Archive for cancer
The softer the nanoparticle, the better the drug delivery to tumors
For the first time, scientists have shown that the elasticity of nanoparticles can affect how cells take them up in ways that can significantly improve drug delivery to tumors. A team of Boston Children’s Hospital researchers led by Marsha A. Moses, PhD, who directs the Vascular Biology Program, created a novel nanolipogel-based drug delivery system that allowed ... Read More about The softer the nanoparticle, the better the drug delivery to tumors
Cancer researchers hit a bullseye with a new drug target for Ewing sarcoma
Screening a class of recently-developed drug compounds — so-called “CDK inhibitors” capable of blocking CDK7/12/13 proteins — against hundreds of different human cancer cell lines, researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center have found that CDK12 inhibitors pack a particularly lethal punch to Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer typically affecting children and young adults. “No one ... Read More about Cancer researchers hit a bullseye with a new drug target for Ewing sarcoma
Taking a sideswipe at high-risk neuroblastoma
Cancer and other diseases are now understood to spring from a complex interplay of biological factors rather than any one isolated origin. New research reveals that an equally-nuanced approach to treating high-risk neuroblastoma may be the most effective way to curb tumor growth. One challenge in treating pediatric cancers like neuroblastoma is that they are ... Read More about Taking a sideswipe at high-risk neuroblastoma
Landmark moment for science as the FDA approves a gene therapy for the first time
Today, the Food and Drug Administration approved a gene therapy known as CAR T-cell therapy that genetically modifies a patient’s own cells to help them combat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. It is the first gene therapy to be approved by the FDA. “This represents the progression of the field of gene ... Read More about Landmark moment for science as the FDA approves a gene therapy for the first time
A first for CRISPR: Cutting genes in blood stem cells
CRISPR — a gene editing technology that lets researchers make precise mutations, deletions and even replacements in genomic DNA — is all the rage among genomic researchers right now. First discovered as a kind of genomic immune memory in bacteria, labs around the world are trying to leverage the technology for diseases ranging from malaria ... Read More about A first for CRISPR: Cutting genes in blood stem cells
Beyond appearances: Molecular genetics revises brain tumor classification and care
Pomeroy Scott Pomeroy, MD, PhD, is Neurologist-in-Chief at Boston Children’s Hospital. He practices in the Brain Tumor Center and is a member of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center. For almost a century, brain tumors have been diagnosed based on their appearance under a microscope and classified by their resemblance to the brain cells from which ... Read More about Beyond appearances: Molecular genetics revises brain tumor classification and care
Double stem cell transplant and other tools are helping children survive neuroblastoma
When Emily Coughlin complained of a sore knee in May 2009, doctors initially suspected Lyme disease. After antibiotics failed to relieve the pain, Emily was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that begins in nerve cells outside the brain, just shy of her fourth birthday. Though neuroblastomia is rare — about 700 new cases occur annually in the ... Read More about Double stem cell transplant and other tools are helping children survive neuroblastoma
Supercharged marrow transplant: Zebrafish reveal drugs that aid engraftment
Bone marrow transplantation, a.k.a. stem cell transplantation, can offer a cure for certain cancers, blood disorders, immune deficiencies and even metabolic disorders. But it’s a highly toxic procedure, especially when a closely matched marrow donor can’t be found. Using stem cells from umbilical cord blood banked after childbirth could open up many more matching possibilities, ... Read More about Supercharged marrow transplant: Zebrafish reveal drugs that aid engraftment
Not all brain tumors are made the same, and that’s important
When you look at an apple, no matter what variety, on the surface you can be pretty sure it’s actually an apple. From there, you can make lots of assumptions about it, like how it will taste when you bite into it and what will happen if you plant the seeds in your yard. With ... Read More about Not all brain tumors are made the same, and that’s important
Taking a targeted approach when leukemia comes back
The news that your child has cancer always comes as a shock, but for one cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), parents can take comfort in the fact that doctors are really good at treating it. The cure rate for ALL has, over the last 40 years, climbed to nearly 90 percent. Less comforting is the fact ... Read More about Taking a targeted approach when leukemia comes back