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Posts Tagged ‘Pancreatic cancer’

The “Guardian Of The Genome” p53 In Pancreatic Cancer

Curator: David Orchard-Webb, PhD

 

A recent next generation sequencing (NGS) study of PDAC samples found that the “guardian of the genome” p53 (TP53) had a total mutation rate of 50% (the literature suggests up to 75%) [1]. TP53 deletions occurred in 6% of samples. Missense mutation of p53 (44% of samples) can convert it from a tumour suppressor to a neo-oncogene. This curation collates recent articles of note with reference to p53 including function, drug development, and prognostics in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

 

Vaccines

 

Katchman, Benjamin A., Rodrigo Barderas, Rizwan Alam, Diego Chowell, Matthew S. Field, Laura J. Esserman, Garrick Wallstrom, et al. ‘Proteomic Mapping of p53 Immunogenicity in Pancreatic, Ovarian, and Breast Cancers’. Proteomics. Clinical Applications, 28 April 2016. doi:10.1002/prca.201500096.

 

Terashima, Takeshi, Eishiro Mizukoshi, Kuniaki Arai, Tatsuya Yamashita, Mariko Yoshida, Hajime Ota, Ichiro Onishi, et al. ‘P53, hTERT, WT-1, and VEGFR2 Are the Most Suitable Targets for Cancer Vaccine Therapy in HLA-A24 Positive Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma’. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy: CII 63, no. 5 (May 2014): 479–89. doi:10.1007/s00262-014-1529-8.

 

Drug targeting p53

 

Xu, Jing, Amit Singh, and Mansoor M. Amiji. ‘Redox-Responsive Targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles for Delivery of Combination Wt-p53 Expressing Plasmid DNA and Gemcitabine in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer’. BMC Cancer 14, no. 1 (2014): 75. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/14/75/.

 

Camp, E R, C Wang, E C Little, P M Watson, K F Pirollo, A Rait, D J Cole, E H Chang, and D K Watson. ‘Transferrin Receptor Targeting Nanomedicine Delivering Wild-Type p53 Gene Sensitizes Pancreatic Cancer to Gemcitabine Therapy’. Cancer Gene Therapy 20, no. 4 (April 2013): 222–28. doi:10.1038/cgt.2013.9.

 

Izetti, Patricia, Agnes Hautefeuille, Ana Lucia Abujamra, Caroline Brunetto de Farias, Juliana Giacomazzi, Bárbara Alemar, Guido Lenz, et al. ‘PRIMA-1, a Mutant p53 Reactivator, Induces Apoptosis and Enhances Chemotherapeutic Cytotoxicity in Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines’. Investigational New Drugs 32, no. 5 (October 2014): 783–94. doi:10.1007/s10637-014-0090-9.

 

Takei, Y., S. Okamoto, K. Kawamura, Y. Jiang, T. Morinaga, M. Shingyoji, I. Sekine, et al. ‘Expression of p53 Synergistically Augments Caspases-Mediated Apoptosis Induced by Replication-Competent Adenoviruses in Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells’. Cancer Gene Therapy 22, no. 9 (September 2015): 445–53. doi:10.1038/cgt.2015.33.

 

Li, Jinluan, Jianji Pan, Xianggao Zhu, Ying Su, Lingling Bao, Sufang Qiu, Changyan Zou, Yong Cai, Junxin Wu, and Ivan WK Tham. ‘Recombinant Adenovirus-p53 (Gendicine) Sensitizes a Pancreatic Carcinoma Cell Line to Radiation’. Chinese Journal of Cancer Research 25, no. 6 (2013): 715. http://www.cjcrcn.org/article/html_3076.html.

 

Hastie, Eric, Marcela Cataldi, Nury Steuerwald, and Valery Z. Grdzelishvili. ‘An Unexpected Inhibition of Antiviral Signaling by Virus-Encoded Tumor Suppressor p53 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells’. Virology 483 (September 2015): 126–40. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2015.04.017.

 

The Impact of p53 Status on Therapy

 

Kurahara, Hiroshi, Kosei Maemura, Yuko Mataki, Masahiko Sakoda, Hiroyuki Shinchi, and Shoji Natsugoe. ‘Impact of p53 and PDGFR-β Expression on Metastasis and Prognosis of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer’. World Journal of Surgery, 3 March 2016. doi:10.1007/s00268-016-3477-2.

 

Xiang, Jin-Feng, Wen-Quan Wang, Liang Liu, Hua-Xiang Xu, Chun-Tao Wu, Jing-Xuan Yang, Zi-Hao Qi, et al. ‘Mutant p53 Determines Pancreatic Cancer Poor Prognosis to Pancreatectomy through Upregulation of Cavin-1 in Patients with Preoperative Serum CA19-9 ≥ 1,000 U/mL’. Scientific Reports 6 (12 January 2016): 19222. doi:10.1038/srep19222.

 

Rajeshkumar, N. V., Prasanta Dutta, Shinichi Yabuuchi, Roeland F. de Wilde, Gary V. Martinez, Anne Le, Jurre J. Kamphorst, et al. ‘Therapeutic Targeting of the Warburg Effect in Pancreatic Cancer Relies on an Absence of p53 Function’. Cancer Research 75, no. 16 (15 August 2015): 3355–64. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0108.

 

Fiorini, Claudia, Marco Cordani, Chiara Padroni, Giovanni Blandino, Silvia Di Agostino, and Massimo Donadelli. ‘Mutant p53 Stimulates Chemoresistance of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cells to Gemcitabine’. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular Cell Research 1853, no. 1 (January 2015): 89–100. doi:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.10.003.

 

TP53 Function in Pancreatic Cancer

 

Bailey, J M, A M Hendley, K J Lafaro, M A Pruski, N C Jones, J Alsina, M Younes, et al. ‘p53 Mutations Cooperate with Oncogenic Kras to Promote Adenocarcinoma from Pancreatic Ductal Cells’. Oncogene, 23 November 2015. doi:10.1038/onc.2015.441.

 

Sheng, Weiwei, Ming Dong, Jianping Zhou, Xin Li, Qingfeng Liu, Qi Dong, and Feng Li. ‘Cooperation among Numb, MDM2 and p53 in the Development and Progression of Pancreatic Cancer’. Cell and Tissue Research 354, no. 2 (November 2013): 521–32. doi:10.1007/s00441-013-1679-6.

 

Weissmueller, Susann, Eusebio Manchado, Michael Saborowski, John P. Morris, Elvin Wagenblast, Carrie A. Davis, Sung-Hwan Moon, et al. ‘Mutant p53 Drives Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis through Cell-Autonomous PDGF Receptor β Signaling’. Cell 157, no. 2 (April 2014): 382–94. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2014.01.066.

 

Morton, J. P., P. Timpson, S. A. Karim, R. A. Ridgway, D. Athineos, B. Doyle, N. B. Jamieson, et al. ‘Mutant p53 Drives Metastasis and Overcomes Growth Arrest/senescence in Pancreatic Cancer’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107, no. 1 (5 January 2010): 246–51. doi:10.1073/pnas.0908428107.

 

Hamilton, Garth, Aswin G. Abraham, Jennifer Morton, Oliver Sampson, Dafni E. Pefani, Svetlana Khoronenkova, Anna Grawenda, et al. ‘AKT Regulates NPM Dependent ARF Localization and p53mut Stability in Tumors’. Oncotarget 5, no. 15 (2014): 6142–6167. http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/102649.

 

Sadagopan, S, M V Veettil, S Chakraborty, N Sharma-Walia, N Paudel, V Bottero, and B Chandran. ‘Angiogenin Functionally Interacts with p53 and Regulates p53-Mediated Apoptosis and Cell Survival’. Oncogene 31, no. 46 (15 November 2012): 4835–47. doi:10.1038/onc.2011.648.

 

TP53 and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)

 

Wörmann, Sonja M., Liang Song, Jiaoyu Ai, Kalliope N. Diakopoulos, Kivanc Görgülü, Dietrich Ruess, Andrew Campbell, et al. ‘Loss of P53 Function Activates JAK2-STAT3 Signaling to Promote Pancreatic Tumor Growth, Stroma Modification, and Gemcitabine Resistance in Mice and Is Associated With Patient Survival’. Gastroenterology, 18 March 2016. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.03.010.

 

Lee, Sun-Hye, Su-Jin Lee, Yeon Sang Jung, Yongbin Xu, Ho Sung Kang, Nam-Chul Ha, and Bum-Joon Park. ‘Blocking of p53-Snail Binding, Promoted by Oncogenic K-Ras, Recovers p53 Expression and Function’. Neoplasia 11, no. 1 (January 2009): 22–IN6. doi:10.1593/neo.81006.

 

Pancreatic Cancer Risk Factor

 

Sonoyama, Takayuki. ‘TP53 Codon 72 Polymorphism Is Associated with Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Males, Smokers and Drinkers’. Molecular Medicine Reports, 8 March 2011. doi:10.3892/mmr.2011.449.

 

3D PDAC in vitro Culture Models

 

Huang, Ling, Audrey Holtzinger, Ishaan Jagan, Michael BeGora, Ines Lohse, Nicholas Ngai, Cristina Nostro, et al. ‘Ductal Pancreatic Cancer Modeling and Drug Screening Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cell– and Patient-Derived Tumor Organoids’. Nature Medicine 21, no. 11 (26 October 2015): 1364–71. doi:10.1038/nm.3973.

 

REFERENCES

 

  1. Witkiewicz, Agnieszka K., Elizabeth A. McMillan, Uthra Balaji, GuemHee Baek, Wan-Chi Lin, John Mansour, Mehri Mollaee, et al. ‘Whole-Exome Sequencing of Pancreatic Cancer Defines Genetic Diversity and Therapeutic Targets’. Nature Communications 6 (9 April 2015): 6744. doi:10.1038/ncomms7744.

 

Other Related Articles Published In This Open Access Online Journal Include The Following:

 

p53 tumor drug resistance gene target

 

 

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Targeting KRAS Mutations In Pancreatic Tumours

Curator: David Orchard-Webb, PhD

 

In pancreatic cancer KRAS is mutated between 70-90%. Next generation sequencing suggests 90%, however it must be understood that the allelic frequency of KRAS mutation will not be 100% – not all the cells within the tumour will contain a KRAS mutation due to tumour heterogeneity [1]. Regardless of the exact figure KRAS mutation is more frequent in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) than in any other cancer and plays a role in cancer initiation and progression. The four most common KRAS mutations in PDAC are G12D > G12V > G12C > G13D [2]. The use of mutant RAS peptides as a cancer vaccine immunotherapy is an established concept and the nordic company Targovax has a RAS vaccine called TG01 in phase I/II clinical trials for pancreatic cancer.

 

Inhibiting the signalling activity of KRAS in pancreatic cancers is also attractive however failures most notably of the farnesyl transferase inhibitors in clinical trials has led to unwarranted pessimism. Two farnesyl transferase inhibitors have been tested and failed in clinical trials of pancreatic cancer, Tipifarnib (Johnson & Johnson), and L-778.123 (Merck & Co.) [3]. However farnesyltransferase inhibitors may still have a role in the treatment of a rare subset of pancreatic cancer patients. Importantly rare cases of complete response to farnesyltransferase inhibitors are known in pancreatic cancer patients [4]. Recently new drug targets that shut-down mutated RAS signalling have emerged.

 

Small molecule competitive binders of the prenyl-binding protein PDEδ have been developed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany. RAS localisation to the membrane is essential for its signalling in cancer. RAS proteins are farnesylated and this modulates their localisation to the plasma membrane. The farnesyl tail of RAS is bound by PDEδ which facilitates its transport to the plasma membrane. A series of compounds with ever greater affinity for the PDEδ pocket that binds RAS have been synthesised. Deltazinone was their first generation compound and Deltarasin their second generation compound [5, 6]. The Dortmund group have shown in pancreatic cancer cell lines with mutated KRAS that these compounds reduce cell proliferation.

 

A new small molecule called Rigosertib has been developed by the laboratory of E. Premkumar Reddy (New York) and collaborators which binds to the RAS-binding domain (RBD) present in proteins that interact with RAS and thus block this interaction, nullifying activated RAS [7]. Rigosertib dramatically reduced the growth of human HCT116 colon cancer cell line implanted as a mouse xenograft. It also reduced the number of Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PanIN) lesions, precursors of PDAC, present in KRAS mutant mice.

 

It will be important to further refine these compounds into leads for preclinical development through to investigational new drug (IND) submission as they are very promising developments for RAS active tumours such as PDAC.

 

REFERENCES

 

  1. Lennerz, Jochen K., and Albrecht Stenzinger. ‘Allelic Ratio of KRAS Mutations in Pancreatic Cancer’. The Oncologist 20, no. 4 (2015): e8–e9. http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/20/4/e8.short.
  2. Stephen, Andrew G., Dominic Esposito, Rachel K. Bagni, and Frank McCormick. ‘Dragging Ras Back in the Ring’. Cancer Cell 25, no. 3 (March 2014): 272–81. doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2014.02.017.
  3. Orchard­-Webb D. 2015. Future Directions in Pancreatic Cancer Therapy. JOP. Journal of the Pancreas 16:249­-255.
  4. Ledford, Heidi. ‘Cancer Researchers Revisit “Failed” Clinical Trials’. Nature, 18 April 2013. doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12835.
  5. Zimmermann, Gunther, Björn Papke, Shehab Ismail, Nachiket Vartak, Anchal Chandra, Maike Hoffmann, Stephan A. Hahn, et al. ‘Small Molecule Inhibition of the KRAS-PDEδ Interaction Impairs Oncogenic KRAS Signalling’. Nature 497, no. 7451 (30 May 2013): 638–42. doi:10.1038/nature12205.
  6. Papke, Björn, Sandip Murarka, Holger A Vogel, Pablo Martín-Gago, Marija Kovacevic, Dina C Truxius, Eyad K Fansa, et al. ‘Identification of Pyrazolopyridazinones as PDEδ Inhibitors’. Nature Communications 7 (20 April 2016): 11360. doi:10.1038/ncomms11360.
  7. Athuluri-Divakar, Sai Krishna, Rodrigo Vasquez-Del Carpio, Kaushik Dutta, Stacey J. Baker, Stephen C. Cosenza, Indranil Basu, Yogesh K. Gupta, et al. ‘A Small Molecule RAS-Mimetic Disrupts RAS Association with Effector Proteins to Block Signaling’. Cell 165, no. 3 (21 April 2016): 643–55. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.03.045.

 

Other Related Articles Published In This Open Access Online Journal Include The Following:

 

Mutations in RAS genes

Immune System Stimulants: Articles of Note @pharmaceuticalintelligence.com

 

 

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Targeting Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) As A Therapy Strategy For Pancreatic Cancer

Curator: David Orchard-Webb, PhD

 

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a mechanism by which cells of an epithelial phenotype dedifferentiate to a plastic mesenchymal phenotype. The epithelial cell rearranges its actin cytoskeleton from a cortical tight junction associated ring to form elongated stress fibres, redistributes and down regulates its cell-cell contacts, loses its polarity, and upregulates mesenchymal markers including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and vimentin [1]. The cell changes the composition of its extracellular matrix (ECM) contacts and secretes matrix metalloproteinases [2]. EMT has a role during development [3], chronic fibrotic disorders [4], and a postulated role in epithelial cancer metastasis [5].

 

 c6-tgf
Mouse mammary cell line induced to EMT with TGFβ1. Image Source: David Orchard-Webb.

 

 

Inflammatory signalling associated with pancreatitis is a driver of both pancreatic cancer and EMT [4,8]. Pancreatic cancer has a large stromal component that has therapeutic implications such as reduced drug tumour penetrance [9]. EMT is a mechanism of pancreatic stroma generation and may generate cancer stem-like cells [10]. This suggests a strategy for success in pancreatic cancer therapy. Cancer stem cells and stroma are major impediments to current therapeutics therefore targeting EMT is strategically viable to enhance their effectiveness.

 

A number of drug candidates have entered clinical trial which target EMT pathways. Curcumin which can reverse the EMT phenotype in vitro, has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of gemcitabine, the first FDA approved chemotherapeutic for pancreatic cancer [11]. Prism Pharma Co., Ltd. has developed a Wnt pathway inhibitor that may be effective in pancreatic cancer, however the associated phase I trial had to be terminated in 2015 due to low enrolment [14]. There are ongoing clinical trials targeting the hedgehog pathway which plays a role in EMT, in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) [12, 13].

 

STATs are transcription factors which are normally present in the cytoplasm and activated by inflammatory signalling associated with EMT which leads to their nuclear import [15]. STAT3 expression is maintained and constitutive activation has been reported in at least 30% of pancreatic cancers [6]. STAT3 is not active in normal pancreatic tissue but its activation is required in the early stages of pancreatic cancer progression. A means to eliminate STAT3 has been developed by Astrazeneca – stable systemically delivered siRNA which has completed phase I clinical trials [7]. This may prove beneficial in combination with standard chemotherapeutics.

 

In summary a number of EMT pathway targeting therapeutics are in development which have the potential to target pancreatic cancer stem cells, which could reduce cancer recurrence, and deplete the cancer associated stroma which should improve the penetrance of existing therapeutics and may help relieve suppression of the immune system by pancreatic tumours.

 

REFERENCES

  1. Savagner, P. 2001. Leaving the neighborhood: molecular mechanisms involved during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. BioEssays. 23: 912-923.
  2. LaGamba, D. Nawshad, A. and Hay, E.D. 2005. Microarray analysis of gene expression during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation. Dev Dyn. 234: 132-42
  3. Hay, E.D. 1995. An overview of Epithelio-Mesenchymal Transformation. Acta Anat (Basel). 154: 8-20.
  4. Kalluri, R. and Neilson, E.G. 2003. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and its implications for fibrosis. J Clin Invest. 112: 1776-84.
  5. Thiery, J.P. 2002. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions in tumour progression. Nat Rev Cancer. 2: 442–454.
  6. Corcoran, R. B., G. Contino, V. Deshpande, A. Tzatsos, C. Conrad, C. H. Benes, D. E. Levy, J. Settleman, J. A. Engelman, and N. Bardeesy. ‘STAT3 Plays a Critical Role in KRAS-Induced Pancreatic Tumorigenesis’. Cancer Research 71, no. 14 (15 July 2011): 5020–29. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-11-0908.
  7. Hong, David, Razelle Kurzrock, Youngsoo Kim, Richard Woessner, Anas Younes, John Nemunaitis, Nathan Fowler, et al. ‘AZD9150, a next-Generation Antisense Oligonucleotide Inhibitor of STAT3 with Early Evidence of Clinical Activity in Lymphoma and Lung Cancer’. Science Translational Medicine 7, no. 314 (18 November 2015): 314ra185. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5272.
  8. Guerra, Carmen, Alberto J. Schuhmacher, Marta Cañamero, Paul J. Grippo, Lena Verdaguer, Lucía Pérez-Gallego, Pierre Dubus, Eric P. Sandgren, and Mariano Barbacid. ‘Chronic Pancreatitis Is Essential for Induction of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma by K-Ras Oncogenes in Adult Mice’. Cancer Cell 11, no. 3 (March 2007): 291–302. doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2007.01.012.
  9. Xie, Dacheng, and Keping Xie. ‘Pancreatic Cancer Stromal Biology and Therapy’. Genes & Diseases 2, no. 2 (June 2015): 133–43. doi:10.1016/j.gendis.2015.01.002.
  10. Dangi-Garimella, Surabhi, Seth B. Krantz, Mario A. Shields, Paul J. Grippo, and Hidayatullah G. Munshi. ‘Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Pancreatic Cancer Progression’. In Pancreatic Cancer and Tumor Microenvironment, edited by Paul J. Grippo and Hidayatullah G. Munshi. Trivandrum (India): Transworld Research Network, 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK98932/.
  11. Osterman, Carlos J. Díaz, and Nathan R. Wall. ‘Curcumin and Pancreatic Cancer: A Research and Clinical Update’. Journal of Nature and Science 1, no. 6 (2015): 124. http://www.jnsci.org/files/html/e124.htm.
  12. ‘Hedgehog Inhibitors for Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas – Full Text View – ClinicalTrials.gov’. Accessed 18 April 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01088815.
  13. Singh, Brahma N., Junsheng Fu, Rakesh K. Srivastava, and Sharmila Shankar. ‘Hedgehog Signaling Antagonist GDC-0449 (Vismodegib) Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics: Molecular Mechanisms’. PLOS ONE 6, no. 11 (8 November 2011): e27306. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027306.
  14. ‘Safety and Efficacy Study of PRI-724 in Subjects With Advanced Solid Tumors – Full Text View – ClinicalTrials.gov’. Accessed 18 April 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01302405.
  15. Kaplan, Mark H. ‘STAT Signaling in Inflammation’. JAK-STAT 2, no. 1 (January 2013): e24198. doi:10.4161/jkst.24198.

 

Other Related Articles Published In This Open Access Online Journal Include The Following:

 

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/11/30/histone-deacetylase-inhibitors-induce-epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition-in-prostate-cancer-cells/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/02/24/inhibiting-the-gene-protein-kinase-d1-pkd1-and-its-protein-could-stop-spread-of-this-form-of-pancreatic-cancer/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2014/06/01/locally-advanced-pancreatic-cancer-efficacy-of-folfirinox/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2014/04/10/consortium-of-european-research-institutions-and-private-partners-will-develop-a-microfluidics-based-lab-on-a-chip-device-to-identify-pancreatic-cancer-circulating-tumor-cells-ctc-in-blood/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/10/21/whats-new-in-pancreatic-cancer-research-and-treatment/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/04/11/update-on-pancreatic-cancer/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/04/10/targeting-the-wnt-pathway-7-11/

https://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2015/10/29/gene-amplification-and-activation-of-the-hedgehog-pathway/

 

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Glypican-1 identifies cancer exosomes

Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP, Curator

LPBI

Glypican-1 identifies cancer exosomes and detects early pancreatic cancer

Sonia A. MeloLinda B. LueckeChristoph KahlertAgustin F. FernandezSeth T. GammonJudith Kaye, et al.

Nature (09 July 2015); 523: 177–182     http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/nature14581

Most cells shed so-called extracellular vesicles or exosomes consisting of proteins and nucleic acids enclosed in phospholipid bilayers. Exosomes derived from cancer cells can be isolated.

Exosomes are lipid-bilayer-enclosed extracellular vesicles that contain proteins and nucleic acids. They are secreted by all cells and circulate in the blood. Specific detection and isolation of cancer-cell-derived exosomes in the circulation is currently lacking. Using mass spectrometry analyses, we identify a cell surface proteoglycan, glypican-1 (GPC1), specifically enriched on cancer-cell-derived exosomes. GPC1+ circulating exosomes (crExos) were monitored and isolated using flow cytometry from the serum of patients and mice with cancer. GPC1+ crExos were detected in the serum of patients with pancreatic cancer with absolute specificity and sensitivity, distinguishing healthy subjects and patients with a benign pancreatic disease from patients with early- and late-stage pancreatic cancer. Levels of GPC1+ crExos correlate with tumour burden and the survival of pre- and post-surgical patients. GPC1+ crExos from patients and from mice with spontaneous pancreatic tumours carry specific KRAS mutations, and reliably detect pancreatic intraepithelial lesions in mice despite negative signals by magnetic resonance imaging. GPC1+ crExos may serve as a potential non-invasive diagnostic and screening tool to detect early stages of pancreatic cancer to facilitate possible curative surgical therapy.

Figure 1: GPC1 is present on cancer exosomes.

GPC1 is present on cancer exosomes.

a, Venn diagram of proteins from NIH/3T3 (blue), MCF10A (red), HDF (green), E10 (yellow) and MDA-MB-231 (purple) exosomes. In total, 48 proteins were exclusively detected in MDA-MB-231 exosomes (n = 3 protein samples,…

Figure 2: GPC1+ crExos are a non-invasive biomarker for pancreatic cancer.

GPC1+ crExos are a non-invasive biomarker for pancreatic cancer.

a, Percentage of GPC1+crExo beads in healthy donors, patients with breast cancer and patients with PDAC (analysis of variance (ANOVA), post-hoc Tamhane T2, ****P < 0.0001). b, Frequency ofKRAS mutation in 47 tumours…

Figure 3: Levels of circulating GPC1+exosomes inform pancreatic cancer resection outcome.

Levels of circulating GPC1+ exosomes inform pancreatic cancer resection outcome.

a, Longitudinal blood collection pre- and post-operatively (day 7). b, Percentage of GPC1+crExo beads from patients with BPD (n = 4), PCPL (n = 4) or PDAC (n = 29) (paired two-tailed Student’s t-test, **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001). Data a…

Cancer: Diagnosis by extracellular vesicles

Nature (09 July 2015); 523: 161–162.   http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/nature14626

The detection of a single molecule anchored to circulating extracellular vesicles allows late-stage pancreatic cancer to be identified from just one drop of a patient’s blood. See Article p.177

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Oxidative stress inhibits distant metastasis by human melanoma cells

Elena PiskounovaMichalis AgathocleousMalea M. MurphyZeping HuSara E. HuddlestunZhiyu Zhao, et al.

Nature 14 Oct 2015      http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/nature15726

Solid cancer cells commonly enter the blood and disseminate systemically, but are highly inefficient at forming distant metastases for poorly understood reasons. Here we studied human melanomas that differed in their metastasis histories in patients and in their capacity to metastasize in NOD-SCID-Il2rg−/− (NSG) mice. We show that melanomas had high frequencies of cells that formed subcutaneous tumours, but much lower percentages of cells that formed tumours after intravenous or intrasplenic transplantation, particularly among inefficiently metastasizing melanomas. Melanoma cells in the blood and visceral organs experienced oxidative stress not observed in established subcutaneous tumours. Successfully metastasizing melanomas underwent reversible metabolic changes during metastasis that increased their capacity to withstand oxidative stress, including increased dependence on NADPH-generating enzymes in the folate pathway. Antioxidants promoted distant metastasis in NSG mice. Folate pathway inhibition using low-dose methotrexate, ALDH1L2 knockdown, or MTHFD1 knockdown inhibited distant metastasis without significantly affecting the growth of subcutaneous tumours in the same mice. Oxidative stress thus limits distant metastasis by melanoma cells in vivo.

Lymph node-independent liver metastasis in a model of metastatic colorectal cancer

Ida B. EnquistZinaida GoodAdrian M. JubbGermaine FuhXi WangMelissa R. JunttilaErica L. Jackson & Kevin G. Leong

Nature Communications  26 Mar 2014; 3530(5)    http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/ncomms4530

Deciphering metastatic routes is critically important as metastasis is a primary cause of cancer mortality. In colorectal cancer (CRC), it is unknown whether liver metastases derive from cancer cells that first colonize intestinal lymph nodes, or whether such metastases can form without prior lymph node involvement. A lack of relevant metastatic CRC models has precluded investigations into metastatic routes. Here we describe a metastatic CRC mouse model and show that liver metastases can manifest without a lymph node metastatic intermediary. Colorectal tumours transplanted onto the colonic mucosa invade and metastasize to specific target organs including the intestinal lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Importantly, this metastatic pattern differs from that observed following caecum implantation, which invariably involves peritoneal carcinomatosis. Anti-angiogenesis inhibits liver metastasis, yet anti-lymphangiogenesis does not impact liver metastasis despite abrogating lymph node metastasis. Our data demonstrate direct hematogenous spread as a dissemination route that contributes to CRC liver malignancy.

Comprehensive models of human primary and metastatic colorectal tumors in immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice by chemokine targeting

Huanhuan Joyce ChenJian SunZhiliang HuangHarry Hou JrMyra ArcillaNikolai RakhilinDaniel J JoeJiahn ChoiPoornima GadamsettyJeff MilsomGovind NandakumarRandy LongmanXi Kathy Zhou, et al.

Nature Biotechnology (2015);  33:656–660    http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/nbt.3239

Current orthotopic xenograft models of human colorectal cancer (CRC) require surgery and do not robustly form metastases in the liver, the most common site clinically. CCR9 traffics lymphocytes to intestine and colorectum. We engineered use of the chemokine receptor CCR9 in CRC cell lines and patient-derived cells to create primary gastrointestinal (GI) tumors in immunodeficient mice by tail-vein injection rather than surgery. The tumors metastasize inducibly and robustly to the liver. Metastases have higher DKK4 and NOTCH signaling levels and are more chemoresistant than paired subcutaneous xenografts. Using this approach, we generated 17 chemokine-targeted mouse models (CTMMs) that recapitulate the majority of common human somatic CRC mutations. We also show that primary tumors can be modeled in immunocompetent mice by microinjecting CCR9-expressing cancer cell lines into early-stage mouse blastocysts, which induces central immune tolerance. We expect that CTMMs will facilitate investigation of the biology of CRC metastasis and drug screening.

Induction of the intestinal stem cell signature gene SMOC-2 is required for L1-mediated colon cancer progression

A Shvab, G Haase, A Ben-Shmuel, N Gavert, T Brabletz, S Dedhar and A Ben-Ze’ev

Oncogene , (27 April 2015) |       http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/onc.2015.127

Overactivation of Wnt-β-catenin signaling, including β-catenin-TCF target gene expression, is a hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC) development. We identified the immunoglobulin family of cell-adhesion receptors member L1 as a β-catenin-TCF target gene preferentially expressed at the invasive edge of human CRC tissue. L1 can confer enhanced motility and liver metastasis when expressed in CRC cells. This ability of L1-mediated metastasis is exerted by a mechanism involving ezrin and the activation of NF-κB target genes. In this study, we identified the secreted modular calcium-binding matricellular protein-2 (SMOC-2) as a gene activated by L1-ezrin-NF-κB signaling. SMOC-2 is also known as an intestinal stem cell signature gene in mice expressing Lgr5 in cells at the bottom of intestinal crypts. The induction of SMOC-2 expression in L1-expressing CRC cells was necessary for the increase in cell motility, proliferation under stress and liver metastasis conferred by L1. SMOC-2 expression induced a more mesenchymal like phenotype in CRC cells, a decrease in E-cadherin and an increase in Snail by signaling that involves integrin-linked kinase (ILK). SMOC-2 was localized at the bottom of normal human colonic crypts and at increased levels in CRC tissue with preferential expression in invasive areas of the tumor. We found an increase in Lgr5 levels in CRC cells overexpressing L1, p65 or SMOC-2, suggesting that L1-mediated CRC progression involves the acquisition of a stem cell-like phenotype, and that SMOC-2 elevation is necessary for L1-mediated induction of more aggressive/invasive CRC properties.

Global analysis of L1-transcriptomes identified IGFBP-2 as a target of ezrin and NF-κB signaling that promotes colon cancer progression

A Ben-Shmuel, A Shvab, N Gavert, T Brabletz and A Ben-Ze’ev

Oncogene 06 Aug 2012; Oncogene  (04 July 2013); 32: 3220-3230 |  http://dx.doi.org:/10.1038/onc.2012.340

L1, a neuronal cell adhesion receptor of the immunoglobulin-like protein family is expressed in invading colorectal cancer (CRC) cells as a target gene of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Overexpression of L1 in CRC cells enhances cell motility and proliferation, and confers liver metastasis. We recently identified ezrin and the IκB-NF-κB pathway as essential for the biological properties conferred by L1 in CRC cells. Here, we studied the underlying molecular mechanisms and found that L1 enhances ezrin phosphorylation, via Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), and is required for L1–ezrin co-localization at the juxtamembrane domain and for enhancing cell motility. Global transcriptomes from L1-expressing CRC cells were compared with transcriptomes from the same cells expressing small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to ezrin. Among the genes whose expression was elevated by L1 and ezrin we identified insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) and showed that its increased expression is mediated by an NF-κB-mediated transactivation of the IGFBP-2 gene promoter. Expression of a constitutively activated mutant ezrin (Ezrin567D) could also increase IGFBP-2 levels in CRC cells. Overexpression of IGFBP-2 in CRC cells lacking L1-enhanced cell proliferation (in the absence of serum), cell motility, tumorigenesis and induced liver metastasis, similar to L1 overexpression. Suppression of endogenous IGFBP-2 in L1-transfected cells inhibited these properties conferred by L1. We detected IGFBP-2 in a unique organization at the bottom of human colonic crypts in normal mucosa and at increased levels throughout human CRC tissue samples co-localizing with the phosphorylated p65 subunit of NF-κB. Finally, we found that IGFBP-2 and L1 can form a molecular complex suggesting that L1-mediated signaling by the L1–ezrin–NF-κB pathway, that induces IGFBP-2 expression, has an important role in CRC progression.

 

Exosome Scouts Help Tumors Populate Distant Organs

  • Click Image To Enlarge +
    This image shows exosomes (green) that have infiltrated the whole lung. [Ayuko Hoshino, David Lyden, Weill Cornell Medicine

    When certain types of cancer spread, they seem to prefer particular organs in the body, a choosiness that led Stephen Paget to propose the “seed and soil” hypothesis. This hypothesis, now more than 100 years old, suggests that different organs are somehow more receptive to certain types of cancer, just as different soils seem to allow some seeds, but not others, to find purchase.

    While this hypothesis is as expressive as ever, it still lacks detail. It doesn’t suggest what mechanisms might drive organ-specific metastasis, or organotropic metastasis. The hypothesis, however, is being taken farther by researchers based at Weill Cornell Medicine. These researchers suggest that the old seed-and-soil idea, which sounds as haphazard as the dispersal of seeds by uncultivated plants, could be updated to describe a process that is more directed.

    Essentially, a tumor metastasis may proceed the way settlers cultivate new land. First, scouts and pioneers are dispatched to identify fertile spots and develop basic infrastructure. Then, once the ground is prepared, settlers establish new communities.

    In this scenario, the scouts are tumor exosomes. These exosomes are released by tumors in the millions, and they carry samples of the tumors’ proteins and genetic content. They fuse preferentially with cells at specific locations, and they ensure that recipient organs are prepared to host the tumor cells they represent.

    Most important, this updated view of organotropic metastasis includes a mechanism to explain how exosomes are directed to specific organs. The exosomes, it turns out, are outfitted with particular sets of integrins, proteins that serve as a kind of destination label.

    Supportive findings appeared October 28 in the journal Nature, in an article entitled, “Tumour exosome integrins determine organotropic metastasis.” This article described how the Weill Cornell researchers, in collaboration with scientists from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer center and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), examined exosomes from mouse and human lung-, liver-, and brain-tropic tumor cells. These exosomes were seen to fuse preferentially with resident cells at their predicted destinations, namely, lung fibroblasts and epithelial cells, liver Kupffer cells, and brain endothelial cells.

    “Exosome proteomics revealed distinct integrin expression patterns, in which the exosomal integrins α6β4 and α6β1 were associated with lung metastasis, while exosomal integrin αvβ5 was linked to liver metastasis,” wrote the authors. “Targeting the integrins α6β4 and αvβ5 decreased exosome uptake, as well as lung and liver metastasis, respectively.”

    In other words, the study demonstrated the importance of integrins in metastatic nesting by blocking specific integrins in tumors that metastasize to specific organs. For example, when integrins were blocked in breast cancer, metastasis to lungs was reduced. Similarly, when integrins were blocked in pancreatic cancer, metastasis to liver was reduced.

    In addition, the study showed that a tumor could be “tricked” by changing the integrin destination code of its exosomes. For example, a tumor that would normally go to the bones could be directed to the lungs instead.

    “The integrin-specific signature that we identified may have significant value clinically, serving as a prognostic indicator for metastasis to specific organ sites,” said senior author David Lyden, M.D., Ph.D., the Stavros S. Niarchos Professor in Pediatric Cardiology and a professor of pediatrics and of cell and developmental biology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Instead of waiting for late-stage metastasis, we can now initiate preventative strategies at an earlier point of disease progression with the hope of preventing its spread. This really changes the treatment paradigm.”

     

  • Using CRISPR as a High-Throughput Cancer Screening and Modeling Tool
  • Click Image To Enlarge +
    Using CRISPR/Cas9, scientists created a new high-throughput screening tool for studying the development and progression of liver cancer in mice. [Ernesto del Aguila III, NHGRI]

    A contingent of researchers from the UK, Germany, and Spain have recently developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 system that they believe can be utilized as a multiplexed screening approach to study and model cancer development in mice. In the current study, the investigators directly mutated genes within adult mouse livers to elucidate their role in cancer development and progression—simultaneously uncovering the gene combinations that coordinate to cause liver cancer.

    “We reasoned that, by targeting mutations directly to adult liver cells using CRISPR/Cas9, we could better study and understand the biology of this important cancer,” explained co-author Mathias Friedrich, Ph.D., research scientist at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. “Other approaches to engineer mutations in mice, such as stem cell manipulation, are limited by the laborious process, the long time frames and large numbers of animals needed. And, our method better mimics important aspects of human cancer biology than many “classic” mouse models: as in most human cancers, the mutations occur in the adult and only affect a few cells”.

    The findings from this study were published online recently in PNAS through an article entitled “CRISPR/Cas9 somatic multiplex-mutagenesis for high-throughput functional cancer genomics in mice.”

    This new approach is rapid, scalable, and extremely efficient, allowing the researchers to examine an array of genes or large regions of the genome concurrently. Moreover, this methodology affords scientists the ability to distinguish between cancer driver mutations and passenger mutations—those that occur as side-effects of cancer development.

    The research team developed a list of up to eighteen genes with known or unknown evidence for their importance in two forms of liver cancer. They then introduced the CRISPR/Cas9 molecules, targeting various combinations of these genes into mice, which subsequently developed liver or bile duct cancer within a few months.

    “Our approach enables us to simultaneously target multiple putative genes in individual cells,” noted co-author Roland Rad, Ph.D., project leader at the Technical University of Munich and the German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg. “We can now rapidly and efficiently screen which genes are cancer-causing and which ones are not. And, we can study how genes work together to cause cancers—a crucial piece of the puzzle we must solve to understand and tackle the disease.”

    The investigators were able to confirm that a set of DNA-binding proteins called ARID (AT-rich interactive domain), influence the organization of chromosomes and are important for liver cancer development. Furthermore, mutations in a second protein, TET2, were found to be causative in bile duct cancer: although TET2 has not been found to be mutated in human biliary cancers, the proteins that it interacts with have been, showing that the CRISPR/Cas9 method can identify human cancer genes that are not mutated, but whose function is disturbed by other events.

    “The new tools of targeting genes in combination and inducing insertions or deletions in chromosomes change our ability to identify new cancer-causing genes and to understand their role in cancer,” stated senior group leader and co-author Allan Bradley, Ph.D., director emeritus from the Sanger Institute. “Our results show that this approach is feasible and productive in liver cancer; we will now continue to study our new findings and try to extend the approach to other cancer types.”

    This CRISPR/Cas9 approach may also be favorable for an in-depth examination of genomic deserts —regions within the human genome that appear to be devoid of genes. Yet, recent data from the ENCODE Project suggests that deserts can be populated, if not by genes, then by DNA regulatory regions that influence the activity of genes.

    “Liver cancer has many DNA alterations in regions lacking genes: we don’t know which of these might be important for the disease,” said Dr. Rad. “However, we could show that it is now possible to delete such regions to systematically determine their role in liver cancer development.”

     

CRISPR Used to Create Mouse Models of Cancer

  • When scientists study the genetics of cancer, they often breed mice strains that carry selected cancer-associated mutations. But cultivating such strains, usually via transgenesis or gene targeting in embryonic stem cells, is often time-consuming and expensive. Could there be a better way—a faster, cheaper way—to create mice strains that carry particular genetic flaws?

