Cancer Research

Cellular processes, such as when to multiply, are often regulated by switches that control the frequency and timing of interactions between proteins. North Carolina State University scientists have discovered the way in which a specific protein-protein interaction prevents the cell from turning one of its switches off, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation – one of the hallmarks of cancer. In a paper published in Structure, the researchers show for the first time that the interaction between a rogue version of a specific protein called Ras and its binding partner protein Raf can block…

FRIMLEY, England, December 12 /PRNewswire/ -- - Approximately 78% of Beta-thalassaemia Patients had Decreases in Cardiac Iron and 90% had Decreases in Liver Iron After Six Months, Interim Data Show(1) - Study in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Patients With Iron Overload Showed Continued Safety and Efficacy Over Two Years(2) - Safety and Efficacy Demonstrated in Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Patients(3) New data show once-daily Exjade(R) (deferasirox) reduces life-threatening iron levels in the heart and liver in beta-thalassaemia patients. These interim results from an ongoing trial…

CALGARY, Canada, December 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX: ONC, NASDAQ: ONCY) ("Oncolytics") today announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent 7,306,902 entitled "Oncolytic Viruses as Phenotyping Agents for Neoplasms." The claims describe methods of diagnosing cancers with unknown phenotypes by using oncolytic viruses that selectively replicate in cancer cells with known phenotypes. "Oncolytic viruses are selective for certain mutations in cancer cells," said Dr. Matt Coffey, Chief Scientific Officer of Oncolytics. "By using these viruses in tumour samples, we may be…

CALGARY, Canada, December 10 /PRNewswire/ -- - New Class of ApoA-I/HDL Drugs to Reverse Atherosclerosis Enters the Clinic Resverlogix Corp. ("Resverlogix") (TSX:RVX) announced today that it has received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase 1a clinical trial of oral RVX-208 in the USA. RVX-208 is a novel first-in-class small molecule that increases the production of ApoA-I and HDL. ApoA-I is regarded as the critical cardioprotective protein for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The Phase I clinical trial is taking place at a leading US contract…

HALIFAX, Canada, December 10 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a Nova Scotia-based vaccine enhancement company, has signed a binding memorandum of understanding to acquire Immunotope Inc., a Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company developing immunotherapy products for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious diseases. The acquisition will bring together IVT's signature VacciMax(R) platform with Immunotope's portfolio of immunotherapeutic antigens and antigen discovery platform, allowing the new private company to create an entire pipeline of…

BASEL, Switzerland, December 10 /PRNewswire/ -- - Phase II Results Suggest Avastin Can be Used in Curative Setting Date Experts attending the 30th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) December 13-16, will be amongst the first to hear new data that highlight further advances in the treatment of breast cancer with Avastin, Herceptin, pertuzumab and Xeloda. Data to be presented will show that Avastin may have the potential to be used as a curative treatment following breast cancer surgery. Results from the randomized CHAT study (Xeloda, Herceptin and Taxotere), will show that Xeloda when…

TARRYTOWN, New York, December 10 /PRNewswire/ -- - First Drug Regimen Shown to Prevent AML Relapse EpiCept Corporation (Nasdaq and OMX Nordic Exchange: EPCT) today released new clinical data that demonstrate a durable improvement in leukemia-free survival (LFS) over five years among Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients who receive post-consolidation immunotherapy with Ceplene(TM) (histamine dihydrochloride) in conjunction with low dose interleukin-2 (IL-2). These data were presented on December 9th at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Atlanta. (Logo:…

One gene for pea pod color generates green pods while a variant of that gene gives rise to the yellow-pod phenotype, a feature that helped Gregor Mendel, the 19th century Austrian priest and scientist, first describe genetic inheritance. However, many modern-day geneticists are focused on the strange ability of some genes to be expressed spontaneously in either of two possible ways. In order to better understand this phenomenon of epigenetic multistability, a major complication for Mendelian genetics, scientists at UC San Diego grew virtual bacterial cells in a computer experiment. They…

ATLANTA, Georgia, December 9 /PRNewswire/ -- - Data Demonstrate 9.4 Month Median Overall Survival Benefit in Higher-risk MDS for Azacitidine Compared to Conventional Care Regimens (Log Rank p=0.0001) - Two Year Overall Survival Rate of 50.8% for Azacitidine Compared to 26.2% for Conventional Care Regimens - Highly Consistent Effect Across Patient Subgroups - Data Presented at the 49th American Society of Hematology Meeting Pharmion Corporation (Nasdaq: PHRM) today announced complete results from a Phase 3 multi-centre, international, randomized study of azacitidine for injection (Vidaza(R))…

A series of studies presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting elucidates evidence that there is a genetic link between schizophrenia and cancer, providing a surprising possible scientific explanation for lower rates of cancer among patients with schizophrenia – despite having poor diets and high rates of smoking – and their parents. Researchers at the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) emphasize that many of the genes associated with schizophrenia are the same as the genes associated with cancer, but that the cells that have these genes…