PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer

Genetically targeted drugs in use for lung cancer may have colorectal cancer application, as well

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Garth Sundem
garth.sundem@ucdenver.edu
University of Colorado Denver
Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer Genetically targeted drugs in use for lung cancer may have colorectal cancer application, as well A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published online ahead of print in the journal Molecular Cancer Research shows that ALK and ROS1 gene rearrangements known to drive subsets of lung cancer are also present in some colorectal cancers. These results imply that drugs used to target ALK and ROS1 in lung cancer may also have applications in this subset of colorectal cancer patients.

"When you have known oncogenes that are already targeted by FDA-approved drugs, it just made sense to look for these oncogenes in other cancers," says Marileila Varella Garcia, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and professor at the CU School of Medicine.

"By rethinking the way we understand cancers – as their genetic mutations and not just as the sites where they live in the body – we see that a therapy that targets a specific mutation may show benefit in treating any other cancer that shares the same mutation," says Dara Aisner, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and molecular pathologist at the CU School of Medicine.

In this study, Garcia, Aisner and colleagues used the technique known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to test for the oncogenic gene rearrangements in 236 tumor samples of colorectal cancer collected from patients enrolled in a large, Australian clinical trial. The work found one patient carrying the ALK rearrangement, confirming previous findings, and demonstrated the first finding of ROS1 as an oncogenic driver of colorectal cancer – in this case found in 2 of the 236 tumor samples.

"Even though the percentage of colorectal cancer patients with these gene rearrangements is small, the benefit to these few patients could be dramatic. It's worth the work. It's worth following this line of reasoning to its conclusion to see if colorectal cancer patients will also benefit from drugs proved effective in lung cancer," says Robert C. Doebele, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and assistant professor at the CU School of Medicine.

Surprisingly, these gene alterations tended to co-exist in colorectal tumors along with other molecular alterations –tumors that were positive for ALK rearrangements were also positive for another well-defined molecular alternation known as KRAS; ROS1 mutations occurred in one specimen along with the known, oncogenic mutation, BRAF.

"Conventional wisdom is that one molecular driver alteration exists throughout all tumor cells in a specimen, and that it's mutually exclusive of other alterations. We found that neither of those axioms held true – some tumor regions had different alterations, and even more surprisingly, in some regions both alterations were seen. These findings show that you can find more than one alteration in a single specimen, and that not all cells within a single tumor are necessarily driven by the same oncogene," Aisner says.

The group writes that "identification of ALK and ROS1 oncogenes may open new therapeutic options for CRC," specifically with the class of drugs known as tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) shown to "turn off" ALK and ROS1 gene mutations thereby killing or slowing the growth of cancer cells. For example, the drug crizotinib was approved by the FDA in 2011 to treat ALK-positive lung cancer, and this drug or others that are in development to treat ALK+ and ROS1+ cancers may have similar benefit in CRC.

"This is a case in which we have all the background science – we know that when ALK and ROS1 improperly fuse with other genes, the result can be oncogenic. We have drugs that target these oncogenes. And we even have tests to determine who has the gene rearrangements and so should benefit from these drugs. The important piece missing was finding these oncogenes in other cancers, and now we've filled in that piece in colorectal cancer," Aisner says.

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif.

2013-12-18
Pfeiffer fire near Big Sur, Calif. The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of smoke and detected the heat from the Pfeiffer Fire near Big Sur, California on December 16 at ...

Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees

2013-12-18
Significant advance reported with genetically modified poplar trees CORVALLIS, Ore. – Forest geneticists at Oregon State University have created genetically modified poplar trees that grow faster, have resistance to insect pests and are able to retain ...

Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream

2013-12-18
Saving Fiji's coral reefs linked to forest conservation upstream The health of coral reefs offshore depend on the protection of forests near the sea, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society that outlines the importance of terrestrial ...

New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

2013-12-18
New research on diverticular disease in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Diverticulosis, a condition that develops when pouches form in the wall of the colon, is increasing in frequency. It affects the majority of ...

Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways

2013-12-18
Water in cells behaves in complex and intricate ways ANN ARBOR—In a sort of biological "spooky action at a distance," water in a cell slows down in the tightest confines between proteins and develops the ability to affect other proteins much farther away, University ...

Silencing synapses

2013-12-18
Silencing synapses Hope for a pharmacological solution to cocaine addiction PITTSBURGH—Imagine kicking a cocaine addiction by simply popping a pill that alters the way your brain processes chemical addiction. New research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests ...

Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored

2013-12-18
Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored Hacking the Earth's climate to counteract global warming – a subject that elicits strong reactions from both sides – is the topic of a December special issue of the journal Climatic Change. A dozen ...

TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds

2013-12-18
TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds The nutritional value of food and drinks advertised on children's television programs is worse than food shown in ads during general air time, according to University of Illinois at Chicago ...

Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior

2013-12-18
Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior VIDEO: Watch the flipping conformations in a pair of phenylalanine ...

DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle

2013-12-18
DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have created a new type of molecular motor made of DNA and demonstrated its potential by using it to transport a nanoparticle along the length of a carbon nanotube. The design ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

Antibiotic resistance among key bacterial species plateaus over time

‘Some insects are declining but what’s happening to the other 99%?’

Powerful new software platform could reshape biomedical research by making data analysis more accessible

Revealing capillaries and cells in living organs with ultrasound

American College of Physicians awards $260,000 in grants to address equity challenges in obesity care

Researchers from MARE ULisboa discover that the European catfish, an invasive species in Portugal, has a prolonged breeding season, enhancing its invasive potential

Rakesh K. Jain, PhD, FAACR, honored with the 2025 AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research

Solar cells made of moon dust could power future space exploration

Deporting immigrants may further shrink the health care workforce

Border region emergency medical services in migrant emergency care

Resident physician intentions regarding unionization

[Press-News.org] Study finds known lung cancer oncogenes ALK and ROS1 also drive colorectal cancer
Genetically targeted drugs in use for lung cancer may have colorectal cancer application, as well