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

New class of proteins allows breast cancer cells to evade tyrosine kinase inhibitors

2012-08-13
(Press-News.org) Aberrant regulation of cell growth pathways is required for normal cells to become cancerous, and in many types of cancer, cell growth is driven by a group of enzymes known as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). The RTK epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in over 30% of breast cancers; however, drugs that target RTKs, known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have not been effective in treating breast cancer. Researchers believe that the cancer cells escape TKIs by circumventing the RTKs and utilizing other enzymes that are not TKI-sensitive.

In the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, two groups identify a pair of related oncogenes, FAM83A and B, which allow breast cancer cells to survive TKI treatment. Researchers led by Mina Bissell at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA performed a screen of human breast cancer cell lines to identify genes that make cancer cells resistant to EGFR TKIs. Bissell and colleagues determined that increased expression of FAM83A increases proliferation and invasion, while decreased expression delays tumor growth in mice and renders cancer cells sensitive to TKIs. At Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, OH, Mark Jackson and colleagues identified FAM83B as a gene that allows normal human mammary cells to become malignant. Further, expression of FAM83A and B in human tumors was correlated with decreased overall survival. Taken together, these studies identify two genes that may serve as novel therapeutic targets. In a companion piece, Steven Grant of the Medical College of Virginia discusses the impact of this research on the development of strategies to overcome resistance to currently available TKIs.

### TITLE:

Identification of FAM83B as a novel intermediary in EGFR/RAS-mediated transformation

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Mark Jackson


Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
Phone: 216-368-1276; E-mail: mwj7@case.edu

ACCOMPANYING ARTICLE

TITLE:

FAM83A confers EGFR-TKI resistance in breast cancer cells and in mice

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Mina Bissell
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone: 510 486-4365; E-mail: mjbissell@lbl.gov

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY

TITLE:

FAM83A and FAM83B: candidate oncogenes and TKI resistance mediators

AUTHOR CONTACT:

Steven Grant
Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA, USA
E-mail: stgrant@vcu.edu



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Common antibiotics pose a rare risk of severe liver injury in older patients

2012-08-13
Please credit CMAJ, not the Canadian Medical Association. CMAJ is an independent medical journal; views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of its owner, the CMA. END ...

Protein that helps tumor blood vessels mature could make cancer drugs more effective

Protein that helps tumor blood vessels mature could make cancer drugs more effective
2012-08-13
ORLANDO, Fla., August 13, 2012 – To survive, tumors need blood supply to provide them with nutrients and oxygen. To get that supply, cancer cells stimulate new blood vessel growth—a process called tumor angiogenesis. Many attempts have been made to inhibit this process as a means to choke off tumors. But tumor angiogenesis can be sloppy, resulting in immature and malformed blood vessels. Since anti-cancer drugs are carried to tumors by the bloodstream, abnormal blood vessel development also hampers delivery. What if, rather than putting a stop to angiogenesis, we could ...

Journal of Clinical Investigation early table of contents for Aug. 13, 2012

2012-08-13
New class of proteins allows breast cancer cells to evade Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Aberrant regulation of cell growth pathways is required for normal cells to become cancerous, and in many types of cancer, cell growth is driven by a group of enzymes known as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). The RTK epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in over 30% of breast cancers; however, drugs that target RTKs, known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have not been effective in treating breast cancer. Researchers believe that the cancer cells escape TKIs by ...

CNIO researchers discover a new therapy that prevents lung cancer growth in mice

2012-08-13
Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive types of cancer and the most common cause of death from this disease worldwide. Despite the progress in the molecular biology of lung cancer achieved in recent years, the mechanisms used by tumor cells to grow and spread throughout the body are not yet completely understood. This lack of information is responsible for the limited range of available therapeutic possibilities and their undesirable side effects. The Tumour Suppression Group of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), led by Manuel Serrano, has deciphered ...

Fruity science halves fat in chocolate

2012-08-13
Scientists have found a way to replace up to 50 per cent of chocolate's fat content with fruit juice. University of Warwick chemists have taken out much of the cocoa butter and milk fats that go into chocolate bars, substituting them with tiny droplets of juice measuring under 30 microns in diameter. They infused orange and cranberry juice into milk, dark and white chocolate using what is known as a Pickering emulsion. Crucially, the clever chemistry does not take away the chocolatey 'mouth-feel' given by the fatty ingredients. This is because the new technique maintains ...