    An alternative has been proposed by researchers from MIT. They have shown that the CRISPR gene editing system can introduce cancer-causing mutations into the livers of adult mice. The researchers anticipate that their method will allow for more rapid testing of any single genes or gene combinations that are suspected of being capable of initiating tumor formation in the liver.

    “The sequencing of human tumors has revealed hundreds of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in different combinations. The flexibility of this technology, as delivery gets better in the future, will give you a way to pretty rapidly test those combinations,” said Phillip Sharp, Ph.D., a professor at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

    Dr. Sharp was part of the MIT research team, which was led by Koch Institute director Tyler Jacks, Ph.D. Dr. Jacks noted that the CRISPR technique, which not only provides the ability to delete genes, but also to replace them with altered versions, “really opens up all sorts of new possibilities when you think about the kinds of genes that you would want to mutate in the future.” Both loss of function and gain of function, he explained, are possible.

    The MIT researchers presented their results August 6 in Nature, in an article entitled, “CRISPR-mediated direct mutation of cancer genes in the mouse liver.” It described how cancer models were generated using the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated proteins) system in vivo in wild-type mice.

    “We used hydrodynamic injection to deliver a CRISPR plasmid DNA expressing Cas9 and single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to the liver that directly target the tumor suppressor genes Pten and p53 (also known as TP53 and Trp53), alone and in combination,” wrote the authors. “CRISPR-mediated Pten mutation led to elevated Akt phosphorylation and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, phenocopying the effects of deletion of the gene using Cre–LoxP technology. Simultaneous targeting of Pten and p53 induced liver tumors that mimicked those caused by Cre–loxP-mediated deletion of Pten and p53.”

    Studies of such genetically engineered mice have yielded many important discoveries, but the process, which requires introducing mutations into embryonic stem cells, can take more than a year and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Using Cas enzymes targeted to cut snippets of p53 and Pten, the researchers were able to disrupt those two genes in about 3% of liver cells, enough to produce liver tumors within three months.

    With traditional techniques, genetically engineering such models is “a very long process,” commented Dr. Jacks. “And the more genes you’re working with, the longer and more complicated it becomes.

    The researchers also used CRISPR to create a mouse model with an oncogene called beta catenin, which makes cells more likely to become cancerous if additional mutations occur later on. To create this model, the researchers had to cut out the normal version of the gene and replace it with an overactive form, which was successful in about 0.5% of hepatocytes.

    In the Nature article, the authors emphasized that simplified methods of testing the oncogenic properties of candidates in vivo are critical. In particular, they cited the need to somehow evaluate the thousands of candidate cancer genes that are being discovered through next-generation sequencing efforts.

    Already looking forward to refining their method of generating cancer models, the authors suggested that it could attain greater sensitivity if CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis could be performed on a “sensitized” background carrying constitutive or conditional mutations in a tumor suppressor gene such as p53. “More efficient delivery techniques, such as adenovirus or adeno-associated virus, more potent sgRNAs, and longer homologous recombination templates,” they wrote, “might also improve the overall efficiency of this method and expand the range of tissue that could be targeted.”

     

 

Bioinformatics beyond Genome Crunching  

Flow Cytometry, Workflow Development, and Other Information Stores Can Become Treasure Troves If You Use the Right IT Tools and Services

  • Click Image To Enlarge +
    Shown here is the FlowJo platform’s visualization of surface activation marker expression (CD38) on live lymphocyte CD8+ T cells. Colors represent all combinations of subsets positive and negative for interferon gamma (IFN?), perforin (Perf), and phosphorylated ERK (pERK).

    Advances in bioinformatics are no longer limited to just crunching through genomic and exosomic data. Bioinformatics, a discipline at the interface between biotechnology and information technology, also has lessons for flow cytometry and experimental design, as well as database searches, for both internal and external content.

    One company offering variations on traditional genome crunching is DNAnexus. With the advent of the $1,000 genome, researchers find themselves drowning in data. To analyze the terabytes of information, they must contract with an organization to provide the computing power, or they must perform the necessary server installation and maintenance work in house.

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Pancreatic Cancer and Crossing Roads of Metabolism

Curator: Demet Sag, PhD

 

PART I: Pancreatic Cancer

  • Intro
  • What is Pancreas cancer
  • What are the current and possible applications for treatment and early diagnosis
  • How pancreatic cancer is related to obesity, overweight, BMI, diabetes
  • Genetics of Pancreatic Cancer

PART II : Translational Research on Molecular Genetics Studies at Immune Response Mechanism 

  • Natural Killer Cells
  • IL-17
  • Chemokines

search_result- pancreatic cancer clinical trial studies

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Pancreatic+Cancer&Search=Searchpc 1

PART I: Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction:

Our body works a s a system even during complex diseases that is sometimes forgotten.  From nutrition to basic immune responses since we are born we start to change how we respond and push the envelope to keep hemostasis in our body.

During this time additional factors also increase or decrease the rate of changes such as life style, environment, inherited as well acquired genetic make-up, types of infections, weight and stress only some of them. As a result we customized our body so deserve a personalized medicine for a treatment. Customized approach is its hype with developing technology to analyze data and compare functional genomics of individuals.

However, still we need the basic cell differentiation to solve the puzzle to respond well and connect the dots for physiological problems.  At the stem of the changes there is a cell that respond and amplify its reaction to gain a support to defend at its best . Thus, in this review I like to make a possible connection for pancreatic cancer, obesity-diabetes and innate immune response through natural killer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Fewer than 5% of patients survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate is despite therapeutic improvements still only 6%. More than 80% of the pancreatic tumors are classified as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA).

When cells in the pancreas that secrete digestive enzymes (acinar cells) turn into duct-like structures, pancreatic cancer can develop. Oncogenic signaling – that which causes the development of tumors – can influence these duct-like cells to form lesions that are a cancer risk.

 

Crossing roads

The recent publication brought up the necessity to understand how pancreatic cancer and IL17 are connected.

Schematic diagram showing the central role of IL-17B–IL-17RB signaling in pancreatic cancer metastasis.

Adapted from an illustration by Heng-Hsiung Wu and colleagues

http://jem.rupress.org/content/212/3/284/F2.large.jpg

 

Simply, obesity and diabetes increases the risks of cancers, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type-2 DM.  There is a very big public health concern as obesity epidemic, the incidence of diabetes is increasing globally, with an estimated 285 million people, or 6.6% of the population from 20 to 79 years of age, affected this is especially more alarming as child obesity is on the rise.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report showing that 400 million people are obese in the world, with a predicted increase to 700 million by 2015  and in the US, 30–35 percent of adults are obese.  In addition, high BMI and increased risk of many common cancers, such as liver, endometrium, breast, pancreas, and colorectal cancers have a linear increasing relationship.

The BMI is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height squared in meters kg/m2). The current standard categories of BMI are as follows: underweight, <18.5; normal weight, 18.5–24.9; overweight, 25.0–29.9; obese, 30.0–34.9; and severely obese, > or = 35.0).

Furthermore, natural killer cells not only control innate immune responses but have function in other immune responses that was not recognized well before.

Recently, there have been reports regarding Natural Killer cells on was about the function of IL17 that is produced by iNKT, a subtype of NK, for a possible drug target.  In addition, regulation of receptors that are up or downregulated by NK cells for a precise determination between compromised cells and healthy cells.

Therefore, instead of sole reliance on SNPs, or GWAS for early diagnostics or only organ system base pathology, compiling the overall health of the system is necessary for a proper molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies.

  • What is Pancreas cancer

SNAP SHOT:

Incidence

  • It is a rare type of cancer.
  • 20K to 200K US cases per year

 Medically manageable

Treatment can help

 Requires a medical diagnosis

  1. lab tests or imaging
  2. spreads rapidly and has a poor prognosis.
  3. treatments may include: removing the pancreas, radiation, and chemotherapy.

 Ages affected; even though person may develop this cancer from age 0 to 60+ there is a high rate of incidence after age 40.

 

People may experience:

  • Pain: in the abdomen or middle back
  • Whole body: nausea, fatigue, or loss of appetite
  • Also common: yellow skin and eyes, fluid in the abdomen, weight loss, or dark urine
  • The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars.

Prescription

  • Chemotherapy regimen by injection: Irinotecan, Gemcitabine (Gemzar), Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
  • Other treatments: Leucovorin by injection, Fluorouracil by injection (Adrucil)

 

Also common

  • Chemotherapy regimen: Gemcitabine-Oxaliplatin regimen, Docetaxel-Gemcitabine regimen
  • Procedures: Radiation therapy, Pancreatectomy, surgery to remove pancreatic tumors

 

Specialists

  • Radiologist: Uses images to diagnose and treat disease within the body.
  • Oncologist: Specializes in cancer.
  • Palliative medicine: Focuses on improving quality of life for terminally ill patients.
  • General surgeon: Performs a range of surgeries on the abdomen, skin, breast, and soft tissue.
  • Gastroenterologist: Focuses on the digestive system and its disorders.

What are the current and possible applications for treatment and early diagnosis

Diagnostics

Several imaging techniques are employed in order to see if cancer exists and to find out how far it has spread. Common imaging tests include:

  • Ultrasound – to visualize tumor
  • Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) – thin tube with a camera and light on one end
  • Abdominal computerized tomography (CT) scans – to visualize tumor
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – to x-ray the common bile duct
  • Angiogram – to x-ray blood vessels
  • Barium swallows to x-ray the upper gastrointestinal tract
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – to visualize tumor
  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scans – useful to detect if disease has spread

 

New solutions in Diagnostics;

The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests that targeting the gene in question – protein kinase D1 (PKD1) – could lead to new ways of halting the development of one of the most difficult tumors to treat.

“As soon as pancreatic cancer develops, it begins to spread, and PKD1 is key to both processes. Given this finding, we are busy developing a PKD1 inhibitor that we can test further,” says the study’s co-lead investigator, Dr. Peter Storz.

Do we have new markers?

Is it possible check the cancer along with glucose levels or insulin at the point of care or companion diagnostics?

Therapy

New Solutions in Therapies

ABRAXANE (paclitaxel formulated as albumin bound nanoparticles; nab-paclitaxel), in combination with gemcitabine, has been recommended for use within NHS Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for the treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

The SMC decision is based on results from the MPACT (Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Clinical Trial) study, published in the October 2013 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrated an increase in median overall survival of 1.8 months when compared to gemcitabine alone [(8.5 months vs. 6.7 months respectively) (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.83 P<0.001)]. 

Updated results from post-hoc analysis of the MPACT trial based on an extended data cut-off (8 months) at the time the trial was closed demonstrated an increase in the median overall survival benefit of 2.1 months when compared to gemcitabine alone [(8.7 months vs. 6.6 months respectively) (HR 0.72,95% CI = 0.62 to 0.83, P<.001)].

Using radioactive bacteria to stop the spread of pancreatic cancer – scientists from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University used bacteria to carry radioisotopes commonly used in cancer treatment directly into pancreatic cancer cells. They found in animal experiments that the incidence of secondary tumors went down dramatically – i.e. the cancer was much less likely to spread (metastasize).

Targeting stroma is another approached that is followed by TGen to potentially extend patient survival in all cases including advanced cases based on a report at Clinical Cancer Research, published online by the American Association for Cancer Research. Thus this eliminates one of the limiting factor to reach tumor cells and destroying the accumulation of stroma — the supporting connective tissue that includes hyaluronan and few other collagen types.

One of the study leaders, Andrew Biankin, a Cancer Research UK scientist at the University of Glasgow in the UK said that “Being able to identify which patients would benefit from platinum-based treatments would be a game-changing moment for treating pancreatic cancer, potentially improving survival for a group of patients.” 

 In the journal Nature, the international team- including scientists from Cancer Research UK showed the evidence of large chunks of DNA being shuffled around, which they were able to classify according to the type of disruption they created in chromosomes.

The study concludes there are four subtypes of pancreatic cancer, depending on the frequency, location and types of DNA rearrangement. It terms the subtypes: stable, locally rearranged, scattered and unstable.

Can we develop an immunotherapy?

 Genetics of Pancreatic Cancer 

There are many ongoing studies to develop diagnostics technologies and treatments. However, the etiology of PC is not well understood. Pancreas has dual functions that include 2% of endocrine hormone secretion and 98% exocrine secretion, enzymes, to help digestion. As a result, pancreatic cancer is related to obesity, overweight, diabetes.

First, eliminating the risk factors can be the simplest path. Next approach is dropping the obesity and diabetes to prevent the occurrence of cancers since in the U.S. population, 50 percent are overweight, 30 percent are medically obese and 10 percent have diabetes mellitus (DM). Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumptions, chronic pancreatitis, and genetic risk factors, have been recognized as potential risk factors for the development and progression of PC.

Many studies showed that the administration of anti-diabetic drugs such as metformin and thiazolidinediones (TZD) class of PPAR-γ agonists decreases the risk of cancers.  Thus, these agents are thought to be the target to diagnose or cure PC.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been associated with an increased risk of several human cancers, such as liver, pancreatic, endometrial, colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer. The majority of the data show that metformin therapy decreases, while insulin secretagog drugs slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancers in type 2 diabetes.

Metformin can decrease cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in certain cancer cell lines. Endogenous and exogenous (therapy induced) hyperinsulinemia may be mitogenic and may increase the risk of cancer in type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus accounts for more than 95% of the cases.

In PDA these cells have been reported to express specific genes such as Aldh1 or CD133. To date, more than 20 case-control studies and cohort and nested case-control studies with information on the association between diabetes and pancreatic cancer, BMI and cancer, and obesity and cancer have been reported.

Meta analysis and cohort studies:

 

  1. Meta studies for Diabetes and PC

Most of the diabetes and PC studies were included in two meta-analyses, in 1995 and in 2005, investigating the risk of pancreatic cancer in relation to diabetes.

The first meta-analysis, conducted in 1995, included 20 of these 40 published case-control and cohort studies and reported an overall estimated relative risk (RR) of pancreatic cancer of 2.1 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.6-2.8. These values were relatively unchanged when the analyses were restricted to patients who had diabetes for at least 5 years (RR, 2.0 [95% CI, 1.2-3.2]).

The second meta-analysis, which was conducted in 2005, included 17 case-control and 19 cohort and nested case-control studies published from 1996 to 2005 and demonstrated an overall odds ratio (OR) for pancreatic cancer of 1.8 and 95% CI of 1.7-1.9 .   Individuals diagnosed with diabetes within 4 years before their pancreatic cancer diagnosis had a 50% greater risk of pancreatic cancer than did those diagnosed with diabetes more than 5 years before their cancer diagnosis (OR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.9-2.3] versus OR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.3-1.8]; P = 0.005).

  1. In a recent pooled analysis of 2192 patients with pancreatic cancer and 5113 cancer-free controls in three large case-control studies conducted in the United States (results of two of the three studies were published after 2005),
  2. Risk estimates decreased as the number of years with diabetes increased.
  3. Individuals with diabetes for 2 or fewer, 3-5, 6-10, 11-15, or more than 15 years had ORs (95% CIs) of 2.9 (2.1-3.9), 1.9 (1.3-2.6), 1.6 (1.2-2.3), 1.3 (0.9-2.0), and 1.4 (1.0-2.0), respectively (P < 0.0001 for trend).

pc2

  1. Meta Studies between BMI and PC

Meta studies in 2003 and 2008 showed a week positive association between BMI and PC.  In 2003, a meta-analysis of six case-control and eight prospective studies including 6,391 PC cases 2% increase in risk per 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI. In 2008, 221 datasets, including 282,137 incidence of cancer cases with 3,338,001 subjects the results were similar  RR, 1.12; CI, 1.02–1.22.

In 2007, 21 prospective studies handled , 10 were from the United States, 9 were from Europe, and 2 were from Asia and studies was conducted including 3,495,981 individuals and 8,062 PC cases. There was no significant difference between men and women and the estimated summary risk ratio (RR) per 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was 1.12 (95% CI, 1.06–1.17) in men and women combined.

This study concluded that concluded that there was a positive association between BMI and risk of PC, per  a 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI may be equal to  a 12% increased risk of PC.

  • The location and type of the obesity may also signal for a higher risk. The recent Women’s Health Initiative study in the United States among 138,503 postmenopausal showed that  women central obesity  in relation to PC (n=251) after average of 7.7 years of follow-up duration demonstrated that central adiposity is related to developing PC at a higher risk. Based on their result “women in the highest quintile of waist-to-hip ratio have a 70 percent (95% CI, 10–160%) greater risk of PC compared with women in the lowest quintile”
  • Age of obesity or being overweight versus risk of developing PC was also examined.
  • Regardless of their DM status they were at risk and decreased their survival even more so among men than women between age of 14-59.

overweight   14 to 39 years   (highest odds ratio [OR], 1.67; 95% CI, 1.20–2.34) or

obese            20 to 49 years     (highest OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.70–3.90)   , independent of DM status.

  • This association was different between men and women from the ages of 14 to 59:

stronger in men               (adjusted OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.45–2.23)

weaker in women            (adjusted OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.02–1.70).

  • The effect of BMI , obesity and overweight had reduced overall survival of PC regardless of disease stage and tumor resection status

high BMI (= or > 25)                          20 to 49 years , an earlier onset of PC by 2 to 6 years.

obese patients: hazard ratio,               1.86, 95% CI, 1.35–2.56).

overweight or obese                             30 to 79 years,  in the year prior to recruitment

overweight patients: hazard ratio,       1.26, 95% CI, 0.94–1.69;

Similarly, the authors concluded that:

  • Being overweight or obese during early adulthood was associated with a greater risk of PC and a younger age of disease onset, whereas obesity at an older age was associated with a lower overall survival in patients diagnosed with PC.
  • More recently, several large prospective cohort studies with a long duration of follow-up has been conducted in the U.S. showing a positive association between high BMI and the risk of PC (adjusted RR 1.13–1.54), suggesting the role of obesity and overweight with higher risk in the development and eventual death due to PC.
  • Although the role of smoking and gender in the association of obesity and PC is not clear, the new evidence strongly supports a positive association of high BMI with increased risk of PC, consistent with the majority of early findings; however, all recent studies strongly suggest that obesity and overweight are independent risk factor of PC.
  • Diabetes was associated with a 1.8-fold increase in risk of pancreatic cancer (95% CI, 1.5-2.1).

How pancreatic cancer is related to obesity, overweight, BMI, diabetes

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Connections in Physiology and Pathology:

Altogether cumulative data suggest that DM has a three-fold increased risk for the development of PC and a two-fold risk for biliary cancer insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism, even in the absence of diabetes, is associated with increased risk for the development of PC.  Obesity alters the metabolism towards insulin resistance through affecting gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, adipose hormones such as adipokines, and PPAR-γ.

Furthermore, adiponectin also pointed out to be a negative link factor for cancers such as colon, breast, and PC.  Therefore, insulin resistance is one of the earliest negative effects of obesity, early altered glucose metabolism, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and decreased levels of adipose hormone adiponectin and PPAR-γ, key regulators for adipogenesis.

Potential pathways directly linking obesity and diabetes to pancreatic cancer. Obesity and diabetes cause mutiple alterations in glucose and lipid hemastasis, microenvironments, and immune responses, which result in the activation of several oncogenic signaling pathways.

These deregulations increase cell survival and proliferation, eventually leading to the development and progression of pancreatic cancer. ROS, reactive oxygen species; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1; IR, insulin receptors; IGF-1R, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors; TNFR, tumor necrosis factor receptors; TLR, Toll-like receptors; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor-α1; AMPK, AMP kinase; IKK, IκB kinase; PPAR-γ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; MAPK, MAP kinase; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; TSC, tuberous sclerosis complex; Akt, protein kinase B. PI3K, phosphoinositide-3-kinase; STAT3, activator of transcription-3; JNK, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase.

