Application (NDA) for REVLIMID (lenalidomide), an investigational drug, to the Division of Oncology Drug Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. The Company's NDA is seeking approval to market REVLIMID as a treatment for transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with a 5q deletion chromosomal abnormality.

Tipifarnib to be Reviewed for its Indication in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 07:03:00 PST

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will review Johnson & Johnsons Zarnestra (tipifarnib) May 5.

J&J is seeking an indication for treatment of patients 65 years and older with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

Genetically Modified Natural killer ( NK ) Cells can be Used to Kill Leukemic Cells

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:25:00 PST

Natural killer ( NK ) immune system cells can be genetically modified to brandish a powerful "on-switch" that prompts them to aggressively attack and kill leukemic cells. This finding, from researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, suggests a way to improve the outcome of children who receive treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia ( ALL ) or other blood cancers.

Genetically Enhanced NK cells developed to Eradicate Leukemia Cells

Sun, 27 Mar 2005 16:15:00 PST

Natural killer (NK) immune system cells can be genetically modified to brandish a powerful "on-switch" that prompts them to aggressively attack and kill leukemic cells. This finding, from researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, suggests a way to improve the outcome of children who receive treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or other blood cancers.

FDA Fully Approves Bortezomib for Treatment of Relapsed and Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Sat, 26 Mar 2005 10:02:00 PST

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Company's supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for VELCADE(Bortezomib). This approval expands the label to include the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have received at least one prior therapy.

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen protein EBNA3C crucial to its role in blood cancers

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 17:03:00 PST

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a link between a critical cancer pathway and an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) protein known to be expressed in a number of EBV-associated cancers. Their findings demonstrate a new mechanism by which EBV transforms human B cells from the immune system into cancerous cells, which can lead to development of B-cell lymphomas.

VAX100 : A Vaccine for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)

Wed, 02 Mar 2005 14:34:00 PST

Breakthrough Therapeutics, a privately owned biotechnology company, today announced the publication of positive data with a vaccine for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) known as VAX100, in the Journal Lancet.

VAX100 is a BCR-ABL peptide vaccine designed to reduce persistent disease in patients with CML whom have had stable disease during conventional therapy. Breakthrough Therapeutics has licensed the peptides associated with the BCR-ABL breakpoint (including those used in VAX100) from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Protein promoting stem cell survival might be key to poor leukemia prognosis

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 17:52:00 PST

The complex and life-sustaining series of steps by which hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) give rise to all of the bodys red and white blood cells and platelets has now been discovered to depend in large part on a single protein called Mcl-1.

Recent breakthroughs in common adult leukemia

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 18:31:00 PST

New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) recently invited three of the world's foremost experts on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to write an authoritative update covering the transformation in the scientific community's knowledge of CLL that has occurred over the past decade. The review appears in the February 24 issue.

Feverfew (Bachelor's Button) plant derivative attacks the roots of leukemia

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 19:33:00 PST

A daisy-like plant known as Feverfew or Bachelor's Button, found in gardens across North America, is the source of an agent that kills human leukemia stem cells like no other single therapy, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center have discovered. Their investigation is reported in the online edition of the journal, Blood.

Mouse studies reveal a new methylation target of human leukemia

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 16:28:00 PST

Researchers in The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center bred a type of mouse that develops acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The mouse first goes through a pre-leukemic stage marked by rapidly expanding T cells and natural killer cells, both major components of the immune system. Thanks to a handful of these special mice, scientists have discovered a new tumor suppressor gene and a unique chemical signature implicated in the development of human leukemia, findings that open up a treasure box of opportunity and possibility, study authors say.

More potent and highly selective therapy with AMN107 effective in treating Gleevec-resistant CML

Sat, 19 Feb 2005 16:53:00 PST

A new study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has shown that a potent and highly selective therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) may ultimately be more effective than Gleevec®, the current standard of care. The researchers report in the February issue of Cancer Cell that the new compound, AMN107, is about 20 times more potent than Gleevec and is effective in treating Gleevec-resistant disease in model systems. Discovered by and in development with Novartis Pharma AG, AMN107 is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Revlimid - new drug breakthorugh in Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 17:04:00 PST

Alan List, M.D., leader of the Hematologic Malignancies Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, recently conducted a phase I/II trial of the experimental drug Revlimid showing promise as an innovative way to treat patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a form of pre-leukemia. Given in pill form, Revlimid simultaneously blocks the growth of new blood vessels that nourish tumors (anti-angiogenesis) and stimulates the immune system to fight cancer cells.

Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitors For Advanced Multiple Myeloma,reaches Phase II

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 10:58:00 PST

HDAC inhibitors represent a new mechanistic class of anti-cancer therapeutics that target HDAC enzymes, and have been shown to: arrest growth of cancer cells (including drug resistant subtypes); induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death; promote differentiation; inhibit angiogenesis; and sensitize cancer cells to overcome drug resistance when used in combination with other anti-cancer agents.

Clinical significance of diminished protein Z in plasma

Sun, 09 Jan 2005 15:18:00 PST

The clinical significance of diminished protein Z in plasma is controversial. Studies in mice demonstrated that deficiency of protein Z dramatically increases the prothrombotic tendency of factor V Leiden mutation.

Model That Predicts Follicular Lymphoma Survival

Fri, 19 Nov 2004 22:03:00 PST

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have created a model that predicts the survival of follicular lymphoma patients based on the molecular characteristics of their tumors at diagnosis. The model is based on two sets of genes--called survival-associated signatures--whose activity was found to be associated with good or poor prognosis for patients with the cancer. The scientists' results, to be published in the November 18, 2004, New England Journal of Medicine* , suggest that immune cells infiltrating follicular lymphoma tumors have an important impact on survival--both signatures came from such immune cells.