New bacteria-resistant materials discovered

New bacteria-resistant materials discovered
2012-08-13
Using state-of-the-art technology scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered a new class of polymers that are resistant to bacterial attachment. These new materials could lead to a significant reduction in hospital infections and medical device failures. Medical device associated infections can lead to systemic infections or device failure, costing the NHS £1bn a year. Affecting many commonly used devices including urinary and venous catheters — bacteria form communities known as biofilms. This 'strength in numbers approach' protects them against the bodies' ...

The ins and outs of building the sperm tail

The ins and outs of building the sperm tail
2012-08-13
Sperm swim, lung cells sweep mucus away, and the cells in the female Fallopian tube move eggs from the ovary to the uterus. Underlying these phenomena are flagella – slender, hair-like structures extending from the surface of the cells, that bend, beat or wave rhythmically. In the latest issue of the journal Developmental Cell*, scientists from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), in Portugal, have dissected how sperm cells of the fruit fly build their flagella. These findings pave the way to further understand the molecules and processes that may trigger a variety ...

NTU scientist invents pocket living room TV

2012-08-13
Leaving your TV show midway because you had to leave your home will no longer happen as you can now 'pull' the programme on your TV screen onto your tablet and continue watching it seamlessly. You can also watch the same TV show or movie together with your family and friends, no matter which part of the world they are in. Not only that but you'll be able to discuss the show, whether you are on your personal tablet or smart phone, through a channel of your choice, be it video chat, voice or text. The world's first 'pick up and throw back' video feature allows your video ...

Smoking increases, while alcohol consumption may decrease risk of ALS

2012-08-13
A population-based case-control study of the rare but devastating neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has shown that the risk of such disease is increased among smokers, as has been shown previously. However, surprisingly, the risk of ALS was found to be markedly lower among consumers of alcohol than among abstainers. Forum reviewers thought that this was a well-done and important paper, as it is a population-based analysis, with almost 500 cases of ALS, a very large number of cases for this rare disease. They were especially struck by the magnitude ...

Clemson researchers make optical fibers from common materials

Clemson researchers make optical fibers from common materials
2012-08-13
CLEMSON — Clemson researchers are taking common materials to uncommon places by transforming easily obtainable and affordable materials into fiber. Their findings are published in Nature Photonics, the world's top journal focused on light-based technologies. "We have used a highly purified version of beach sand (silica) for fiber for the last 40 years," said John Ballato, director of the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies at Clemson University. "As a matter of fact, the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the development of silica ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Medicaid expansion linked to improved long-term survival in cancer patients

Women with surgical menopause may exit workforce earlier, but hormone therapy could help

Trailblazing Young Scientists honored with $250,000 prizes at Blavatnik National Awards Gala

Revolutionary blood test for ME / Chronic Fatigue unveiled

Calorie labelling linked to 2% average reduction in energy content of menu items

Widely prescribed opioid painkiller tramadol not that effective for easing chronic pain

Exercise snacks may boost cardiorespiratory fitness of physically inactive adults

15,000 women a year with breast cancer could benefit from whole genome sequencing, say researchers

Study highlights risks of Caesarean births to future pregnancies

GLP-1 agonists pose emerging challenge for PET-CT imaging, study finds

Scripps Research scientists unlock new patterns of protein behavior in cell membranes

Panama Canal may face frequent extreme water lows in coming decades

Flash Joule heating lights up lithium extraction from ores

COMBINEDBrain and MUSC announce partnership to establish biorepository for pediatric cerebrospinal fluid and CNS tissue bank

Questionable lead reporting for drinking water virtually vanished after Flint water crisis, study reveals

Assessing overconfidence among national security officials

Bridging two frontiers: Mitochondria & microbiota, Targeting Extracellular Vesicles 2025 to explore game-changing pathways in medicine

New imaging tech promises to help doctors better diagnose and treat skin cancers

Once dominant, US agricultural exports falter amid trade disputes and rising competition

Biochar from invasive weed shields rice from toxic nanoplastics and heavy metals

Rice University announces second cohort of Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows

Soil bacteria and minerals form a natural “battery” that breaks down antibiotics in the dark

Jamestown colonists brought donkeys, not just horses, to North America, old bones reveal

FIU cybersecurity researchers develop midflight defense against drone hijacking

Kennesaw State researcher aims to discover how ideas spread in the digital age

Next-generation perovskite solar cells are closer to commercial use

Sleep patterns linked to variation in health, cognition, lifestyle, and brain organization

University of Oklahoma researcher awarded funding to bridge gap between molecular data and tissue architecture

Nationally-recognized pathologist Paul N. Staats, MD, named Chair of Pathology at University of Maryland School of Medicine

The world’s snow leopards are very similar genetically. That doesn’t bode well for their future

[Press-News.org] New class of proteins allows breast cancer cells to evade tyrosine kinase inhibitors