Top six pathways interacting with obesity or diabetes in modifying the risk of pancreatic cancer are Chemokine Signaling, Pathways in cancer, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Calcium signaling pathway. MAPK signaling pathway.

This analysis showed

  • GNGT2,
  • RELA,
  • TIAM1,
  • CBLC,
  • IFNA13, 
  • IL22RA1, 
  • IL2RA
  • GNAS,
  • MAP2K7,
  • DAPK3, 
  • EPAS1 and 
  • FOS as contributor genes.

  Furthermore, top overrepresented canonical pathways, including

  1. Role of RIG1-like Receptors in Antiviral Innate Immunity,
  2. Role of PI3K/AKT Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Influenza, and
  3. Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer

in genes interacting with risk factors (P < 10−8) are

  • TRAF6, 
  • RELA,
  • IFNA7,
  • IFNA4,
  • NFKB2,
  • IFNA10,
  • IFNA16,
  • NFKB1,
  • IFNA1/IFNA13,
  • IFNA5,
  • IFNA14,
  • IFNA,
  • GSK3B,
  • IFNA16,
  • IFNA14,
  • TP53,
  • FYN,
  • ARHGEF4,
  • GNAS,
  • CYCS ,
  • AXIN1,
  • ADCY4,
  • PRKAR2A,
  • ARHGEF1 ,
  • CDC42,
  • RAC,3
  • SIN3A,
  • RB1,
  • FOS ,
  • CDH1,
  • NFKBIA,
  • GNAT1,
  • PAK3,
  • RHOA,
  • RASGRP1,
  • PIK3CD,
  • BMP6,
  • CHEK2, and
KEGG code Pathway description Risk factor No. of genes/genes with marginal effecta No. of SNPs/eigenSNPs in the interaction analysisb PG x Ec Major contributing genesd
hsa04062e Chemokine Signalinge Obesity 175/27 695/181 3.29 × 10−6 GNGT2 RELA TIAM1
hsa05200 Pathways in cancer Obesity 315/37 806/212 5.35 × 10−4 CBLC RELA
hsa04060 Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction Obesity 247/36 422/149 6.97 × 10−4 IFNA13 IL22RA1 IL2RA
hsa04020 Calcium signaling pathway Diabetes 171/24 759/190 1.57 × 10−4 GNAS
hsa04010 MAPK signaling pathway Diabetes 260/32 523/154 3.56 × 10−4 FOS MAP2K7
hsa05200 Pathways in cancer Diabetes 315/37 806/212 4.46 × 10−4 DAPK3 EPAS1 FOS

aNumber of genes making up the pathway/ number of genes survived the PCA-LRT (P ≤ 0.10).

bNumber of SNPs in the “reconstructed” pathways/number of principal components for LRT.

cP value was estimated by LRT in logistic regression model with adjustment of age, sex, study site, pack years(continuous), obesity or diabetes as appropriate, and five principal components for population structure.

dGenes with PG x E ≤ 0.05 in logistic regression and P ≤ 0.10 in PCA-LRT.

ePathways remained significant after Bonferroni correction (P < 1.45 × 10−4)

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Top overrepresented canonical pathways in genes interacting with risk factors (P < 10−8)

Biological process Risk factor P Valuea Ratiob Contributing genes
Role of RIG1-like Receptors in Antiviral Innate Immunity Obesity 6.71 × 10−11 12/49 (0.25) TRAF6 RELA IFNA7 IFNA4 NFKB2 IFNA10 IFNA16 NFKB1
IFNA1/IFNA13 IFNA5 IFNA14 IFNA6
Role of PI3K/AKT Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Influenza Obesity 8.64 × 10−9 12/74 (0.12) RELA IFNA7 IFNA4 NFKB2 GSK3B IFNA10 IFNA16 NFKB1
IFNA1/IFNA13 IFNA5 IFNA14 IFNA6
Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Diabetes 1.03 × 10−9 24/378 (0.063) TP53 FYN ARHGEF4 GNAS CYCS AXIN1 ADCY4 PRKAR2A
ARHGEF1 CDC42 RAC3 SIN3A RB1 FOS CDH1 NFKBIA GNAT1
PAK3 RHOA RASGRP1 PIK3CD BMP6 CHEK2 E2F2

aCalculated using Fisher’s exact test (right-tailed).

bNumber of genes interacting with a risk factor of interest (P ≤ 0.05) in a given pathway divided by total number of genes making up that pathway.

Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes:

We conclude that diabetes type II has a fundamental influence on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by stimulating cancer cell proliferation, while metformin inhibits cancer cell proliferation. Chronic inflammation had only a minor effect on the pathophysiology of an established adenocarcinoma.

  • Diabetes increases tumor size and proliferation of carcinoma cells
  • Diabetes does not decrease cell death in carcinomas
  • Diabetes II like syndrome reduces the number of Aldh1+cells within the tumor
  • Metformin decreases tumor size and proliferation of carcinoma cells

 

Much is known about factors increasing the likelihood to develop PDA. Identified risk factors include among others chronic pancreatitis, long lasting diabetes, and obesity. Patients with chronic and especially hereditary pancreatitis have a very high relative risk of developing pancreatic cancer of 13.3 and 69.0, respectively. Patients with diabetes and obesity have a moderately increased relative risk of 1.8 and 1.3. These studies indicate that a substantial number of patients with PDA also suffer from local inflammation or diabetes.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/15/51/figure/F3?highres=y

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/figures/s12885-015-1047-x-4.jpg

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Potential mechanisms underlying the associations of diabetes and cancer.

  • AdipoR1/R2, adiponectin receptor 1/2;
  • AMPK, 5′-AMPactivated protein kinase;
  • IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1;
  • IGF-1R, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor;
  • IKK, IκA;B kinase; IR, insulin receptor;
  • IRS-1, insulin receptor substrate-1;
  • MAPK, mitogen-activated-protein-kinase;
  • mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin;
  • NF-κA;B, nuclear factor-κA;B;
  • ObR, leptin receptor;
  • PAI-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1;
  • PI3-K, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase;
  • ROS, Reactive oxygen species;
  • TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor- α;
  • TNF-R1, tumor necrosis factor-receptor 1;
  • uPA, urokinase-type plasminogen activator;
  • uPAR, urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor;
  • VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor;
  • VEGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click%20on%20image%20to%20zoom&p=PMC3&id=3238796_nihms-277874-f0001.jpg

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is likely the third modifiable risk factor for pancreatic cancer after cigarette smoking and obesity. The relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer is complex. Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance is present in more than 2/3rd of pancreatic cancer patients.

Epidemiological investigations have found that long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a 1.5-fold to 2.0-fold increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer. A causal relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer is also supported by findings from prediagnostic evaluations of glucose and insulin levels in prospective studies.

Insulin resistance and associated hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and inflammation have been suggested to be the underlying mechanisms contributing to development of diabetes-associated pancreatic cancer.

Stem Cells

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click%20on%20image%20to%20zoom&p=PMC3&id=3410675_nihms295920f1.jpg

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932318/

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“A study by Permert et al.using glucose tolerance tests in patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer showed that 75% of patients met criteria for diabetes. Pannala et al. used fasting blood glucose values or previous use of antidiabetic medications to define diabetes in patients with pancreatic cancer (N.=512) and age-matched control non-cancer subjects attending primary care clinics (N.=933) “

Distribution of fasting blood glucose among pancreatic cancer cases and controls. From Pannala et al.

“ They reported a nearly seven-fold higher prevalence of diabetes in pancreatic cancer patients compared to controls (47% vs. 7%). In a retrospective study using similar criteria, Chari et al. found the prevalence of diabetes in pancreatic cancer patients to be 40%.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932318/

 

Relationship between type 2 diabetes and risk of pancreatic cancer in case-control and nested case control studies. “Diamond: point estimate representing study-specific relative risks or summary relative risks with 95% CIs. Horizontal lines: represent 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Test for heterogeneity among studies: P<0.001, I2=93.6%. 1, cohort studies (N.=27) use incidence or mortality rate as the measurements of relative risk; 2, cohort studies (N.=8) use standardized incidence/mortality rate as the measurement of relative risk. From Benet al.”

 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932318/

Table II

Sensitivity and specificity for biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.

Biomarker Study Sensitivity Specificity N.
CA19-9 Goonetilleke 68 79 82 Meta-analysis
Steinberg 69 81 90 Meta-analysis
CA125 Duraker 85 57 78 123
Haguland 86 45 76 95
CEA Ni 87 45 75 68
Haglund 86 54 76 95
Zhao 88 25 86 143
Duraker 85 39 91 123
SPan-1 Kiriyama 74 81 76 64
Chung 89 92 83 67
Kobayashi 90 82 85 200
Du-PAN 2 Satake 83 48 85 239
Sawabu 91 72 94 32
Kawa 92 64 200

NIHMS552557.html

PART II:  Targets for Immunomodulation to develop a therapy


Natural Killer Cells:

Natural Killer cells usually placed under non-specific immune response as a first defend mechanism during innate immunity.  NKs responses to innate immune reactions but not only viruses but also bacteria and parasitic infections develop a new line of defense.  These reactions involve amplification of many cytokines based on the specific infection or condition.  Thus, these activities help NKs to evolve.

However, their functions proven to be more than innate immune response since from keeping the pregnancy term to prevent recurrent abortions to complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions they have roles thorough awakening chemokines and engaging them specifically with their receptors to activate other immune cells.  For example, there is a signaling mechanism connection between NKs and DCs to respond attacks.  Furthermore, there are interactions between various types of immune cells and they are specific for example between NK and Tregs.

During pregnancy there is a special kind of interaction between NK cells and Tregs.

  • There can be several reasons such as to protect pregnancy from the immunosuppressive environment so then the successful implantation of the embryo and tolerance of the mother to the embryo can be established. In normal pregnancy, these cells are not killers, but rather provide a microenvironment that is pregnancy compatible and supports healthy placentation.
  • During cancer development tumors want to build a microenvironment through an array of highly orchestrated immune elements to generate a new environment against the host. In normal pregnancy, decidua, the uterine endometrium,  is critical for the development of placental vasculature.
  • This is the region gets thicks and thin during female cycles to prevent or accept pregnancies. As a result, mother nature created that 70% of all human decidual lymphocytes are NK cells, defined as uterine or decidual NK (dNK) cells.
  • The NK cell of decidua (dNK) and  peripheral blood NK cells are different since  dNK cells are characterized as CD56brightCD16CD3, express killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors and exhibit low killing capacity despite the presence of cytolytic granules, and a higher frequency of CD4+CD25bright   

The lesson learn here is that pregnancy and mammary tissue are great examples of controlling cellular differentiation and growth since after pregnancy all these cells go back to normal state.

Understanding these minute differences and relations to manipulate gene expression may help to:

  1. Develop better biomaterials to design long lasting medical devices and to deliver vaccines without side effects.
  2. Generate safer vaccines as NKcells are the secret weapons in DC vaccination and studying their behavior together with T-cell activation in vaccinated individuals might predict clinical outcome.
  3. Establish immunotherapies based on interactions between NK cells and Tregs for complex diseases not only cancer, but also many more such as autoimmune disorder, transplants, cardiovascular, diabetes.

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Trascription factors are the silence players of the gene expression that matches input to output as a cellular response either good or bad but this can be monitored and corrected with a proper meical device or diagnostics tool to provide successful treatment regimen.

  • Therefore, the effects of Tregs on NK during gene regulation analyzed and compared among other living organisms for concerved as well as signature sequence targets even though the study is on human.
  • Unfortunatelly we can’t mutate the human for experimental purposes so comparative developmental studies now its widely called stem cell biology with a system biology approach may help to establish the pathway.

NK and T reg regulation share a common interest called T box proteins. These proteins are conserved and also play role in development of heart at very early development, embryology.  What is shared among all T-box is simply lie behind the capacity for DNA binding through the T-box domain and transcriptional regulatory activity, which plays a role in controlling the expression of developmental gene in all animal species.

 The Special T box protein: T-bet

The first identified T-box protein was Brachyury (T). in a nut shell

  • The T-box domain is made up of about 180 amino-acid residues that includes a specific sequence of DNA
  • called T-box  domain,  TCACACCT between residues 135 and 326 in mouse.
  • However, T-bet which is the T-box protein expressed in T cells and also called as TBX21 is quite conserved in 18 members of the T-box protein (TBX) family
  • since it has a crucial dual role during development and for coordination of both innate and adaptive immune responses.

T-Bet was originally cloned for its role in Th1 lineage, it has a role in Th2 development, too. 

The whole mechanism based on direct activation and modulation mechanisms in that  T-Bet directly activates IFN-γ gene transcription and enhances development of Th1 cells at the same time modulates IL-2 and Th2 cytokines in an IFN-γ-independent manner that creates an attenuation of Th2 cell development.

Thus, certain lipids ligands or markers can be utilized during vaccine design to steer the responses for immune therapies against autoimmune diseases.   As a result, tumors can be removed and defeated by manipulating NKs action.

 

INKT:

NKT has functions in diabetes, asthma. One cell type that has been proposed to contribute immensely to the development of asthma is NKT cells, which constitute a small population of lymphocytes that express markers of both T cells (T-cell receptor, TCR) and NK cells (e.g., NK1.1, NKG2D). NKT cells can be subdivided into at least three subtypes, based on their TCR. Type I NKT cells or invariant NKT (iNKT) cells express invariant TCR chains (V14–J18 in mice and V24–J18 in humans) coupled with a limited repertoire of V chains (V8, V7 and V2 in mice and V11 in humans).

The studies in the past decade showed the protective mechanism of NKT cells during the development of Type 1 diabetes can be complex.

  1. First, NKT cells can impair the differentiation of anti-islet reactive T cells into Th1 effector cells in a cell–cell contact dependent manner, which did not require Th2 cytokine production or CD1d recognition.
  2. Second, NKT cells accumulating in the pancreas can indirectly suppress diabetogenic CD4+T cells via IFN-γ production.
  3. Last, anergic iNKT cells induced by protracted αGalCer stimulation can induce the production of noninflammatory DCs, which inhibit diabetes development in an Ag-specific fashion.

These findings point to an important protective role for NKT cells during autoimmune pathogenesis in the pancreas.

A crucial role has been suggested for invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) in regulating the development of asthma, a complex and heterogeneous disease characterized by airway inflammation and airway hyperreactivity (AHR).

iNKT cells constitute a unique subset of T cells responding to endogenous and exogenous lipid antigens, rapidly secreting a large amount of cytokines, which amplify both innate and adaptive immunity.

IL17:

Terashima A et al (2008) identified a novel subset of natural killer T (NKT) cells that expresses the interleukin 17 receptor B (IL-17RB) for IL-25 (also known as IL-17E) and is essential for the induction of Airway hypersensitive reaction (AHR). IL-17RB is preferentially expressed on a fraction of CD4(+) NKT cells but not on other splenic leukocyte populations tested.

They strongly suggested that IL-17RB(+) CD4(+) NKT cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

NKT connection can be established between through targeting IL17 and IL17RB. There is a functional specialization of interleukin-17 family members. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is the signature cytokine of the recently identified T helper 17 (Th17) cell subset. IL-17 has six family members (IL-17A to IL-17F).

Although IL-17A and IL-17F share the highest amino acid sequence homology, they perform distinct functions; IL-17A is involved in the development of autoimmunity, inflammation, and tumors, and also plays important roles in the host defenses against bacterial and fungal infections, whereas IL-17F is mainly involved in mucosal host defense mechanisms. IL-17E (IL-25) is an amplifier of Th2 immune responses.

 There is no one easy answer for the role of IL-17 in pancreatic cancer as there are a number of unresolved issues and but it can be only suggested that  pro-tumorigenic IL-17 activity is confined to specific subsets of patients with pancreatic cancer since there is a increased expression of IL-17RB in these patients about ∼40% of pancreatic cancers presented on their histochemical staining (IHC-  immunohistochemistry.

IL17 and breast cancer:

In addition, during breast cancer there is an increased signaling of interleukin-17 receptor B (IL-17RB) and IL-17B.  They promoted tumor formation in breast cancer cells in vivo and even created acinus formation in immortalized normal mammary epithelial cells in vitro cell culture assays.

  • Furthermore, the elevated expression of IL-17RB not only present itself  stronger than HER2 for a better prognosis but also brings the shortest survival rate if patients have increased  IL-17RB and HER2 levels.
  • However, decreased level of IL-17RB in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer cells significantly reduced their tumor growth.  This may prompt a different independent  role for  IL-17RB and HER2  in breast cancer development.
  • In addition, treatment with antibodies specifically against IL-17RB or IL-17B effectively attenuated tumorigenicity of breast cancer cells.

These results suggest that the amplified IL-17RB/IL-17B signaling pathways may serve as a therapeutic target for developing treatment to manage IL-17RB-associated breast cancer.

IL 17 and Asthma:

A requirement for iNKT cells has also been shown in a model of asthma induced with air pollution, ozone and induced with respiratory viruses chronic asthma studied in detail. In these studies specific types of NKT cells found to that specific types of NK and receptors trigger of asthma symptoms. Taken together, these studies indicate that both Th2 cells (necessary for allergen-specific responses) and iNKT cells producing IL-4 and IL-13 are required for the development of allergen-induced AHR.

Although CD4+ IL-4/IL-13-producing iNKT cells (in concert with antigen-specific Th2 cells) are crucial in allergen-induced AHR, NK1.1IL-17-producing iNKT cells have a major role in ozone-induced AHR.

A main question in iNKT cell biology involves the identification of lipid antigens that can activate iNKT cells since this allow to identify which microorganisms to attack as  a result, the list of microorganisms that produce lipids that activate iNKT cells is rapidly growing.

Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) cell function in airway hyperreactivity (AHR). iNKT cells secrete various cytokines, including Th2 cytokines, which have direct effects on hematopoietic cells, airway smooth muscle cells, and goblet cells. Alternatively, iNKT cells could regulate other cell types that are known to be involved in asthma pathogenesis, e.g., neutrophils and alveolar macrophages.

http://www.nature.com/mi/journal/v2/n5/images/mi200996f1.jpg

Chemokines:

Chemokines  have a crucial role in organogenesis of various organs including lymph nodes, arising from their key roles in stem cell migration. Moreover, most homeostatic chemokines can control the movement of lymphocytes and dendritic cells and eventually adaptive immunity. Chemokines are heparin-binding proteins with 4 cysteine residues in the conserved positions.

The human chemokine system has about 48 chemokines. They are subgrouped based on:

  • Number of cysteines
  • Number of amino acid separating cysteines
  • Presence or absence of ELR motif includes, 3-amino acid sequence, glutamic acid-leucine-arginine
  • functionally classified as inflammatory, homeostatic, or both, based on their expression patterns

Chemokines are structurally divided into 4 subgroups :CXC, CC, CX3C, and C. X represent an aminoacid so the first 2 cysteines are separated by 1 is grouped as CXC and 3 amino acids is called CX3C chemokines but in CC  the first 2 cysteines are adjacent. In the C chemokines there is no second and fourth cysteines.

Various types of inflammatory stimuli induce abundantly the expression of inflammatory chemokines to induce the infiltration of inflammatory cells such as granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages.

  • inflammatory chemokines are CXC chemokines with ELR motif and CCL2.
  • homeostatic chemokines are expressed constitutively in specific tissues or cells.

cmi20132f2

Chemokines exert their biological activities by binding their corresponding receptors, which belong to G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) with 7-span transmembrane portions. Thus, the target cell specificity of each chemokine is determined by the expression pattern of its cognate receptor .

Moreover, chemokines can bind to proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans with a high avidity, because the carboxyl-terminal region is capable of binding heparin.

Consequently, most chemokines are produced as secretory proteins, but upon their secretion, they are immobilized on endothelium cells and/or in extracellular matrix by interacting with proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. The immobilization facilitates the generation of a concentration gradient, which is important for inducing the target cells to migrate in a directed way.

The human chemokine system.

Chemokine receptor Chemokines Receptor expression in
Leukocytes Epithelium Endothelium
CXCR1 CXCL6, 8 PMN +
CXCR2 CXCL1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 PMN + +
CXCR3 CXCL4, 9, 10, 11 Th1, NK +
CXCR4 CXCL12 Widespread + +
CXCR5 CXCL13 B
CXCR6 CXCL16 Activated T +
CXCR7 (ACKR3) CXCL12, CXCL11 Widespread + +
Unknown CXCL14 (acts on monocytes)
CCR1 CCL3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 15, 16, 23 Mo, Mϕ, iDC, NK + +
CCR2 CCL2, 7, 8, 12, 13 Mo, Mϕ, iDC, NK
activated T, B
+ +
CCR3 CCL5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 24, 26, 28 Eo, Ba, Th2 +
CCR4 CCL2, 3, 5, 17, 22 iDC, Th2, NK, T, Mϕ
CCR5 CCL3, 4, 5, 8 Mo, Mϕ, NK, Th1
activated T
+
CCR6 CCL20 iDC, activated T, B +
CCR7 CCL19, 21 mDC, Mϕ, naïve T
activated T
+
CCR8 CCL1, 4, 17 Mo, iDC, Th2, Treg
CCR9 CCL25 T +
CCR10 CCL27, 28 Activated T, Treg +
Unknown CCL18 (acts on mDC and naïve T)
CX3CR1 CX3CL1 Mo, iDC, NK, Th1 +
XCR1 XCL1, 2 T, NK
Miscellaneous Scavenger receptors for chemokines
Duffy antigen (ACKR1) CCL2, 5, 11, 13, 14
CXCL1, 2, 3, 7, 8
D6 (ACKR2) CCL2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12
CCL13, 14, 17, 22
CCRRL1 (ACKR4) CCL19, CCL21, CCL25

Leukocyte anonyms are as follows. Ba: basophil, Eo: eosinophil, iDC: immature dendritic cell, mDC: mature dendritic cell, Mo: monocyte, Mϕ: macrophage, NK: natural killer cell, Th1: type I helper T cell, Th2: type II helper T cell, and Treg: regulatory T cell.

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There are differences between  human liver and peripheral NK cells. Regulation of NK cell functions by CD226, CD96 and TIGIT.close. CD226 binding to CD155 or CD112 at the cell surface of transformed or infected cells triggers cytotoxic granule exocytosis and target cell lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. TIGIT, CD226, CD96 and CRTAM ligand specificity and signalling.close.

Regulation of NK cell-mediated cancer immunosurveillance through CD155 expression.close.   CD155 is frequently overexpressed by cancer cells.

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Liver NK cells Circulating NK cells References
CD3-CD56+ 30.6% (11.6–51.3%) 12.8% (1–22%) 17
CD56bright/total NK cell ~50% ~10% 18,19
CD56dim/total NK cell ~50% ~90% 18,19
CD27 high low 20,21
CD16 + 18,22
CD69 +/−, higher +/− 16
Chemokine receptor CCR7 and CXCR3
(CD56bright)
CXCR1, CX3CR1
(CD56dim)
13,23
Inhibitory receptor (NKG2A) high low 24
Natural cytotoxicity higher high 18,19
TRAIL high low 1
Perforin, Granzyme B high low 2
Cytokine production high
(MIP-1α/β, IL-10,
TNF-α, TNF-β, IFN-γ,
GM-CSF)
low
(TNF-α, TNF-β, IFN-γ,
GM-CSF, IL-10)
18
ADCC high 25
  • In conclusion, having to develop precise early diagnostics is about determining the overlapping genes as key among diabetes, obesity, overweight and pancreas functions even pregnancy can be suggested.

 

  • It seems feasible to develop an immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer with the focus on chemokines and primary  signaling between iNKT and Tregs such as one of the recent plausable target IL-17 and IL17 RB.

References:

 Heng-Hsiung Wu,1et al Targeting IL-17B–IL-17RB signaling with an anti–IL-17RB antibody blocks pancreatic cancer metastasis by silencing multiple chemokines. Published March 2, 2015 // JEM vol. 212 no. 3 333-349 

MUNIRAJ1andS. T. CHARIMinerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2012 Dec; 58(4): 331–345.PMCID: PMC3932318

Beaudoin L. et al. NKT cells inhibit the onset of diabetes by impairing the development of pathogenic T cells specific for pancreatic β cells. Immunity. 2002;17:725–736.

Wang J, Cho S, Ueno A, et al. Ligand-dependent induction of noninflammatory dendritic cells by anergic invariant NKT cells minimizes autoimmune inflammation.J. Immunol. 2008;181:2438–2445.

Lee HH, Meyer EH, Goya S, et al. Apoptotic cells activate NKT cells through T cell Ig-like mucin-like-1 resulting in airway hyper-reactivity. J. Immunol.2010;185:5225–5235.

Huang CK1, et al  6Autocrine/paracrine mechanism of interleukin-17B receptor promotes breast tumorigenesis through NF-κB-mediated antiapoptotic pathway. Oncogene. 2014 Jun 5;33(23):2968-77.

Terashima A1 et al  A novel subset of mouse NKT cells bearing the IL-17 receptor B responds to IL-25 and contributes to airway hyperreactivity. J Exp Med. 2008 Nov 24;205(12):2727-33.

Isaksson B et al. Lifestyle factors and pancreatic cancer risk: a cohort study from the Swedish Twin Registry. Int J Cancer. 2002;98:480–482.

Larsson SC et al Overall obesity, abdominal adiposity, diabetes and cigarette smoking in relation to the risk of pancreatic cancer in two Swedish population-based cohorts. Br J Cancer.2005;93:1310–1315.

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Key Papers:

These papers, Gilfian et all and Iguchi-Manaka et al,  were the first to show the role of CD226 in NK cell- and CD8+ T cell-mediated tumour immunosurveillance using Cd226−/− mice.

  • Gilfillan, S.et alDNAM-1 promotes activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes by nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells and tumors. J. Exp. Med. 205, 2965–2973 (2008).
  • Iguchi-Manaka, A.et alAccelerated tumor growth in mice deficient in DNAM-1 receptor.  Exp. Med. 205, 2959–2964 (2008).

Johnston, R. J. et al. The immunoreceptor TIGIT regulates antitumor and antiviral CD8+ T cell effector functionCancer Cell 26, 923–937 (2014).
This study shows that TIGIT is expressed by PD1+ exhausted tumour-infiltrating T cells and that targeting these receptors with monoclonal antibodies represents a promising strategy to restore CD8+ T cell functions in cancer or in chronic infectious disease.

Khakoo, S. I. et alHLA and NK cell inhibitory receptor genes in resolving hepatitis C virus infectionScience 305, 872–874 (2004).

Fang, M. et alCD94 is essential for NK cell-mediated resistance to a lethal viral disease.Immunity 34, 579–589 (2011).
This study using CD94-deficient mice shows that the activating receptor formed by CD94 and NKG2E is essential for the resistance of C57BL/6 mice to mousepox.

Pradeu, T., Jaeger, S. & Vivier, E. The speed of change: towards a discontinuity theory of immunity? Nature Rev. Immunol. 13, 764–769 (2013).
This is an outstanding review on the formulation of a new immune paradigm ‘the discontinuity theory’

Further Reading:

Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Molecular Biology of Pancreatic Cancer: How Useful Is It in Clinical Practice? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
George H Sakorafas, Vasileios Smyrniotis
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Endoscopic Findings of Upper Gastrointestinal Lesions in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Two Avirulent, Lentogenic Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus Are Cytotoxic for Some Human Pancreatic Tumor Lines In Vitro ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Megan Delimata, Sooraj Tejaswi
Vol 14, No 3 (2013): May – p. 221-303 Duration of Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer in a Case-Control Study in the Midwest and the Iowa Women’s Health Study (IWHS) Cohort ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sarah A Henry, Anna E Prizment, Kristin E Anderson
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Endoscopic Management of Pain in Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Parit Mekaroonkamol, Field F Willingham, Saurabh Chawla
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Advancements in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer: 2013 ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 15, No 5 (2014): September – p. 413-540 New-onset Diabetes: A Clue to the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Suresh T Chari
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 2: Carcinogenesis Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Murat Saruc, Jens Standop, Hiroshi Egami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 5 (2013): September – p. 475-527 Synchronous Triple Cancers of the Pancreas, Stomach, and Cecum Treated with S-1 Followed by Pancrelipase Treatment of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Daisuke Ishikawa, Shigeki Nanjo, Shinji Takeuchi, Tadaaki Yamada, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Toshifumi Gabata, Osamu Matsui, Hiroko Ikeda, Yasushi Takamatsu, Sakae Iwakami, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 1 (2012): January – p. 1-123 Newcastle Disease Virus LaSota Strain Kills Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Vitro with High Selectivity ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Sooraj Tejaswi, Megan Delimata
Vol 13, No 3 (2012): May – p. 252-329 Rare Solid Tumors of the Pancreas as Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sabine Kersting, Monika S Janot, Johanna Munding, Dominique Suelberg, Andrea Tannapfel, Ansgar M Chromik, Waldemar Uhl, Uwe Bergmann
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 A Proteomic Comparison of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Pancreatic Tissue from Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL. TABLES 1-4 (PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Scott Brizard, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Highlights on the First Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Krishna S Gunturu, Jamie Jarboe, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Pancreatic Cancer: Updates on Translational Research and Future Applications ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Evangelos G Sarris, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Pancreatic Cancer: What About Screening and Detection? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Froso Konstantinou, Kostas N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Najla Hatem El-Jurdi, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 1: Basic Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Murat Saruc, Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Atsushi Itami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Analysis of Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test (ePFT)-Collected Pancreatic Fluid Proteins Precipitated Via Ultracentrifugation ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL.(XLS)  SUPPL.(PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Aleksandr Gaun, John F K Sauld, Ali Ghoulidi, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Regulation Mechanisms of the Hedgehog Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Kim Christin Honselmann, Moritz Pross, Carlo Maria Felix Jung, Ulrich Friedrich Wellner, Steffen Deichmann, Tobias Keck, Dirk Bausch
Vol 14, No 5S (2013): September (Suppl.) – p. 528-602 History of Previous Cancer in Patients Undergoing Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  PDF
Francesca Gavazzi, Maria Rachele Angiolini, Cristina Ridolfi, Maria Carla Tinti, Marco Madonini, Marco Montorsi, Alessandro Zerbi
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Molecular Biology of Pancreatic Cancer: How Useful Is It in Clinical Practice? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
George H Sakorafas, Vasileios Smyrniotis
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Endoscopic Findings of Upper Gastrointestinal Lesions in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Two Avirulent, Lentogenic Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus Are Cytotoxic for Some Human Pancreatic Tumor Lines In Vitro ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Megan Delimata, Sooraj Tejaswi
Vol 14, No 3 (2013): May – p. 221-303 Duration of Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer in a Case-Control Study in the Midwest and the Iowa Women’s Health Study (IWHS) Cohort ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sarah A Henry, Anna E Prizment, Kristin E Anderson
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Endoscopic Management of Pain in Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Parit Mekaroonkamol, Field F Willingham, Saurabh Chawla
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Advancements in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer: 2013 ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 15, No 5 (2014): September – p. 413-540 New-onset Diabetes: A Clue to the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Suresh T Chari
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 2: Carcinogenesis Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Murat Saruc, Jens Standop, Hiroshi Egami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 5 (2013): September – p. 475-527 Synchronous Triple Cancers of the Pancreas, Stomach, and Cecum Treated with S-1 Followed by Pancrelipase Treatment of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Daisuke Ishikawa, Shigeki Nanjo, Shinji Takeuchi, Tadaaki Yamada, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Toshifumi Gabata, Osamu Matsui, Hiroko Ikeda, Yasushi Takamatsu, Sakae Iwakami, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 1 (2012): January – p. 1-123 Newcastle Disease Virus LaSota Strain Kills Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Vitro with High Selectivity ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Sooraj Tejaswi, Megan Delimata
Vol 13, No 3 (2012): May – p. 252-329 Rare Solid Tumors of the Pancreas as Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sabine Kersting, Monika S Janot, Johanna Munding, Dominique Suelberg, Andrea Tannapfel, Ansgar M Chromik, Waldemar Uhl, Uwe Bergmann
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 A Proteomic Comparison of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Pancreatic Tissue from Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL. TABLES 1-4 (PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Scott Brizard, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Highlights on the First Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Krishna S Gunturu, Jamie Jarboe, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Pancreatic Cancer: Updates on Translational Research and Future Applications ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Evangelos G Sarris, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Pancreatic Cancer: What About Screening and Detection? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Froso Konstantinou, Kostas N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Najla Hatem El-Jurdi, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 1: Basic Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Murat Saruc, Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Atsushi Itami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Analysis of Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test (ePFT)-Collected Pancreatic Fluid Proteins Precipitated Via Ultracentrifugation ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL.(XLS)  SUPPL.(PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Aleksandr Gaun, John F K Sauld, Ali Ghoulidi, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Regulation Mechanisms of the Hedgehog Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Kim Christin Honselmann, Moritz Pross, Carlo Maria Felix Jung, Ulrich Friedrich Wellner, Steffen Deichmann, Tobias Keck, Dirk Bausch
Vol 14, No 5S (2013): September (Suppl.) – p. 528-602 History of Previous Cancer in Patients Undergoing Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  PDF
Francesca Gavazzi, Maria Rachele Angiolini, Cristina Ridolfi, Maria Carla Tinti, Marco Madonini, Marco Montorsi, Alessandro Zerbi

Patents

1.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week10/OG/html/1412-2/US08974784-20150310.html

Anti-pancreatic cancer antibodies: David M. Goldenberg, Mendham, NJ (US); Hans J. Hansen, Picayune, MS (US); Chien-Hsing Chang, Downingtown, PA (US); …

2.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week42/OG/html/1407-3/US08865413-20141021.html

A method of diagnosing pancreatic cancer in a human, the method comprising detecting the level of golgi apparatus protein 1 in a sample from the …

3.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week10/OG/html/1412-2/US08974802-20150310.html

A method for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, which comprises the administration to a human patient with pancreatic cancer of an effective …

4.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week50/OG/html/1409-3/US08912191-20141216.html

A method of treatment of melanoma, colorectal cancer, or pancreatic cancerwherein the treatment inhibits the progress of, reduces the rate of …

5.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week10/OG/html/1412-2/US08975401-20150310.html

A method of treating a cancer selected from breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma … gastric carcinoma, leukemia and pancreatic cancer in a subject …

6.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week42/OG/html/1407-3/US08865173-20141021.html

Treatments for pancreatic cancer metastases: Suzanne M. Spong, San Francisco, CA (US); Thomas B. Neff, Atherton, CA (US); and Stephen J. Klaus, San …

7.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week48/OG/html/1409-1/US08901093-20141202.html

Custom vectors for treating and preventing pancreatic cancer: Dennis L. Panicali, Acton, MA (US); Gail P. Mazzara, Winchester, MA (US); Linda R. …

8.       www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week09/OG/html/1412-1/US08969366-20150303.html

A method for treating a disease selected from the group consisting of melanoma, stomach cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancerpancreatic …

9.       Drug composition cytotoxic for pancreatic cancer cells

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week13/OG/html/1401-1/US08685941-20140401.html

Drug composition cytotoxic for pancreatic cancer cells: James Turkson, Orlando, Fla. (US) Assigned to University of Central Florida Research …

10.    [PDF] J. John Shimazaki, Esq. 1539 Lincoln Way, Suite 204

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/sol/foia/tac/2.66/74713131.pdf

  1. John Shimazaki, Esq. 1539 Lincoln Way, Suite 204 … containing the Of fice Action because Applicant™s president™s father was ill withpancreatic

11.    [PDF] Written Comments on Genetic Diagnostic Testing Study

http://www.uspto.gov/aia_implementation/gen_e_lsi_20130207.pdf

Page 5 of 23 extracolonic cancers of LS include liver cancerpancreatic cancer, gall bladder duct cancer, prostate cancer, sarcomas, thyroid cancer …

12.    Detection of digestive organ cancer, gastric cancer …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week02/OG/html/1410-2/US08932990-20150113.html

Detection of digestive organ cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancerpancreatic cancer, and biliary tract cancer by gene expression profiling

13.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week06/OG/html/1399-2/US08648112-20140211.html

wherein said cancer is selected from the group consisting of a sarcoma, … a nervous system cancer, prostate cancerpancreatic cancer, and colon can …

14.    Treatment of hyperproliferative diseases with vinca …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week45/OG/html/1408-2/US08883775-20141111.html

A method of treating or ameliorating a hyperproliferative disorder selected from the group consisting of glioblastoma, lung cancer, breast cancer . …

15.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week30/OG/html/1404-5/US08791125-20140729.html

A method for treating a Weel kinase mediated cancer selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, lung cancerpancreatic cancer, colon …

16.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week08/OG/html/1411-4/US08962891-20150224.html

wherein said proliferative disorder is breast cancer or pancreatic cancer. …

17.    Immunoconjugates, compositions for making them, and …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week40/OG/html/1407-1/US08852599-20141007.html

A method for treating a cancer in a subject suffering from such cancer, … pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, lymphoma, colon cancer, mesothelioma, …

18.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week11/OG/html/1400-3/US08673898-20140318.html

A method of treating cancer, … lung cancer, melanoma, neuroblastomas, oral cancer, ovarian cancerpancreatic cancer, prostate cancer , rectal cance …

19.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week43/OG/html/1407-4/US08871744-20141028.html

A method for treating a subject having breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or pancreatic cancer in need of therapy thereof comprising administering to …

20.    [PDF] Pamela Scudder <pscudder@windstream.net> Sent: Saturday …

http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/aia_implementation/gene-comment-scudder.pdf

My daughter died of ovarian cancer. My other daughter and many … (mutation) is known to cause a higher incidence of pancreatic (for instance) cancer …

21.    Methods of treating cancer using pyridopyrimidinone …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week48/OG/html/1409-1/US08901137-20141202.html

A method of treating pancreatic cancer which method comprises administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that is:

22.    Heteroaryl substituted pyrrolo[2,3-B]pyridines and pyrrolo …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week02/OG/html/1410-2/US08933086-20150113.html

A method of treating pancreatic cancer in a patient, comprising administering to said patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound …

23.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week49/OG/html/1409-2/US08906934-20141209.html

… wherein the cell proliferative disorder is selected from the group consisting of cervical cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancerpancreatic cancer, …

24.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week32/OG/html/1405-2/US08802703-20140812.html

A method of inhibiting MEK in a cancer cell selected from the group consisting of human melanoma cells and human pancreatic cancer cells …

25.    Antibody-based arrays for detecting multiple signal …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week08/OG/html/1399-4/US08658388-20140225.html

A method for performing a multiplex, high-throughput immunoassay for facilitating a cancer diagnosis, the method comprising:

26.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week48/OG/html/1409-1/US08901147-20141202.html

A method for the treatment of colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostatecancer, urinary cancer, kidney cancer, and pancreatic …

27.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week16/OG/patentee/alphaY.htm

Yamaue, Hiroki; to Onco Therapy Science, Inc. Combination therapy for pancreatic cancer using an antigenic peptide and chemotherapeutic agent 08703713 …

28.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week48/OG/patentee/alphaP_Utility.htm

… The Custom vectors for treating and preventing pancreatic cancer … system and apparatus for control of pancreatic beta cell function to improve …

29.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week16/OG/patentee/alphaW.htm

Whatcott, Cliff; and Han, Haiyong, to Translational Genomics Research Institute, The Therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer cells 08703736 Cl. …

30.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week10/OG/patentee/alphaG.htm

Goldenberg, David M.; Hansen, Hans J.; Chang, Chien-Hsing; and Gold, David V., to Immunomedics, Inc. Anti-pancreatic cancer antibodies 08974784 Cl. …

31.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week42/OG/patentee/alphaD.htm

… Narayan, Vaibhav; and Patterson, Scott, to Celera Corporation Pancreatic cancertargets and uses thereof 08865413 Cl. 435-7.1. Domsch, Matthew L.; …

32.    [PDF] 15 March 2005 – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/trademarks/tmog/20050315_OG.pdf

15 March 2005 – United States Patent and Trademark Office

33.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week10/OG/html/1412-2/US08975248-20150310.html

Combinations of therapeutic agents for treating cancer: … myeloma, colorectal adenocarcinoma, cervical carcinoma and pancreatic carcinoma, …

34.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week05/OG/patentee/alphaG_Utility.htm

… Inc. Medium-chain length fatty acids, salts and triglycerides in combination with gemcitabine for treatment of pancreatic cancer 08946190 Cl. …

35.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week13/OG/patentee/alphaT_Utility.htm

Turkson, James; to University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc. Drug composition cytotoxic for pancreatic cancer cells 08685941 Cl. 514-49.

