Olaparib a new drug for genetic breast cancer article from The Times Online 6/1/09
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
New drug olaparib offers hope to women with genetic breast cancer by David Rose
Follow this link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6400852.ece
Olaparib is made by AstraZeneca & is being used in clinical trials to treat & or prevent cancer in high risk or BRCA families. They feel this drug is very promising in blocking the protein that makes cancer cells –causing only the cancer cell to either die or shrink. (BRCA patients have the mutated gene that is supposed to repair or fix damaged DNA—therefore when the repair doesn’t work properly mistakes in the DNA accumulate, do not repair & cancer develops.)
BIG STORY!!!
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
A lawsuit has been filed against Myriad Genetics & the Patent Office
This story has multiple links: If I understand it correctly, it goes like this:
This link explains a senate debate on 11/12/08 http://www.openaustralia.org/senate/?id=2008-11-12.32.1
There are three BRCA1 patents & one BRCA 2 patent in Australia. Myriad Genetics took out these 4 patents in the USA. Genetic Technologies LTD in Australia is the exclusive licensee of these patents. Therefore the MONOPOLY on BRCA testing!
The following two links further explain the lawsuit against MYRIAD GENETICS & the US Patent Office. Apparently, there is finally awareness & some people are outraged to know that there is a patent on BRCA gene research. This monopoly prevents further research by other interested parties. Myriad Genetics will argue that they have the rights to the patent & it enables them to invest in research & development of cures. The people (cancer patients, pathologists, & genetic researchers) feel that having more players involved will bring down costs to testing & research & cures. The lawsuit also challenges gene patenting in general.
Please feel free to add your comments people!
LINKS:
ACLU sues over patents on breast cancer genes from cnn.com on 5/13/09
By: Stephanie Smith & Caitlin Hagan http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/12/us.genes.lawsuit/
Cancer Patients Challenge the Patenting of a Gene from The NYtimes.com on 5/13/09
By: John Schwartz
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/health/13patent.html?_r=2&hp
Request for interview with women who have tested positive for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes.
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
- How do women seek genetic testing for breast cancer? Why do women choose to get tested for a condition that may or may not develop, or have control over?
- What is the lived experience of women who have had a positive result from their genetic test? How is this affected if they have a family history of breast cancer?
- What decisions, if any, do they make once they have a positive result? Is there a different between their immediate and long-term decisions
- What role do their immediate family network, close friends, and co-workers play in their decision to get tested and in their post-testing experience?
BRCA article from CNNhealth.com 1/9/09
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
‘Cancer-free’ baby born in London
Follow this link for more on this article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/09/uk.cancerfree.baby/
Friday, 1/9/09 a very expensive genetically engineered baby girl was born in London, England free of the BRCA gene mutation.
This has become a very controversial subject! If an embryo has the BRCA mutation, it is discarded & not implanted in the mother. This becomes controversial because not everyone who has the BRCA gene mutation develops cancer.
WOULD YOU DO GENETIC SCREENING FOR YOUR EMBRYOS IF YOU COULD?
Feel free to leave your comments here…
BRCA article from Hadassah Magazine November 2008 Vol. 90 No. 3
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
Breaking the Chain by Wendy Elliman
Follow this link for the entire awesome article!
http://www.hadassah.org/news/content/per_hadassah/archive/2008/08_Nov/medicine.asp
This past June, twins were born at the Hadassah Hospital in Israel without the BRCA gene mutation. Embryos free of the mutation were implanted in the mother enabling her to “break the breast cancer chain” in her family & give birth to BRCA free babies. Six other BRCA positive couples also had the genetically BRCA free embryos implanted using in-vitro fertilization treatment. One of these couples gave birth in September, & the other 5 couples are expecting soon!
Cancer Research Article
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
Scientists Decode Cancer Cell DNA 11/6/08 from CBS News NY
Follow this link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/eveningnews/main4580721.shtml
CBS news medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reported that scientists decoded the entire genetics of a cancer cell from a woman with leukemia. This helps scientists understand cancer & start to target cancer therapy to specific cancer cells. Hopefully, there will be personalized cancer treatments in the future which target the mutated DNA instead of what we generally have now- one size fits all cancer treatment!
BRCA article from topcancernews.com 10/20/08
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
How women cope with the results of BRCA testing for hereditary breast cancer
By Robert White
Follow the link for the entire article: http://www.topcancernews.com/news/1843/1/How-women-cope-with-the-results-of-BRCA-testing-for-hereditary-breast-cancer
Women with negative BRCA results had the lowest rates of worry & cancer related distress. Women who had inconclusive results (have no genetic mutation currently known to increase breast cancer risk) had similar levels of distress as those who tested BRCA positive. All women had less stress after being tested than before. The women with inconclusive results may still be at risk for breast cancer because of unrecognized mutations or other risk factors associated with family history of breast cancer. BRCA testing is stressful & best done with a genetic counselor who can help evaluate the results.
BRCA & Breast Cancer research article from the ScienceDaily.com 11/2/08
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
New Tumor Inhibitor for Treatment of Hereditary Breast Cancer Shows Promising Results in Mouse Model.Journal reference:Sven Rottenberg, Janneke E. Jaspers, Ariena Kersbergen, Eline van der Burg, Anders O. H. Nygren, Serge A. L. Zander, Patrick W. B. Derksen, Michiel de Bruin, John Zevenhoven, Alan Lau, Robert Boulter, Aaron Cranston, Mark J. O’Connor, Niall M. B. Martin, Piet Borst, and Jos Jonkers. High sensitivity of BRCA1-deficient mammary tumors to the PARP inhibitor AZD2281 alone and in combination with platinum drugs. PNAS Online Early Edition, October 29, 2008
Netherlands Cancer Institute (2008, November 2). New Tumor Inhibitor For Treatment Of Hereditary Breast Cancer Shows Promising Results In Mouse Model. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 6, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/10/081030075651.htm
Full article at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030075651.htm
Researchers of the Netherlands Cancer Institute have recently started human trials of an “inhibitor” AZD2281 to stop breast cancer in BRCA1 gene mutations. This inhibitor developed drug resistance long term in the mouse model but was reversed after using another inhibitor, so researchers feel the AZD2281 helps make it more effective. This mouse model is a good test for future new anti-cancer drugs.
Follow up on the BRCA article 10/30/08 about Genetic Technologies & Genetic Testing
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
Further clarifications on BRCA testing
From The Sydney Morning Herald smh.com.au 10/31/08 follow this link: http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/previewDocument.ac?docID=GCA00898652GTG
After the recent media attention of the company & its exclusivity to the BRCA genetic testing possibly hindering further research & therefore possible cures for BRCA positive people, the company had clarifications. Please follow the link to get it from the source! Basically the company says that the patent exclusivity is for diagnosis & not research-they are not impeding research. They are also holding their prices the same for the coming year.
BRCA & Breast Cancer research article from The Jewish Daily forward.com 10/30/08
BRCA NEWSWORTHY
Scientific Advances Looking to Stop “Cancer Gene”
By Nathaniel Popper
Follow this link for the entire story: http://www.forward.com/articles/14478/
The past 10 years researchers have identified BRCA positive patients & have treated them prophylactically. Now science is going in another direction & they want to know how the gene causes cancer & how it can be prevented. An Australian researcher by the name of Georgia Chenevix-Trench is one of the leaders of this research. There is also a research team being run out of New York University called the Jewish Women’s Breast & Ovarian Cancer Genetics study (from the Jewish Women’s Foundation). The want to know why some BRCA positive women get cancer & some do not & how this cancer process can be stopped- they have a team collecting DNA samples (spit samples-instead of blood) from older Jewish women (at Hadassah lunches & book clubs.) Harry Ostrer is the lead geneticist of this study. Both these researchers are collecting & analyzing these BRCA genes to find out what the BRCA positive women who don’t get breast cancer have that the women who get breast cancer don’t have! Yet at the University of Chicago’s Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics researcher Olufunmilayo Olopade (overseer of drug trials) they are testing a drug that can target defective cells caused by the BRCA gene mutation. Also new, researchers can look at an entire genetic code rather than just a single site. This enables doctors to see whether other genes might interact with the BRCA genes to cause cancer. Another ambitious study is going on at the University of Cambridge called the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 or CIMBA. Here they are hoping to find the genes that decrease the prevalence of BRCA positive people getting cancer. The researchers hope that these discoveries will also aid other areas of cancer research.