New biomarker for common lung cancer predicts responses to chemotherapy

July 26, 2012 in Cancer

Patients with the most common type of lung cancer are notoriously insensitive to chemotherapy drugs, including cisplatin. New findings related to the cellular pathways that regulate responses to cisplatin have now been published by Cell Press on July 26th in the journal Cell Reports. The findings reveal a potential biomarker that can be used to predict how these patients will respond to chemotherapy, as well as the patients' overall prognosis, paving the way for personalized treatment strategies.

Non-small cell (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men, and it is frequently treated with cisplatin. However, responses are often brief and ineffective because become resistant to cisplatin-induced . "We were interested in finding new genes, proteins, and pathways that would govern the response to cisplatin and might explain cisplatin resistance," says senior study author Guido Kroemer of INSERM—the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

To identify factors that affect whether cells die in response to cisplatin, Kroemer and his team performed a genome-wide screen in which they interfered with the expression of tens of thousands of genes in cells from patients with NSCLC. They identified 85 factors that modify drug responses, including pyridoxal kinase (PDXK), an enzyme that converts vitamin B6 precursors into their active form.

Treatment with a vitamin B6 precursor enhanced the anti-tumor effects of cisplatin in mouse models of lung cancer and promoted cisplatin-induced death in a variety of cancer cell lines, but only when PDXK was present. Moreover, NSCLC patients with high expression levels of PDXK had higher survival rates than those with low levels of the enzyme, regardless of whether they were being treated with cisplatin.

Together, the findings point to PDXK as an easy-to-monitor potential for predicting both the responses of NSCLC patients to cisplatin and their general outcomes. "Patients who have high levels of PDXK might benefit from combination therapies of and vitamin B6," Kroemer says. "However, for those patients whose tumors express low levels of PDXK, new strategies of cancer treatment have to be developed."

More information: Galluzzi et al.: "Prognostic Impact of Vitamin B6 Metabolism in Lung Cancer." dx.doi.org/10.1016… .2012.06.017

Journal reference: Cell Reports search and more info website

Provided by Cell Press search and more info website

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

American cancer society celebrates 100 years of progress

(HealthDay)—The American Cancer Society, which is celebrating on Wednesday a century of fighting a disease once viewed as a death sentence, is making a pledge to put itself out of business.

Cancer created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

CT detects twice as many lung cancers as X-ray at initial screening exam

National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) investigators also conclude that the 20 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) versus chest X-ray (CXR) screening previously reported in the ...

Cancer created 11 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Research offers promising new approach to treatment of lung cancer

Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that allows inhalation of chemotherapeutic drugs to help treat lung cancer, and in laboratory and animal tests it appears to reduce the systemic damage ...

Cancer created 14 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study details genes that control whether tumors adapt or die when faced with p53 activating drugs

When turned on, the gene p53 turns off cancer. However, when existing drugs boost p53, only a few tumors die – the rest resist the challenge. A study published in the journal Cell Reports shows how: tumors that live even i ...

Cancer created 14 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Small increase in cancer risk following CT scans in childhood and adolescence

Study leader, Professor John Mathews from the University of Melbourne said this small increase in cancer risk must be weighed against the undoubted benefits from CT scans in diagnosing and monitoring disease.

Cancer created 18 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Slowing the aging process—only with antibiotics

Swiss scientists reveal the mechanism responsible for aging hidden deep within mitochondria—and dramatically slow it down in worms by administering antibiotics to the young.

Researchers complete largest genetic sequencing study of human disease

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London have led the largest sequencing study of human disease to date, investigating the genetic basis of six autoimmune diseases.

Rate of bicycle-related fatalities significantly lower in states with helmet laws

Existing research shows that bicyclists who wear helmets have an 88 percent lower risk of brain injury, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital found that simply having bicycle helmet laws in place showed a 20 percent ...

Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion—the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.

Having both migraines, depression may mean smaller brain

(HealthDay)—Migraines and depression can each cause a great deal of suffering, but new research indicates the combination of the two may be linked to something else entirely—a smaller brain.

Novel approach for influenza vaccination shows promise in early animal testing

A new approach for immunizing against influenza elicited a more potent immune response and broader protection than the currently licensed seasonal influenza vaccines when tested in mice and ferrets. The vaccine ...