Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Cancer Avatars may Help Kill Cancer Cells

by Bidita Debnath on May 22, 2014 at 5:58 PM
 Cancer Avatars may Help Kill Cancer Cells

Researchers have used computer simulations of cancer cells - cancer avatars - to identify drugs most likely to kill cancer cells isolated from patients' brain tumors.

The research took place at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center. The findings, published in May 21 online issue of the Journal of Translational Medicine, may help researchers stratify cancer patients for clinical trials according to their cancers' genomic signatures and predicted sensitivities to different cancer drugs.

Advertisement

Such an approach would allow scientists to selectively test cancer drugs on those who would be most likely to respond to them, while simultaneously reducing patients' exposures to toxic drugs that would likely be ineffective.

"Genomics tells us that cancers are a lot like snowflakes. No two cancers are alike so it does not make sense to give all patients the same drugs. This is the idea behind personalizing therapies for cancer," said lead author Sandeep Pingle, MD, PhD, a project scientist in the laboratory of Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, chief of the division of Neuro-Oncology, professor in the department of neurosciences, director of Neuro-Oncology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and the study's senior author.
Advertisement

"With the virtual cell model, we can take into account all the complexity of cellular processes to predict which drugs will be the most effective against a particular tumor based on its genomic profile," Pingle said. "This is a first step toward personalized medicine."

Researchers developed a virtual cell that represents the internal workings of a normal, healthy cell, depicting them as a complex collection of signaling pathways and metabolic networks. The virtual healthy cell can be made cancerous. Indeed, it can be turned into any kind of cancer cell by distorting specific points and pathways in the system. These cellular distortions represent a person's so-called cancer avatar. Once the avatar is generated, a computer model predicts which drugs, based upon their known functions, are most likely to kill a real cancer cell.

For the study, researchers generated cancer avatars for cells obtained from patients with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive cancer of the brain's glial cells. The condition has a five-year survival rate of about 10 percent. The computer generated predictions were then "truth-checked" against standard, cultured cells in drug-sensitivity experiments.

"The advantage of computational modeling is the ability to incorporate the wealth of genomic and proteomic information on cancer cells and to screen drugs and combinations of drugs much faster and cost effectively," said Kesari. "Our ultimate goal is to take this technology to the clinic to identify the best drugs for treating each individual cancer patient."

Source: Eurekalert
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Research News

AI Shows Promise in Identifying ADHD
The AI method shows promise in identifying imaging biomarkers for diagnosing ADHD.
Life Expectancy Gap for Autistic Individuals Revealed
Diagnosed autistic individuals showed increased premature mortality in the UK, highlighting urgent needs to address associated inequalities.
Exploring How Hearing Impairment Shapes Dementia Risk
Study reveals a correlation between hearing impairment and distinct brain region variances, contributing to dementia.
Coffee and its Role in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Financial impact of caring for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders reaches hundreds of billions annually in the United States.
Healthcare Industry Struggles With Tech Skills Shortage
Experts emphasize that addressing the skills gap demands immediate attention and innovative solutions, including education, re-training, and significant time investment.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Cancer Avatars may Help Kill Cancer Cells Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests