Medical Xpress’ Post

A new paper from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)'s MyPART team sheds light on possible inherited genetic predispositions to chordoma. It represents the first notable findings to emerge from the chordoma cohort of the NCI’s Natural History Study of Rare Solid Tumors, which has now enrolled 120+ chordoma patients — more than any other rare cancer being studied through this initiative! We continue to encourage chordoma patients and survivors anywhere in the world to enroll. Participants are helping researchers uncover important aspects of chordoma’s biology and answer questions that will enable future clinical trials. Check out our latest blog post to learn more about the new findings and their potential implications for chordoma patients, and how to enroll in the Natural History Study.

Study uncovers role of genetic variants in blood cancer development

Study uncovers role of genetic variants in blood cancer development

Study uncovers role of genetic variants in blood cancer development

Pancancer gene panels offer a significant advantage over panels that target a single cancer type By analyzing a broader spectrum of #genes associated with various types of #cancer, these panels can detect up to 50% more patients at risk. Early detection is key to increasing the chances of successful cancer #treatment. In addition, identifying #GeneticVariants associated with the development of the disease allows personalized #preventive measures to be taken to reduce risk or detect the pathology early. At Veritas we offer myCancerRisk, a genetic test that analyzes 40 genes related to the most frequent types of hereditary cancer. In addition, we provide advice to the #specialist for the interpretation of your patient's results, whenever you need it. Find out all the information about the role of genetics in hereditary cancers 👉 https://lnkd.in/dH-K4YfJ

👨🔬 How could this discovery impact future research into prostate cancer? Scientists have discovered genetic mutations that could help explain why Black men are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer than those of other ethnicities. The findings could lead to a test to identify those at greatest risk of developing the disease, enhancing survival rates. https://bit.ly/3whjjxM #ReedScientific #Scientific #Health #ProstateCancer #Genetics

Understanding the role of the P53 cancer suppressing gene.

Large head size and cancer risk: "𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞 [𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡/𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭] 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬."   (n=81k) This is already known for hereditary cancer syndromes like those due to PTEN genetic variants (PMID: 20349131) - e.g., in clinic one of the screening methods involves measuring head size, but it's interesting to see the association with cancer more broadly. https://lnkd.in/gUPw_wQS

Sonic tweezers isolate cancer cells from blood Researchers have shown how to detect cancer cells in the blood using an inexpensive and effective method that replaces invasive biopsies. The technology, called "acoustic tweezers," relies on sound waves and a disposable chip to separate cancer cells from blood cells. Typically, cancer cells break away from the primary site and travel throughout the body through the blood. Detecting them can sometimes be very difficult due to the fact that among a billion blood cells there may be only one cancerous one. Current methods require large quantities of appropriate antibodies that bind to cancer cells and help isolate them. To do this, the antibodies must be known. Other methods are more complex. Using high-speed centrifuges to separate cells can also cause cell damage. Sound waves, in turn, work quickly and at lower cost. It takes the tiny device about five hours to isolate cancer cells from a sample taken from a normal patient. A research team from Pennsylvania State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University tested the device with blood samples from three breast cancer patients. Tests have shown the high efficiency of the new method. Acoustic cell isolation is non-invasive and does not alter or damage cells. The system performance was 20 times greater than all previous achievements. Surface acoustic waves separate cells using a tiny amount of energy. They do not cause any harm, since their characteristics are similar to ultrasonic acoustoscopy. They are safe even for the baby in the womb. The results of the study were published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The system works on the principle of two sound waves of the same length, traveling in opposite directions and compensating each other at a certain point. Oblique sound waves move the desired cells to a point where a current is formed that moves the collected cells along a separate channel. The study successfully separated more than 83 percent of cancer cells. Scientists see great potential for the new technique in the study, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. If you've read the article this far please like and subscribe - it really helps the channel. Open the link to find thousands of interesting articles: https://lnkd.in/dNyiufB5 \#nikolays_genetics_lessons

I've been reading about cancer as you know I love genetics, especially about colon cancer, and wanted to simplify some key concepts for everyone. Our cells contain DNA, which undergoes a process called replication, essentially, copying. During this process, errors can occur, leading to mismatches in the DNA sequence, like typos in an instruction manual. If left unchecked, these errors are copied over and over, potentially leading to cancer. Fortunately, our cells have a repair system called Mismatch Repair (MMR), with a key protein produced by the MLH1 gene. This MMR protein acts like a proofreader, identifying and fixing these DNA typos. For example, if there’s an "A" where there should be a "T," the MMR protein corrects it. Even small errors can be serious if not corrected, as they can accumulate and lead to cancer. Without a functional MMR protein, these errors go unchecked, increasing the risk of cancer growth. Understanding this process highlights the importance of genetic repair mechanisms in preventing diseases like colon cancer. I've simplified this explanation to pretty much layman level, so now you have a basic understanding of how cancer can develop from DNA replication errors