36.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week31/OG/patentee/alphaG_Utility.htm

… David M., to Immunomedics, Inc. Anti-mucin antibodies for early detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer 08795662 Cl. 424-130.1. Gold, …

37.    [PDF] www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/trademarks/tmog/20110816_OG.pdf

http://www.uspto.gov

38.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week29/OG/patentee/alphaG.htm

Goggins, Michael G.; and Sato, Norihiro, to Johns Hopkins University, The Aberrantly methylated genes in pancreatic cancer 08785614 Cl. 536-24.3. …

39.    www.uspto.gov

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week46/OG/html/1408-3/US08889697-20141118.html

wherein said cancer is pancreatic cnacer, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL …

40.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week39/OG/patentee/alphaM_Utility.htm

Malafa, Mokenge P.; and Sebti, Said M., to University of South Florida Delta-tocotrienol treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer 08846653 Cl. …

41.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week02/OG/patentee/alphaK_Utility.htm

… Taro, to National University Corporation Kanazawa University Detection of digestive organ cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancerpancreatic …

42.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week11/OG/patentee/alphaK_Utility.htm

Kirn, David; to Sillajen Biotherapeutics, Inc. Oncolytic vaccinia virus cancer therapy 08980246 Cl. 424-93.2. Kirn, Larry J.; …

43.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week39/OG/patentee/alphaM_Utility.htm

Malafa, Mokenge P.; and Sebti, Said M., to University of South Florida Delta-tocotrienol treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer 08846653 Cl. …

44.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week35/OG/patentee/alphaS_Utility.htm

list of patentees to whom patents were issued on the 2nd day of september, 2014 and to whom reexamination certificates were issued during the week …

45.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week42/OG/patentee/alphaS.htm

… Therapeutics Inc. Compounds and compositions for stabilizing hypoxia inducible factor-2 alpha as a method for treating cancer 08865748 Cl. …

46.    [PDF] Paper No. 12 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE …

http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/ip/boards/bpai/decisions/prec/bhide.pdf

high incidence of ras involvement, such as colon and pancreatic tumors. By … withcancer or pre-cancerous states will serve to treat or palliate the …

47.    CPC Scheme – C07K PEPTIDES – United States Patent and …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/cpc/html/cpc-C07K.html

PEPTIDES (peptides in … Cancer-associated SCM-recognition factor, CRISPP} [2013‑01] … Kazal type inhibitors, e.g. pancreatic secretory inhibitor, …

48.    Class Definition for Class 514 – DRUG, BIO-AFFECTING AND …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc514/defs514.htm

… compound X useful as an anti-cancer … certain rules as to patent … Cystic fibrosis is manifested by faulty digestion due to a deficiency of pa …

49.    United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/cpc/html/cpc-G01N_3.html

Cancer-associated SCM-recognition factor, CRISPP . G01N 2333/4748. . . . . … Bovine/basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI, aprotinin) G01N …

50.    Class Definition for Class 530 – CHEMISTRY: NATURAL RESINS …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc530/defs530.htm

CLASS 530 , CHEMISTRY: NATURAL … Typically the processes of this subclass include solvent extraction of pancreatic … as well as with some forms of …

51.    CPC Definition – A61K PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/cpc/html/defA61K.html

PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES … i.e. Pancreatic stem cells are classified in A61K 35/39, … preparations containing cancer a …

52.    Class 530: CHEMISTRY: NATURAL RESINS OR DERIVATIVES …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/def/530.htm

Typically the processes of this subclass include solvent extraction of pancreatic … 828 for cancer -associated proteins … provided for in Class …

53.    United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/cpc/html/cpc-G01N_1.html

Home page of the United States Patent and … Pancreatic cells} G01N 33/5073 … – relevant features relating to a specifically defined cancer are …

54.    *****TBD***** – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/shadowFiles/defs514sf.htm?514_971&S&10E&10F

class 514, drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions …

55.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week47/OG/patentee/alphaN_Utility.htm

… Dale E., to Buck Institute for Age Research, The Reagents and methods for cancertreatment and … useful for diagnosis and treatment of pancreati …

56.    United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/cpc/html/cpc-C12Y_2.html

Pancreatic ribonuclease (3.1.27.5) C12Y 301/27006. . Enterobacter ribonuclease (3.1.27.6) C12Y 301/27007. . Ribonuclease F (3.1.27.7) C12Y 301/27008. …

57.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week01/OG/patentee/alphaI_Utility.htm

Institute for Cancer Research: See … and Segev, Hanna, to Technion Research & Development Foundation Limited Populations of pancreatic …

58.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week53/OG/patentee/alphaC.htm

Cancer Research Technology Limited: See–Collins, Ian; Reader, John Charles; Klair, Suki; Scanlon, Jane; Addison, Glynn; and Cherry, Michael 08618121 …

59.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week12/OG/patentee/alphaP_Utility.htm

… to University Health Network Cyclic inhibitors of carnitine palmitoyltransferase and treating cancer … progenitor cells and pancreatic endocrine …

60.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week47/OG/patentee/alphaI.htm

… to King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Cytotoxic compounds for treatingcancer … or preventing a pancreatic dysfunction 08894972 Cl …

61.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week50/OG/patentee/alphaC.htm

… and Taylor-Papadimitriou, Joyce, to Københavns Universitet Generation of a cancer-specific … to CuRNA, Inc. Treatment of pancreatic …

62.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week29/OG/patentee/alphaP_Utility.htm

… to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Drug delivery of temozolomide for systemic based treatment of cancer … Pancreatic enzyme compositions and …

63.    Class 424: DRUG, BIO-AFFECTING AND BODY TREATING …

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/def/424.htm

… a disclosed or even specifically claimed utility (i.e., compound X having an attached radionuclide useful as an anti-cancer diagnostic or …

64.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week25/OG/patentee/alphaT_Utility.htm

… Chang-Jer, to Gold Nanotech Inc. Physical nano-complexes for preventing and treating cancer and … and protective solution for protecting pancrea …

65.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week27/OG/patentee/alphaA_Utility.htm

… Thomas T., to Penn State Research Foundation, The In vivo photodynamic therapy ofcancer via a near infrared … of pancreatic beta-cells by …

66.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week32/OG/patentee/alphaB_Utility.htm

Birnie, Richard; to University of York, The Cancer vaccine 08802619 Cl. 514-1. Birtwhistle, Daniel P.; Long, James R.; and Reinke, Robert E., …

67.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week20/OG/patentee/alphaC_Utility.htm

… to Cornell University Method for treating cancer 08729133 Cl. 514-673 … methods for promoting the generation of PDX1+ pancreatic cells …

68.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week49/OG/patentee/alphaL_Utility.htm

… Kurt, to Abbvie Biotherapeutics Inc. Compositions against cancer antigen LIV-1 and uses … H., to Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC Pancreatic …

69.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week11/OG/patentee/alphaS_Utility.htm

… Kenji; and Matsuda, Hirokazu, to Kyoto University Molecular probe for imaging ofpancreatic islets and use … use in the treatment of cancer …

70.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week36/OG/patentee/alphaK.htm

… Emi; Matsumi, Chiemi; and Saitoh, Yukie, to Actgen Inc Antibody having anti-cancer … The Plectin-1 targeted agents for detection and treatment …

71.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week53/OG/patentee/alphaK.htm

list of patentees to whom patents were issued on the 31th day of december, 2013 and to whom reexamination certificates were issued during the week …

72.    Patentee Index – United States Patent and Trademark Office

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/patog/week40/OG/patentee/alphaK_Utility.htm

… Uemoto, Shinji; and Kawaguchi, Yoshiya, to Kyoto University Method of culturingpancreatic islet-like tissues by a … of breast cancer 08853183 …

Clinical Trials:

Region Name   Number of Studies
World 1824  
Africa   [map]   10  
Central America   [map]   4  
East Asia   [map]   179  
Japan 40   [studies]
Europe   [map]   444  
Middle East   [map]   46  
North America 1189  
Canada   [map]   102   [studies]
Mexico 11   [studies]
United States   [map]   1144   [studies]
Alabama 60   [studies]
Alaska 4   [studies]
Arizona 107   [studies]
Arkansas 23   [studies]
California 235   [studies]
Colorado 79   [studies]
Connecticut 51   [studies]
Delaware 15   [studies]
District of Columbia 36   [studies]
Florida 187   [studies]
Georgia 77   [studies]
Hawaii 15   [studies]
Idaho 11   [studies]
Illinois 139   [studies]
Indiana 94   [studies]
Iowa 51   [studies]
Kansas 39   [studies]
Kentucky 48   [studies]
Louisiana 46   [studies]
Maine 11   [studies]
Maryland 189   [studies]
Massachusetts 142   [studies]
Michigan 116   [studies]
Minnesota 114   [studies]
Mississippi 14   [studies]
Missouri 91   [studies]
Montana 27   [studies]
Nebraska 42   [studies]
Nevada 32   [studies]
New Hampshire 25   [studies]
New Jersey 64   [studies]
New Mexico 27   [studies]
New York 230   [studies]
North Carolina 111   [studies]
North Dakota 22   [studies]
Ohio 136   [studies]
Oklahoma 41   [studies]
Oregon 54   [studies]
Pennsylvania 180   [studies]
Rhode Island 23   [studies]
South Carolina 72   [studies]
South Dakota 23   [studies]
Tennessee 115   [studies]
Texas 212   [studies]
Utah 36   [studies]
Vermont 11   [studies]
Virginia 69   [studies]
Washington 83   [studies]
West Virginia 12   [studies]
Wisconsin 74   [studies]
Wyoming 9   [studies]
North Asia   [map]   24  
Pacifica   [map]   39  
South America   [map]   30  
South Asia   [map]   23  
Southeast Asia   [map]   25  

Search Results for ‘pancreas cancer’

Genomics and Epigenetics: Genetic Errors and Methodologies – Cancer and Other Diseases on March 25, 2015 |  Read Full Post »

@Mayo Clinic: Inhibiting the gene, protein kinase D1 (PKD1), and its protein could stop spread of this form of Pancreatic Cancer on February 24, 2015  Read Full Post »

The Changing Economics of Cancer Medicine: Causes for the Vanishing of Independent Oncology Groups in the US on November 26, 2014 | Read Full Post »

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New Immunotherapy Could Fight a Range of Cancers on June 4, 2014  Read Full Post »

Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Efficacy of FOLFIRINOX  on June 1, 2014  Read Full Post »

 

ipilimumab, a Drug that blocks CTLA-4 Freeing T cells to Attack Tumors @DM Anderson Cancer Center on May 28, 2014 | Read Full Post »

NIH Study Demonstrates that a New Cancer Immunotherapy Method could be Effective against a wide range of Cancers  on May 12, 2014 |

Cancer Research: Curations and Reporting Posted in on May 6, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Cancer Research: Curations and Reporting: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN  on April 20, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Prologue to Cancer – e-book Volume One – Where are we in this journey? on April 13, 2014 | Read Full Post »

 

Epilogue: Envisioning New Insights in Cancer Translational Biology on April 4, 2014 | Read Full Post »

 

A Synthesis of the Beauty and Complexity of How We View Cancer

on March 26, 2014 Read Full Post »

 

Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis: Four Novel Histo-pathologies Screening Characteristics offers more Reliable Identification of Cellular Features associated with Cancer

on November 13, 2013 | Read Full Post »

 

What`s new in pancreatic cancer research and treatment?

on October 21, 2013 | Read Full Post »

 

Family History of Cancer may increase the Risk of Close Relatives developing the Same Type of Cancer as well as Different Types

on July 25, 2013 Read Full Post »

 

2013 Perspective on “War on Cancer” on December 23, 1971

on July 5, 2013 Read Full Post »

 

Mesothelin: An early detection biomarker for cancer (By Jack Andraka) on April 21, 2013 |  Read Full Post »

Pancreatic Cancer: Genetics, Genomics and Immunotherapy

on April 11, 2013 |  Read Full Post »

New methods for Study of Cellular Replication, Growth, and Regulation on March 25, 2015 Read Full Post »

Diet and Diabetes on March 2, 2015 |  Read Full Post »

Neonatal Pathophysiology on February 22, 2015 |  Read Full Post »

Endocrine Action on Midbrain on February 12, 2015 | Read Full Post »

Gastrointestinal Endocrinology on February 10, 2015 | Read Full Post »

Parathyroids and Bone Metabolism on February 10, 2015 | Read Full Post »

Pancreatic Islets on February 8, 2015 | Read Full Post »

Pituitary Neuroendocrine Axis on February 4, 2015 |Read Full Post »

Highlights in the History of Physiology on December 28, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Outline of Medical Discoveries between 1880 and 1980 on December 3, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Diagnostics Industry and Drug Development in the Genomics Era: Mid 80s to Present on November 21, 2014  Read Full Post »

Implantable Medical Devices to 2015 – Industry Market Research, Market Share, Market Size, Sales, Demand Forecast, Market Leaders, Company Profiles, Industry Trends on November 17, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Pharmacological Action of Steroid Hormones on October 27, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Metabolomics Summary and Perspective on October 16, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Pancreatic Tumors take nearly 20 years to become Lethal after the first Genetic Perturbations – Discovery @ The Johns Hopkins University  on October 15, 2014 |Read Full Post »

Isoenzymes in cell metabolic pathways on October 6, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Metformin, thyroid-pituitary axis, diabetes mellitus, and metabolism on September 28, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Carbohydrate Metabolism on August 13, 2014 | Read Full Post »

A Primer on DNA and DNA Replication on July 29, 2014 | Read Full Post »

The Discovery and Properties of Avemar – Fermented Wheat Germ Extract: Carcinogenesis Suppressor on June 7, 2014 | Read Full Post »

Previous Articles posted on Prostate Cancer

@Mayo Clinic: Inhibiting the gene, protein kinase D1 (PKD1), and its protein could stop spread of this form of Pancreatic Cancer 2012pharmaceutical 2015/02/24
Published
Thymoquinone, an extract of nigella sativa seed oil, blocked pancreatic cancer cell growth and killed the cells by enhancing the process of programmed cell death. larryhbern 2014/07/15
Published
Moringa Oleifera Kills 97% of Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Vitro larryhbern 2014/06/21
Published
The Gonzalez protocol: Worse than useless for pancreatic cancer sjwilliamspa 2014/06/17
Published
An alternative approach to overcoming the apoptotic resistance of pancreatic cancer 2012pharmaceutical 2014/06/03
Published
Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Efficacy of FOLFIRINOX 2012pharmaceutical 2014/06/01
Published
Consortium of European Research Institutions and Private Partners will develop a microfluidics-based lab-on-a-chip device to identify Pancreatic Cancer Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) in blood 2012pharmaceutical 2014/04/10
Published
Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis: Four Novel Histo-pathologies Screening Characteristics offers more Reliable Identification of Cellular Features associated with Cancer 2012pharmaceutical 2013/11/13
Published
What`s new in pancreatic cancer research and treatment? 2012pharmaceutical 2013/10/21
Published
Pancreatic Cancer: Genetics, Genomics and Immunotherapy tildabarliya 2013/04/11
Published
Pancreatic cancer genomes: Axon guidance pathway genes – aberrations revealed 2012pharmaceutical 2012/10/24
Published
Biomarker tool development for Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer: Van Andel Institute and Emory University 2012pharmaceutical 2012/10/24
Published
Personalized Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Option 2012pharmaceutical 2012/10/16
Published
Battle of Steve Jobs and Ralph Steinman with Pancreatic cancer: How we lost ritusaxena 2012/05/21
Published
Early Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer Identified pkandala 2012/05/17
Published
Usp9x: Promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer ritusaxena 2012/05/14
Published
War on Cancer Needs to Refocus to Stay Ahead of Disease Says Cancer Expert sjwilliamspa 2015/03/27
Published
Antibiotics that target mitochondria effectively eradicate cancer stem cells, across multiple tumor types: Treating cancer like an infectious disease 2012pharmaceutical 2015/02/15
Published
Pancreatic Islets larryhbern 2015/02/08
Publ
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Molecular Biology of Pancreatic Cancer: How Useful Is It in Clinical Practice? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
George H Sakorafas, Vasileios Smyrniotis
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Endoscopic Findings of Upper Gastrointestinal Lesions in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Two Avirulent, Lentogenic Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus Are Cytotoxic for Some Human Pancreatic Tumor Lines In Vitro ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Megan Delimata, Sooraj Tejaswi
Vol 14, No 3 (2013): May – p. 221-303 Duration of Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer in a Case-Control Study in the Midwest and the Iowa Women’s Health Study (IWHS) Cohort ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sarah A Henry, Anna E Prizment, Kristin E Anderson
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Endoscopic Management of Pain in Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Parit Mekaroonkamol, Field F Willingham, Saurabh Chawla
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Advancements in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer: 2013 ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 15, No 5 (2014): September – p. 413-540 New-onset Diabetes: A Clue to the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Suresh T Chari
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 2: Carcinogenesis Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Murat Saruc, Jens Standop, Hiroshi Egami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 5 (2013): September – p. 475-527 Synchronous Triple Cancers of the Pancreas, Stomach, and Cecum Treated with S-1 Followed by Pancrelipase Treatment of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Daisuke Ishikawa, Shigeki Nanjo, Shinji Takeuchi, Tadaaki Yamada, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Toshifumi Gabata, Osamu Matsui, Hiroko Ikeda, Yasushi Takamatsu, Sakae Iwakami, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 1 (2012): January – p. 1-123 Newcastle Disease Virus LaSota Strain Kills Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Vitro with High Selectivity ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Sooraj Tejaswi, Megan Delimata
Vol 13, No 3 (2012): May – p. 252-329 Rare Solid Tumors of the Pancreas as Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sabine Kersting, Monika S Janot, Johanna Munding, Dominique Suelberg, Andrea Tannapfel, Ansgar M Chromik, Waldemar Uhl, Uwe Bergmann
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 A Proteomic Comparison of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Pancreatic Tissue from Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL. TABLES 1-4 (PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Scott Brizard, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Highlights on the First Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Krishna S Gunturu, Jamie Jarboe, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Pancreatic Cancer: Updates on Translational Research and Future Applications ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Evangelos G Sarris, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Pancreatic Cancer: What About Screening and Detection? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Froso Konstantinou, Kostas N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Najla Hatem El-Jurdi, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 1: Basic Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Murat Saruc, Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Atsushi Itami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Analysis of Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test (ePFT)-Collected Pancreatic Fluid Proteins Precipitated Via Ultracentrifugation ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL.(XLS)  SUPPL.(PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Aleksandr Gaun, John F K Sauld, Ali Ghoulidi, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Regulation Mechanisms of the Hedgehog Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Kim Christin Honselmann, Moritz Pross, Carlo Maria Felix Jung, Ulrich Friedrich Wellner, Steffen Deichmann, Tobias Keck, Dirk Bausch
Vol 14, No 5S (2013): September (Suppl.) – p. 528-602 History of Previous Cancer in Patients Undergoing Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  PDF
Francesca Gavazzi, Maria Rachele Angiolini, Cristina Ridolfi, Maria Carla Tinti, Marco Madonini, Marco Montorsi, Alessandro Zerbi
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Molecular Biology of Pancreatic Cancer: How Useful Is It in Clinical Practice? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
George H Sakorafas, Vasileios Smyrniotis
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Endoscopic Findings of Upper Gastrointestinal Lesions in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Two Avirulent, Lentogenic Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus Are Cytotoxic for Some Human Pancreatic Tumor Lines In Vitro ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Megan Delimata, Sooraj Tejaswi
Vol 14, No 3 (2013): May – p. 221-303 Duration of Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer in a Case-Control Study in the Midwest and the Iowa Women’s Health Study (IWHS) Cohort ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sarah A Henry, Anna E Prizment, Kristin E Anderson
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Endoscopic Management of Pain in Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Parit Mekaroonkamol, Field F Willingham, Saurabh Chawla
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Advancements in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer: 2013 ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 15, No 5 (2014): September – p. 413-540 New-onset Diabetes: A Clue to the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Suresh T Chari
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 2: Carcinogenesis Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Murat Saruc, Jens Standop, Hiroshi Egami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 5 (2013): September – p. 475-527 Synchronous Triple Cancers of the Pancreas, Stomach, and Cecum Treated with S-1 Followed by Pancrelipase Treatment of Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Koushiro Ohtsubo, Daisuke Ishikawa, Shigeki Nanjo, Shinji Takeuchi, Tadaaki Yamada, Hisatsugu Mouri, Kaname Yamashita, Kazuo Yasumoto, Toshifumi Gabata, Osamu Matsui, Hiroko Ikeda, Yasushi Takamatsu, Sakae Iwakami, Seiji Yano
Vol 13, No 1 (2012): January – p. 1-123 Newcastle Disease Virus LaSota Strain Kills Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells in Vitro with High Selectivity ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Robert J Walter, Bashar M Attar, Asad Rafiq, Sooraj Tejaswi, Megan Delimata
Vol 13, No 3 (2012): May – p. 252-329 Rare Solid Tumors of the Pancreas as Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Sabine Kersting, Monika S Janot, Johanna Munding, Dominique Suelberg, Andrea Tannapfel, Ansgar M Chromik, Waldemar Uhl, Uwe Bergmann
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 A Proteomic Comparison of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Pancreatic Tissue from Autoimmune Pancreatitis, Chronic Pancreatitis, and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL. TABLES 1-4 (PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Scott Brizard, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 13, No 4 (2012): July – p. 330-469 Highlights on the First Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Krishna S Gunturu, Jamie Jarboe, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Pancreatic Cancer: Updates on Translational Research and Future Applications ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Evangelos G Sarris, Konstantinos N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Pancreatic Cancer: What About Screening and Detection? ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Froso Konstantinou, Kostas N Syrigos, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 14, No 4 (2013): July – p. 304-474 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Najla Hatem El-Jurdi, Muhammad Wasif Saif
Vol 13, No 5 (2012): September – p. 470-547 Effects of Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes on the Pancreas of Hamsters. Part 1: Basic Studies ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Murat Saruc, Fumiaki Nozawa, Mehmet Yalniz, Atsushi Itami, Parviz M Pour
Vol 14, No 2 (2013): March – p. 109-220 Analysis of Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test (ePFT)-Collected Pancreatic Fluid Proteins Precipitated Via Ultracentrifugation ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF  SUPPL.(XLS)  SUPPL.(PDF)
Joao A Paulo, Vivek Kadiyala, Aleksandr Gaun, John F K Sauld, Ali Ghoulidi, Peter A Banks, Hanno Steen, Darwin L Conwell
Vol 16, No 1 (2015): January – p. 1-99 Regulation Mechanisms of the Hedgehog Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review ABSTRACT  HTML  PDF
Kim Christin Honselmann, Moritz Pross, Carlo Maria Felix Jung, Ulrich Friedrich Wellner, Steffen Deichmann, Tobias Keck, Dirk Bausch
Vol 14, No 5S (2013): September (Suppl.) – p. 528-602 History of Previous Cancer in Patients Undergoing Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma ABSTRACT  PDF
Francesca Gavazzi, Maria Rachele Angiolini, Cristina Ridolfi, Maria Carla Tinti, Marco Madonini, Marco Montorsi, Alessandro Zerbi

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Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis: Four Novel Histo-pathologies Screening Characteristics offers more Reliable Identification of Cellular Features associated with Cancer

News from University of Missouri, School of Medicine

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

“Through our analysis, we developed a group of four characteristics that allow a pathologist to diagnose pancreatic cancer with 93 percent accuracy — a substantial improvement over the traditional method,” Layfield said. “I believe this new technique can help pathologists improve the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, ultimately improving care for patients by providing an evidence-based approach to diagnosing the disease and determining the best treatment.”

The four features of pancreatic cancer the researchers identified are:

  • a wide variation in the size of pancreatic cells’ nuclei, called anisonucleosis
  • oversized nucleoli, called macronucleoli
  • single atypical epithelia cells, a type of cell found in the pancreas
  • mucinous metaplasia, which is the production of mucin in cells that normally don’t produce the substance

The study, “Risk Stratification Using Morphological Features in Endoscopic-ultrasonography Guided Fine Needle Aspirations of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma,” was presented at the American Society for Clinical Pathology‘s 2013 annual meeting.

MU Study Finds More Accurate Method to Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer

Group of four screening characteristics offers more reliable identification

Researchers from the University of Missouri have found a more accurate laboratory method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The disease causes more than 38,000 deaths each year in the United States, and kills 94 percent of people with the illness within five years, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Layfield
Layfield

“Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to diagnose because of subtle differences that distinguish between healthy tissue, cancerous tissue and tissue that is atypical, or suspicious,” said Lester Layfield, MD, professor and chair of the MU School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences. “Our goal was to find a way to make a more accurate and reproducible diagnosis.”

Because of the pancreas’ location within the body, no routine screening methods, such as mammography for breast cancer, exist for detecting pancreatic cancer.

If a physician suspects a patient may have pancreatic cancer, a biopsy of the pancreatic tissue is taken through a minimally invasive technique called endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration.

“Traditionally, pathologists have examined a tissue sample through a microscope and made a diagnosis based on the overall features of all the cells in the tissue sample,” Layfield said. “Previous research has shown an experienced pathologist can diagnose pancreatic cancer with accuracy in the mid-to-upper 80 percent range using current techniques. However, we wanted to develop a more accurate method by determining which cellular features are most closely associated with cancer.”

To develop the new diagnostic method, MU researchers performed a retrospective study of the records from 57 patients at University of Missouri Health Care who were tested for pancreatic cancer. They evaluated 16 features of pancreatic biopsies that could be evaluated under a microscope and performed a statistical analysis to determine which could be most reliably identified by multiple pathologists and which were most likely to be associated with pancreatic cancer.

SOURCE

http://medicine.missouri.edu/news/0208.php?elq=0fef1d5f8bdf48c59a79cd939bd95e46&elqCampaignId=9

 

 

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What`s new in pancreatic cancer research and treatment?

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

What`s new in pancreatic cancer research and treatment?

Research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatic cancer is under way in many medical centers throughout the world.

Genetics and early detection

Scientists are learning more about some of the changes in DNA that cause cells in the pancreas to become cancerous. Inherited changes in genes such as BRCA2p16, and the genes responsible for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) can increase a person’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Researchers are now looking at how these and other genes may be altered in cases of pancreatic cancer that do not seem to be inherited. They have discovered that pancreatic cancer does not form suddenly. It develops over many years in a series of steps known as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PanIN. In the early steps, such as PanIN 1, there are changes in a small number of genes, and the duct cells of the pancreas do not look very abnormal. In later steps such as PanIN 2 and PanIN 3, there are abnormalities in several genes and the duct cells look more abnormal.

Researchers are using this information to develop tests for detecting acquired (not inherited) genetic changes in pancreatic cancer pre-cancerous conditions. One of the most common DNA changes in these conditions affects theKRAS oncogene and alters regulation of cell growth. New diagnostic tests are often able to recognize this change in samples of pancreatic juice collected during an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography).

For now, imaging tests like endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), ERCP, and genetic tests for changes in certain genes (such as KRAS) are options for people with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer. But these tests are not recommended for widespread testing of people at average risk who do not have any symptoms.

Treatment

The major focus of much research is on finding better treatments for pancreatic cancer. Improving surgery and radiation therapy are major goals, as is determining the best combination of treatments for people with certain stages of cancer.

Chemotherapy

Many clinical trials are testing new combinations of chemotherapy drugs for exocrine pancreatic cancer. Studies have looked to see if combining gemcitabine with other drugs would help patients live longer. Adding cisplatin, docetaxel, or irinotecan doesn’t seem to be helpful, but adding capecitabine (Xeloda) does seem to help some patients. Also, the combination of gemcitabine, irinotecan, and celecoxib (an arthritis drug) shows promise. Other studies are testing the best ways to combine chemotherapy with radiation therapy or newer targeted therapies.

Targeted therapies

As researchers have learned more about what makes pancreatic cancer cells different from normal cells, they have started to develop newer drugs that should be able exploit these differences by attacking only specific targets. These “targeted therapies” may provide another option for treating pancreatic cancer. They may prove to be useful along with, or instead of, current treatment regimens. In general, they seem to have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs. Looking for new targets to attack on cancers is an active area of research.

Growth factor inhibitors: Many types of cancer cells, including pancreatic cancer cells, have certain molecules on their surface that help them to grow. These molecules are called growth factor receptors. One example is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Several drugs that target EGFR are now being studied. One, known as erlotinib (Tarceva), is already approved for use along with gemcitabine.

Anti-angiogenesis factors: All cancers depend on new blood vessels to nourish their growth. To block the growth of these vessels and thereby starve the tumor, scientists have developed anti-angiogenesis drugs. These are being studied in clinical trials and may be used in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Other targeted therapies: Many drugs targeting other aspects of cancer cells are now being studied for use in pancreatic cancer. For example, drugs that target the action of farnesyl transferase, an enzyme that is thought to stimulate the growth of many cancers, are now being tested. Other drugs, such as sunitinib, have several different targets.

Immune therapy

Immune therapies attempt to boost a person’s immune system or give them ready-made components of an immune system to attack cancer cells. Some studies of these treatments have shown promising results.

One form of immune therapy injects man-made monoclonal antibodies into patients. These immune system proteins are made to home in on a specific molecule, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is sometimes found on the surface of pancreatic cancer cells. Toxins or radioactive atoms can be attached to these antibodies, which bring them directly to the tumor cells. The hope is that they will affect cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone. For use in pancreatic cancer, these types of treatments are available only in clinical trials at this time.

Radiation therapy

Some current studies are looking at different ways to give radiation to treat exocrine pancreas cancer. One study is looking at the effect of intraoperative radiation therapy, in which a single large dose of radiation is given to the pancreas at the time of surgery (in the operating room). Another study is looking at using a special type of radiation called proton beam radiation with chemo.

Individualization of therapy

Some drugs seem to work better if certain types of mutations can be found in the patient’s tumor. For example, erlotinib may work better in patients if their tumors have a particular change in the gene for EGFR. This concept is an area of intense study. There might also be some genetic alterations that affect how well gemcitabine will work in a particular patient. Identifying markers that may predict how well a drug will work before it is given is an important area of research in many types of cancer.

New treatments for pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers

Many pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors have receptors for somatastatin on their cells. These tumors can be treated with octreotide and other drugs like it. A new drug has been developed in which the octreotide has been labeled with radiation. This drug shrunk some tumors and kept others from growing in an early trial. It also helped patients live longer.

Last Medical Review: 01/28/2013
Last Revised: 09/06/2013

SOURCE

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-new-research

 

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Mesothelin: An early detection biomarker for cancer (By Jack Andraka)

Author/ Curator:  Tilda Barliya PhD

I was recently amazed to read about a young teen who scooped the headlines with his story: Jack Andraka created an early detection test for pancreatic cancer (PC) (1). While we extensively discussed pancreatic cancer in previous posts (1b), this one deserve it’s on attention.

Andraka tells the audience about his journey from learning about a the  family member  diagnosed with PC, to a flash insight while learning about carbon nanotubes during a biology class, through the screening and finding one protein out of thousands and all the way up his final discovery. His journey wasn’t easy to say the least, he story though deserve all the applause.

Starting with his journey, Andraka began by “looking for a protein in the bloodstream that would be a biomarker for pancreatic cancer, one that would be found in all cases, even in the earliest stages”. He finally narrowed it down to the one that could work – Mesothelin.

So what is mesothelin?

Model for peritoneal metastasis of ovarian tumors. A model showing the importance of MUC16-mesothelin interaction in the peritoneal metastasis of ovarian tumors is shown.

Gubbels JA, et al. Mol. Cancer (2006). Model for peritoneal metastasis of ovarian tumors.

Mesothelin is a 4o kDa secreted protein expressed in normal mesothelial cells and over-expressed in several human tumors including mesothelioma, ovarian and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (2,3). Although the full mechanism by which mesothelin work is still unsolved, it is postulated thought, that mesothelin growth and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells by a p53 -dependent and independent pathways (7).

Andraka’s method:

human mesothelin-specific antibodies  were mixed with single walled carbon nanotubes and used to coat strips of ordinary filter paper. This made the paper conductive. The optimal layering was determined using a scanning electron microscope.  Cell media spiked with varying amounts of mesothelin was then tested against the paper biosensor and any change in the electrical potential of the sensor strip (due to the changing conductivity of the nanotubes) was measured, before and after each application.

The antibodies would bind to the mesothelin and enlarge. These beefed-up molecules would spread the nanotubes farther apart, changing the electrical properties of the network: The more mesothelin present, the more antibodies would bind and grow big, and the weaker the electrical signal would become.

A dose-response curve was constructed with an R2 value of .9992. Tests on human blood serum obtained from both healthy people and patients with chronic pancreatities, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (a precursor to pancreatic carcinoma), or pancreatic cancer showed a similar response. The sensor’s limit of detection sensitivity was found to be 0.156 ng/mL; 10 ng/mL is considered the level of overexpression of mesothelin consistent with pancreatic cancer. Andraka’s sensor costs $0.03 (to compare to a $800 cost of a standard test) and 10 tests can be performed per strip, taking 5 minutes each. The method is 168 times faster, 26,667 times less expensive, and 400 times more sensitive than ELISA, and 25% to 50% more accurate than the CA19-9 test (5).

More so, Wang K and colleagues showed that inhibition of mesothelin may be used as novel strategy for targeting cancer cells (6). The authors showed that silencing the MSLN gene, encoding for mesothelin, inhibits cell proliferation and invasion. While this work is very impressive, the authors haven’t evaluated the potential use these siRNA in animal studies.

In summary:

It is very exiting to know that we may now have a simple and cheap blood test that has the huge potential to save many lives. All we need to do now is to conduct a multinational large scale screening for potential patients.

Andraka on his part is very hopeful, he believes  “it could potentially be used to test for ovarian and lung cancer too. And by switching out the protein the test reacts to, it could — down the road — be used for diseases as varied as heart disease and HIV/AIDS”.

Ref:

1. By: Kate Torgovnich . An early detection test for pancreatic cancer: Jack Andraka at TED2013.http://blog.ted.com/2013/02/27/an-early-detection-test-for-pancreatic-cancer-jack-andraka-at-ted2013/

1b. By; Tilda Barliya PhD. Pancreatic Cancer: Genetics, Genomics and Immunotherapy. http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/04/11/update-on-pancreatic-cancer/

2. Mesothelin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelin

3. Nathalie Scholler. Mesothelin. http://www.med.upenn.edu/schollerlab/user_documents/Scholler%20Encyclopedia%20of%20Cancer%202008.pdf

4. Argani P, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Ryu B, Rosty C, Goggins M, Wilentz RE, Murugesan SR, Leach SD, Jaffee E, Yeo CJ, Cameron JL, Kern SE and Hruban RH. Mesothelin is overexpressed in the vast majority of ductal adenocarcinomas of the pancreas: identification of a new pancreatic cancer marker by serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Clin Cancer Res. 2001 Dec;7(12):3862-3868. http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/7/12/3862.long

5. Jack Andraka and Glen Burnie, MD. A Novel Paper Sensor for the Detection of Pancreatic Cancer. http://apps.societyforscience.org/intelisef2012/project.cfm?PID=ME028&CFID=28485&CFTOKEN=10931553

6. Wang K, Bodempudi V, Liu Z, Borrego-Diaz E, Yamoutpoor F, et al. (2012) Inhibition of Mesothelin as a Novel Strategy for Targeting Cancer Cells. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33214. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033214. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0033214

7.  Zheng C, Jia W, Tang Y, Zhao HL, Jiang Y and Sun S.  Mesothelin regulates growth and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through p53-dependent and -independent signal pathway. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2012, 31:84.  http://www.jeccr.com/content/pdf/1756-9966-31-84.pdf

Other related articles on this open Access Online Scientific Journal, include the following:

I. Pancreatic cancer genomes: Axon guidance pathway genes – aberrations revealed.

Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN, 10/24/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/24/pancreatic-cancer-genomes-axon-guidance-pathway-genes-aberrations-revealed/

II. Biomarker tool development for Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer: Van Andel Institute and Emory University.

Aviva Lev-Ari PhD,RN, 10/24/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/24/biomarker-tool-development-for-early-diagnosis-of-pancreatic-cancer-van-andel-institute-and-emory-university/

III. Personalized Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Option.

Aviva Lev-Ari PhD, RN, 10/16/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/16/personalized-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-option/

IV. Battle of Steve Jobs and Ralph Steinman with Pancreatic cancer: How we lost.

Ritu Saxena PhD, 5/21/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/21/battle-of-steve-jobs-and-ralph-steinman-with-pancreatic-cancer-how-we-lost/

V.  Early Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer Identified.

Prabodh Kandala, PhD, 5/17/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/17/early-biomarker-for-pancreatic-cancer-identified/

VI. Usp9x: Promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Ritu Saxen PhD, 5/14/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/14/promising-therapeutic-target-discovered-for-pancreatic-cancer/

VII. Issues in Personalized Medicine in Cancer: Intratumor Heterogeneity and Branched Evolution Revealed by Multiregion Sequencing.

Stephen J. Williams, PhD, 10/4/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/04/10/issues-in-personalized-medicine-in-cancer-intratumor-heterogeneity-and-branched-evolution-revealed-by-multiregion-sequencing/

VIII. In Focus: Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells.

Ritu Saxena, PhD, 3/27/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/27/in-focus-targeting-of-cancer-stem-cells/

IIX. New Ecosystem of Cancer Research: Cross Institutional Team Science.

Aviva Lev-Ari. PhD, RN, 3/24/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/24/new-ecosystem-of-cancer-research-cross-institutional-team-science/

IX. In Focus: Identity of Cancer Stem Cells.

Ritu Saxena, PhD, 3/22/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/22/in-focus-identity-of-cancer-stem-cells/

 

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Author: Tilda Barliya PhD

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Pancreatic cancer has been previously addressed here in our blog (I-IX) but a recent diagnosis of a colleague urged me to go back to the basics and search for more answers and updates hoping it would offer some peace.

Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of death in the united states with only 3% rate for 5-year survival rate (1). Due to lack of symptoms and limitation in diagnostic methods, patients are mostly diagnosed at mush advanced stages. When reach these stages, patients start to show symptoms of weight loss, abdominal pain, jaundice, by than, the cancer has already spread.

Several treatment options are available in which surgical resection (for the 15%-20% that are eligible for it) increase the 5-year survival rate by up to 20% , and that’s mainly because the cancer comes back about 85 percent of the time (1,2). These statistics are very hard to comprehend, especially with the progress been made in other types of cancer.

So Why pancreatic cancer is so deadly?

Pancreatic cancer biology and genetics

Pancreatic cancer biology and genetics. Nabeel Bardeesy & Ronald A. DePinho. Nature Reviews Cancer 2002: 2, 897-909

The pancreas is a highly vascularized 6 inch dual-function gland that plays a major role in the body. It secretes digestive enzymes and hormones (i.e; insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide) which assist in the digestion of fats and the absorption of nutrients. These enzymes help further digest carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the chyme.

It is postulated that a tumor starts to overcome  the functionally of the pancreas;  causing reduction of important hormones (insulin) and enzymes (digestive enzymes) production thus impacting the overall ability of the body to absorb nutrients and get energy coins thus affecting  the overall performance of the body. Several studies were conducted to evaluate the connection between dietary factors and induction of pancreatic cancer, however no direct correlation was observed (11, 12)

More so, the pancreas is located at the junction of several organs; liver, gall bladder and intestines,  thus enabling metastatic cells to harbor multiple vital organ. Most patients die for liver failure due to liver metastases.

These factors; late- diagnosis, reduction in overall body function and failure of vital organs (such as the liver due to metastasis), cause the aggressive and fast death of these panvreatic patients.

A growing number of studies have identified common mutational profiles in simultaneous lesions, providing supportive evidence of the relationship between pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) and the pathogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Nabeel Bardeesy and Ronald A. DePinho summarized this data in Figure and table inserted herein. Intriguingly, there seems to be an ordered series of mutational events in association with specific neoplastic stages (1,4).

Pancreatic cancer biology and genetics. Nabeel Bardeesy & Ronald A. DePinho. Nature Reviews Cancer 2002, 2: 897-909.

The combination of these multiple mutations render pancreatic cancer cells resistant to current chemo and radiotherapy. More so, known pancreatic cancer antigens have generated relatively weak immune responses due to these combined mutagenesis (5, 16). These crucial somatic genetic mutations can generate pancreatic cancer proteins that are essentially altered self proteins

Therefore, in order to design a good  immunotherapeutic approach one must incorporate at least one agent against a pancreatic cancer target as well as one or more agents that will modify both local and systemic mechanisms of pancreatic-cancer-induced.

Another important element that needs to be taken into consideration are the immunological checkpoints. These checkpoints serve two  purposes:

  1. To help generate and maintain self-tolerance, by eliminating T cells that are specific for self-antigens.
  2. To restrain the amplitude of normal T-cell responses so that they do not ‘overshoot’ in their natural response to foreign pathogens

The prototypical immunological checkpoint is mediated by the cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) counter regulatory receptor that is expressed by T cells when they become activated (6).  CTLA4 binds two B7 FAMILY members on the surface APCs — B7.1 (also known as CD80) and B7.2 (also known as CD86): with roughly 20-fold higher affinity than the T-cell surface protein CD28 binds these molecules. CD28 is a co-stimulatory receptor that is constitutively expressed on naive T cells. Because of its higher affinity, CTLA4 out-competes CD28 for B7.1/B7.2 binding, resulting in the downmodulation of T-cell responses (7). Monoclonal antibodies that downregulate B7-H1 and B7-H4 are currently in clinical development. This is just one example of the potential use of targeted therapy for use in clinical trials.

Dan Laheru* and Elizabeth M. Jaffee have summarized the immunotherapy clinical trials  back in 2005:

Immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer |[mdash]| science driving clinical progress

Herein you can read about the latest summary of the NCI portfolio on Pancreatic cancer and research highlights : http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/reports/pancreatic-research-progress.pdf

Here’s their recommendation for future plans for clinical trials:

  • Perform well-designed Phase II studies to help define strategies likely to succeed in a Phase III setting.
  • Adopt consistent entry and evaluation criteria for Phase II trials.
  • Conduct high-priority Phase III trials as intergroup trials and include scientifically appropriate biorepositories.
  • Conduct trials on rational combinations of targeted agents and develop predictive biomarkers to assist in patient selection.
  • Explore use of immune therapies, particularly among those with earlier stage disease.
  • Share trial outcomes, including those of trials with negative results.

According to the NCI clinical trial results from two phase III clinical trials, the targeted therapies sunitinib (Sutent®) and everolimus (Afinitor®) increased the length of time patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNET) survived without the disease progressing. And, in the sunitinib trial, patients who received the drug also had better overall survival. The findings were published February 9, 2011, in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Although neuroadenoma is rare and presents only 2% of all pancreatic cancer, no effective treatment was available, now these results may offer some hope (9).

More so, a four-drug chemotherapy regimen has produced the longest improvement in survival ever seen in a phase III clinical trial of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest types of cancer (10). Patients who received the regimen, called FOLFIRINOX, lived approximately 4 months longer than patients treated with the current standard of caregemcitabine (11.1 months compared with 6.8 months).

In summary:

Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the  genetics and development biology pancreatic cancer have offered new potential targets for therapy. ” The availability of powerful new technologies and continued contributions of investigators in many related disciplines provides a measure of optimism towards future progress in treating this disease (1)”. Latest results of clinical trials may also shade some hope for patients suffering from this horrible disease.

On a personal note, I hope these new opportunities and clinical trials will offer another avenue to my colleague……

REFERENCES

1. Nabeel Bardeesy and Ronald A.DePinho. Pancreatic cancer biology and genetics. Nature Cancer reviews 2002, 2: 897-909. http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v2/n12/full/nrc949.html

2. Melinda Wenner. What makes pancreatic cancer so deadly. Scientific American 2008. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-pancreatic-cancer-gene-upshaw

3. Pancreas. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreas

4. Jaffee, E. M., Hruban, R. H., Canto, M. & Kern, S.E. Focus on pancreas cancer. Cancer Cell 2, 25–28 (2002). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1535610802000934

5.  Dan Laheru* and Elizabeth M. Jaffee. Immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer – science driving clinical progress.  Nature Reviews: Cancer. 2005. 5: 459-467. http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v5/n6/full/nrc1630.html

6. Coyle, A. J. & Gutierrez-Ramos, J. C. The expanding B7 superfamily: increasing complexity in co-stimulatory signals regulating T cell function. Nature Immunol 2001. 2, 203–209. http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v2/n3/full/ni0301_203.html

7.  Walunas, T. L., Bakker, C. Y. & Bluestone, J. A. CTLA-4 ligation blocks CD28-dependent T cell activation. J. Exp. Med 1996. 183, 2541–2550. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2192609/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2192609/pdf/je18362541.pdf

8. Pancreatic Cancer: A summary of NCI’s portfolio and highlights of recent research progress 2010. http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/reports/pancreatic-research-progress.pdf

9. NCI bulletin: Targeted Therapies May Be Effective Against Rare Pancreatic Cancer. http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2011/panNET-Therapy0411

10. NCI bulletin: Chemotherapy Regimen Extends Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/summary/2011/pancreatic-chemo0611

11. Nilsen TI, Vatten LJ. A prospective study of lifestyle factors and the risk of pancreatic cancer in NordTrondelag, Norway. Cancer Causes Control 2000;11:645-52. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10977109

12. Marshall JR, Freudenheim J. Alcohol. In: Schottenfeld D, Fraumeni JF Jr., eds. Cancer Epidemiology and  Prevention, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. P. 243-58. http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195149616.001.0001/acprof-9780195149616

13. Alison P. Klein. Identifying people at a high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer 2012, 13: 66-74. http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v13/n1/full/nrc3420.html

14. John P. Morris, Sam C. Wang & Matthias Hebrok. KRAS, Hedgehog, Wnt and the twisted developmental biology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Nature Reviews Cancer 2012. 10:683-695.  http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v10/n10/full/nrc2899.html

15. Patrick Goymer. Imaging: Early detection for pancreatic cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer 2008, 8: 408-409. http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v8/n6/full/nrc2407.html

16. Koido S, Homma S, Takahara A, Namiki Y, Tsukinaga S, Mitobe J, Odahara S, Yukawa T, Matsudaira H, Nagatsuma K, Uchiyama K, Satoh K, Ito M, Komita H, Arakawa H, Ohkusa T, Gong J, Tajiri H. Current Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Pancreatic Cancer, Clin Dev Immunol. 2011;2011:267539. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cdi/2011/267539/

Other related articles on this open Access Online Scientific Journal, include the following:

I. Pancreatic cancer genomes: Axon guidance pathway genes – aberrations revealed.

Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN, 10/24/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/24/pancreatic-cancer-genomes-axon-guidance-pathway-genes-aberrations-revealed/

II. Biomarker tool development for Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer: Van Andel Institute and Emory University.

Aviva Lev-Ari PhD,RN, 10/24/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/24/biomarker-tool-development-for-early-diagnosis-of-pancreatic-cancer-van-andel-institute-and-emory-university/

III. Personalized Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Option.

Aviva Lev-Ari PhD, RN, 10/16/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/10/16/personalized-pancreatic-cancer-treatment-option/

IV. Battle of Steve Jobs and Ralph Steinman with Pancreatic cancer: How we lost.

Ritu Saxena PhD, 5/21/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/21/battle-of-steve-jobs-and-ralph-steinman-with-pancreatic-cancer-how-we-lost/

V.  Early Biomarker for Pancreatic Cancer Identified.

Prabodh Kandala, PhD, 5/17/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/17/early-biomarker-for-pancreatic-cancer-identified/

VI. Usp9x: Promising therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Ritu Saxen PhD, 5/14/2012

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2012/05/14/promising-therapeutic-target-discovered-for-pancreatic-cancer/

VII. Issues in Personalized Medicine in Cancer: Intratumor Heterogeneity and Branched Evolution Revealed by Multiregion Sequencing.

Stephen J. Williams, PhD, 10/4/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/04/10/issues-in-personalized-medicine-in-cancer-intratumor-heterogeneity-and-branched-evolution-revealed-by-multiregion-sequencing/

VIII. In Focus: Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells.

Ritu Saxena, PhD, 3/27/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/27/in-focus-targeting-of-cancer-stem-cells/

IIX. New Ecosystem of Cancer Research: Cross Institutional Team Science.

Aviva Lev-Ari. PhD, RN, 3/24/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/24/new-ecosystem-of-cancer-research-cross-institutional-team-science/

IX. In Focus: Identity of Cancer Stem Cells.

Ritu Saxena, PhD, 3/22/2013

http://pharmaceuticalintelligence.com/2013/03/22/in-focus-identity-of-cancer-stem-cells/

 

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Pancreatic stellate cell activation in chronic...

Pancreatic stellate cell activation in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic stellate cells are activated by profibrogenic mediators, such as ethanol metabolites and cytokines/growth factors. Perpetuation of stellate cell activation under persisting pathological conditions results in pancreatic fibrosis. Jaster Molecular Cancer 2004 3:26 doi:10.1186/1476-4598-3-2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Larry H. Bernstein, MD,  Reporter

Cancer-Causing Gene Alone Doesn’t Trigger Pancreatic Cancer, Mayo-led Study Finds
More than a cancer-causing gene is needed to trigger pancreatic cancer, a study led by Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla, has found.

A second factor creates a “perfect storm” that allows tumors to form, the researchers say. The study, published in a recent issue of Cancer Cell, overturns the current belief that a mutation in the KRAS oncogene is enough to initiate pancreatic cancer and unrestrained cell growth.

The findings uncover critical clues on how pancreatic cancer develops and why few patients benefit from current therapies. The findings also provide ideas about how to improve treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

The research team, led by Howard C. Crawford, PhD, a cancer biologist at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Florida, and Jens Siveke, MD, at Technical University in Munich, Germany, found that for pancreatic cancer to form, mutated KRAS must recruit a second player: the epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR.A third genetic participant known as Trp53 makes pancreatic tumors very difficult to treat, the study showed.

The scientists also found that EGFR was required in pancreatic cancer initiated by pancreatic inflammation known as pancreatitis.

Imatinib May Help Treat Aggressive Lymphoma

Based on the results of a new study, researchers are developing a clinical trial to test imatinib (Gleevec) in patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that primarily affects children and young adults.

The researchers found that a protein called PDGFRB is important to the development of a common form of ALCL. PDGFRB, a growth factor receptor protein, is a target of imatinib. Imatinib had anticancer effects in both a mouse model of ALCL and a patient with the disease, Dr. Lukas Kenner of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria and his colleagues reported October 14 in Nature Medicine.

The authors decided to investigate the effect of imatinib after finding a link between PDGFRB and a genetic abnormality that is found in many patients with ALCL. Previous work had shown that this genetic change—a translocation that leads to the production of an abnormal fusion protein called NPM-ALK—stimulates the production of two proteins, transcription factors called JUN and JUNB.

In the new study, experiments in mice revealed that these proteins promote lymphoma development by increasing the levels of PDGFRB.

Because imatinib inhibits PDGFRB, the authors tested the effect of the drug in mice with the NPM-ALK change and found that it improved their survival. They also found that imatinib given together with the ALK inhibitor crizotinib (Xalkori) greatly reduced the growth of NPM-ALK-positive lymphoma cells in mice.

To test the treatment strategy in people, they identified a terminally ill patient with NPM-ALK-positive ALCL who had no other treatment options and agreed to try imatinib. The patient began to improve within 10 days of starting the therapy and has been free of the disease for 22 months, the authors reported.

The observation that inhibiting both ALK and PDGFRB “reduces lymphoma growth and alleviates relapse rates” led the authors to suggest that the findings might be relevant to lymphomas with PDGFRB but without the NPM-ALK protein. “Our findings suggest that imatinib is a potential therapeutic option for patients with crizotinib-resistant lymphomas.”

A planned clinical trial will be based on the expression of PDGFRB in tumors.

Researchers Identify Possible Biomarker for Early-Stage Lung Cancer

A protein that can be detected in blood samples may one day serve as a biomarker for early-stage lung cancer, according to new study results. The findings, published October 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that measuring the levels of a variant form of the protein Ciz1 may help detect lung cancer early and noninvasively in high-risk individuals.

“We have struggled to find cancer biomarkers that are disease-specific, and this may be a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, chief of NCI’s Cancer Biomarkers Research Group. He called the study “promising” but noted that the results will need further validation.

Researchers led by Dr. Dawn Coverley of the University of York in the United Kingdom found that the “b-variant” form of Ciz1 was present in 34 of 35 lung tumors but not in adjacent tissue. Additional experiments showed that an antibody specific for this Ciz1 variant could detect the protein in small samples of blood from individuals with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

In two independent sets of blood samples—from 170 and 160 patients, respectively—the researchers showed that variant Ciz1 levels above a certain threshold correctly identified 95 to 98 percent of lung cancer patients, with an overall specificity of 71 to 75 percent. Using the second set of samples, they showed that the level of variant Ciz1 could discriminate between patients with stage I NSCLC and age-matched heavy smokers without diagnosed cancer, individuals with benign lung nodules, and patients with inflammatory lung disease.

Although the high rate of false-positive test results seen with variant Ciz1 is a concern, the authors noted that a blood test for the Ciz1 variant might ultimately be shown to be useful when combined with low-dose helical computed tomography, also called spiral CT, for lung cancer screening. In that context, the test could confirm the presence of lung cancer in patients who have suspicious spiral CT results, reducing the need for invasive procedures to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis. And, if used before spiral CT, “the test could reduce the number of people who undergo imaging…[because] the false-negative rate is very low,” Dr. Coverley wrote in an e-mail message.

To assess variant Ciz1 levels, the researchers used a laboratory method known as Western blot analysis. However, this approach could not be routinely applied in a clinical context, the researchers acknowledged, so “a more streamlined method” for testing would need to be developed.

Supported in part by NCI Early Detection Research Network Grant U01CA086137.

NCI Reports

Study Looks at Terminal Cancer Patients’ Expectations of Chemotherapy

A majority of patients who opt to receive chemotherapy to treat newly diagnosed metastatic lung or colorectal cancer believe chemotherapy might cure their cancer, according to a recent survey. The survey results suggest that optimistic assumptions about the benefits of chemotherapy may hamper patients’ abilities to make informed treatment decisions that align with their preferences, said the researchers who led the study. The findings were published October 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Jane Weeks of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and her colleagues interviewed 1,193 patients tracked by the prospective, observational Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium (CanCORS) study, 4 to 7 months after diagnosis. All of the patients had been diagnosed with stage IV lung or colorectal cancer and had chosen to receive chemotherapy. A surrogate was interviewed when a patient was too ill to participate. The survey asked patients how likely it was that chemotherapy would cure their disease, extend life, or relieve symptoms. The researchers also collected data on patients’ physical functioning, communication with their physicians, and social and demographic factors.

The majority of patients did not appear to understand that chemotherapy was very unlikely to cure their cancer (81 percent of those with colorectal cancer and 69 percent of those with lung cancer). Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients were more likely than white patients to believe that chemotherapy would cure them. Nevertheless, most patients believed that chemotherapy was more likely to extend their life than cure them.

Educational level, functional status, and the patient’s role in treatment decision making were not associated with inaccurate expectations about chemotherapy.

In an accompanying editorial, Drs. Thomas J. Smith of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Dan L. Longo of the National Institute on Aging wrote, “if patients actually have unrealistic expectations of a cure from a therapy that is administered with palliative intent, we have a serious problem of miscommunication that we need to address.”

This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (U01 CA093344, U01 CA093332, U01CA093324, U01 CA093348, U01 CA093329, U01 CA093339, and U01 CA093326).

 

Researchers Identify Possible Biomarker for Early-Stage Lung Cancer

A protein that can be detected in blood samples may one day serve as a biomarker for early-stage lung cancer, according to new study results. The findings, published October 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that measuring the levels of a variant form of the protein Ciz1 may help detect lung cancer early and noninvasively in high-risk individuals.

“We have struggled to find cancer biomarkers that are disease-specific, and this may be a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, chief of NCI’s Cancer Biomarkers Research Group. He called the study “promising” but noted that the results will need further validation.

Researchers led by Dr. Dawn Coverley of the University of York in the United Kingdom found that the “b-variant” form of Ciz1 was present in 34 of 35 lung tumors but not in adjacent tissue. Additional experiments showed that an antibody specific for this Ciz1 variant could detect the protein in small samples of blood from individuals with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

In two independent sets of blood samples—from 170 and 160 patients, respectively—the researchers showed that variant Ciz1 levels above a certain threshold correctly identified 95 to 98 percent of lung cancer patients, with an overall specificity of 71 to 75 percent. Using the second set of samples, they showed that the level of variant Ciz1 could discriminate between patients with stage I NSCLC and age-matched heavy smokers without diagnosed cancer, individuals with benign lung nodules, and patients with inflammatory lung disease.

Although the high rate of false-positive test results seen with variant Ciz1 is a concern, the authors noted that a blood test for the Ciz1 variant might ultimately be shown to be useful when combined with low-dose helical computed tomography, also called spiral CT, for lung cancer screening. In that context, the test could confirm the presence of lung cancer in patients who have suspicious spiral CT results, reducing the need for invasive procedures to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis. And, if used before spiral CT, “the test could reduce the number of people who undergo imaging…[because] the false-negative rate is very low,” Dr. Coverley wrote in an e-mail message.

To assess variant Ciz1 levels, the researchers used a laboratory method known as Western blot analysis. However, this approach could not be routinely applied in a clinical context, the researchers acknowledged, so “a more streamlined method” for testing would need to be developed.

Supported in part by NCI Early Detection Research Network Grant U01CA086137.

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