About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Various Rare Cancer’s Treatment Can Now Be Personalized By Using Patients Own Cells

by Rishika Gupta on February 26, 2019 at 11:22 PM
 Various Rare Cancer’s Treatment Can Now Be Personalized By Using Patients Own Cells

Personalized treatment of rare cancer: By growing patient's own cells to resemble mini tumors, hundreds of drugs can be tested on these cells to find a perfect drug for the treatment. The results of this study are published in the journal of Communications Biology.

A new technique developed at UCLA can screen hundreds of drugs using patients' own cells.

Advertisement


UCLA scientists have developed a new method to quickly screen hundreds of drugs to identify treatments that can target specific tumors.

The approach could help scientists understand how a person's tumor would respond to a certain drug or drug combination, and it could help guide treatment decisions for people with rare and hard-to-treat cancers.
Advertisement

"We always focus on how we need new and better drugs to treat cancer," said Alice Soragni, the senior author of the study and a scientist at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "While that's true, we also have many drugs currently available -- we just haven't been able to figure out who is going to respond to which ones for most of them."

The screening method uses patients' own cells, collected during surgery, to create miniature tumor organoids.

Organoids are simpler, smaller versions of bodily organs or tumors that scientists can grow in a lab to replicate the full-function structures; researchers create them to study diseases and possible treatments.

"We obtain cancer cells directly from surgery, and that same day we can seed them to generate tumor organoids," said Soragni, an assistant professor in the division of hematology/oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and member of the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA. "We created a miniaturized system that allows the setup of hundreds of wells for testing with minimal manipulation."

After the tumor organoids are established, typically in three to five days, the lab screens hundreds of drugs to determine which ones are effective. The approach developed by Soragni's lab uses an automated feed -- instead of testing one drug at a time, scientists use robots to simultaneously screen hundreds of different treatments. The method is fast and efficient: The entire process, from surgery to final results, can take as little as one to two weeks.

To test the technique, Soragni's team took cells from four patients -- three with ovarian cancer and one with peritoneal cancer -- to grow tumor organoids. The test enabled the researchers to produce personalized snapshots of which drugs were effective for each patient's organoids.

For example, one of the four participants in the study was a woman with an extremely rare type of ovarian cancer. (The specific subtype of cancer is diagnosed in fewer than 200 U.S. women each year.) The organoids developed from her cancer cells responded to a class of drugs called cyclin-kinase inhibitors, which can target cancer by preventing it from growing. Soragni said there are currently no known biomarkers to predict the effect of the specific cyclin-kinase inhibitors identified by the screening on tumor growth. So without the test, it would have been impossible to know that the drugs would work on that specific subtype of cancer.

For many rare types of cancer, scientists know little about drug susceptibilities. But being able to create models of rare tumors in the lab can help scientists identify patients who could benefit the most from a specific treatment. In addition to identifying personalized treatments, the technique could also help scientists select patients to participate in clinical trials for potential new cancer therapies.

"This could become a powerful tool to help guide therapies for people who really have no known treatment options left," Soragni said.

Source: Eurekalert
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest Research News

NELL-1 Protein Aids to Reduce Bone Loss in Astronauts
Microgravity-induced bone loss in space, can be reduced by systemic delivery of NELL-1, a protein required for bone growth and its maintenance.
Connecting Genetic Variants to the Alzheimer's Puzzle
Researchers establish connections between Alzheimer's-linked genetic alterations and the functioning of brain cells.
Gene Therapy Sparks Spinal Cord Regeneration
Team at NeuroRestore introduces a groundbreaking gene therapy that has effectively promoted nerve regrowth and reconnection, post spinal cord injury.
Unlocking the Gut Microbiome's Influence on Bone Density
Scientists aim to pinpoint particular functional pathways affected by these bacteria that may have an impact on skeletal health.
Hop-Derived Compound Reduces Gut Microbe Linked to Metabolic Syndrome
Consuming a diet rich in saturated fats triggers persistent, low-level inflammation within the body, ultimately contributing to the onset of metabolic syndrome.
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
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Various Rare Cancer’s Treatment Can Now Be Personalized By Using Patients Own 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