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

Lung and bladder cancers have common cell-cycle biomarkers

2014-01-29
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Garth Sundem
garth.sundem@ucdenver.edu
University of Colorado Denver
Lung and bladder cancers have common cell-cycle biomarkers

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal PLoS ONE shows that bladder and lung cancers are marked by shared differences in the genetics that control the cell cycle. Measuring these genetic signatures could allow doctors to refine a patient's prognosis, choose appropriate treatments, and perhaps offer new treatments that target these shared genetic abnormalities.

"It's exciting: the CU Cancer Center has internationally recognized expertise in these two cancers – lung and bladder – and with this study we were able to find what is effectively a common denominator between these two major tobacco-related cancers. We know that many cancers rush through the cell cycle to replicate themselves faster than does healthy tissue, and now we see that some of the same processes are at work in both bladder and lung cancers," says Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of the CU Cancer Center and lead author of the study.

Biomarkers are the differences between cancerous and healthy cells that allow researchers and doctors to diagnose, predict the course of, and – increasingly – treat cancers. But with about 40,000 genes in the human genome and far more steps between a gene and its expression as a protein, finding meaningful biomarkers is the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack. Traditionally, tissue samples from one cancer type are collected and then the genes in these samples are analyzed to see which, if any, are elevated, silenced or mutated. Unfortunately, despite the success of this approach in identifying candidate biomarkers, many biomarkers fail to stand up to further scrutiny – a gene that is elevated in a subset of 10 samples of, say, prostate cancer, may not be elevated in further cohorts of the same cancer.

The current study reasoned that biomarkers present in not just one but two or more related but different cancers would likely be more robust than single-cancer biomarkers. Previous studies link lung and bladder with tobacco use – they have a common etiology. And so Theodorescu and postdoctoral fellow Garret Dancik, PhD, gathered hundreds of samples of these cancers to explore them for common causes (or at least common predictive markers). The question was this: with so many tumor samples matched with corresponding patient outcomes, could the researchers pinpoint what it was in these tumors that led to favorable or less good patient results?

First, the researchers correlated gene expression to progression and survival in these samples, ending with a master list of all genes predictive of patient outcomes. Then they crossed these lists to look for commonalities between the cancers. Rather than single genes that predict outcomes in these cancer types, researchers found clusters or "modules" of adjusted genes, all under the umbrella of the network that controls the cell cycle.

"This is important not just because we identified a signature that may be prognostic in bladder and lung cancers, but because the idea of considering a 'module' of genes related to a specific process – in this case, the cell cycle – may be useful in other cancers, " Theodorescu says.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

UF researchers develop blood test for devastating disease of boas and pythons

2014-01-29
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers have developed a simple immune-based screening test to identify the presence of a debilitating and usually fatal disease that strikes boas ...

Don't forget the customers after mergers

2014-01-29
HOUSTON – (Jan. 29, 2014) – Merging companies that focus on a dual-goal emphasis of simultaneously enhancing efficiency and customer satisfaction show the highest increase in long-term financial performance, according to a new study from ...

Modeling buildings by the millions: Building codes in China tested for energy savings

2014-01-29
RICHLAND, Wash. – China can build its way to a more energy efficient future ...

Prostate cancer signal reawakens 'sleeper agent' cells in bones

2014-01-29
Dormant prostate cancer cells in bone tissue can be reawakened to cause secondary tumours, according to new research published in Endocrine-Related Cancer. Targeting the wake-up call ...

Research finds elevated levels of DDT metabolite in patients with Alzheimer's

2014-01-29
DALLAS – January 29, 2014 – Exposure to DDT may increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life, a study with researchers at UT Southwestern ...

Clemson researcher to present at Connecticut's youth concussion conference

2014-01-29
Clemson University researcher Jimmy Sanderson was invited to present at a special session entitled "Communication with Student Athletes About Concussions" at The Connecticut Concussion Conference, ...

Nipping diabetes in the bud

2014-01-29
An estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Another 79 million are thought to have "prediabetes," meaning they are at risk ...

Tropics are main source of global mammal diversity

2014-01-29
Ever since the nineteenth century scientists have recognised that some regions contain more species than others, and that the tropics are richer in biodiversity than temperate regions. But why are there more species in ...

Preterm birth is associated with increased risk of asthma and wheezing disorders

2014-01-29
Children who are born preterm have an increased risk developing asthma and wheezing disorders during childhood according to new research published in PLOS Medicine. The research by Jasper ...

Malaria screening unsuccessful in some schools

2014-01-29
School-based intermittent screening and treatment programs for malaria may be unsuccessful in low to moderate transmission areas A school-based intermittent screening and treatment program for malaria in rural coastal Kenya ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy

Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields

Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows

Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages

Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins

Demystifying gut bacteria with AI

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages

Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses

Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching

New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future

Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air

Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

How game-play with robots can bring out their human side

Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease

UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery

New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis

XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion

Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors

Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?

Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy

New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer

Special issue of Journal of Intensive Medicine analyzes non-invasive respiratory support

T cells take aim at Chikungunya virus

[Press-News.org] Lung and bladder cancers have common cell-cycle biomarkers