Colorectal Cancer News Headlines

Development of a multiplex MethyLight assay for the detection ofÂ multigene methylation in human colorectal cancer
Abstract: In peripheral blood, cell-free methylated DNA has been reported to be a useful biomarker of noninvasive blood screening for the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC), including the genes ALX homeobox 4Â (ALX4), septin 9 (SEPT9), or transmembrane protein with EGF-like, and two follistatin-like domains 2 (TMEFF2). Here we report a multiplex MethyLight polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that simultaneously detected the methylation status of ALX4, SEPT9, and TMEFF2, as well as quantifying methylation level of these genes in a total of 127 fresh tissue samples and 182 peripheral blood samples from CRC patients. Using the multiplex MethyLight assay, methylated ALX4, SEPT9, and TMEFF2 occurred in 56, 78, and 75% of CRC tissue samples and in 48, 75, and 71% of peripheral blood samples ...... MORE...
POSTED 09/02/2010 at 03:28 AM --

Diabetes drug shows potential as a cancer fighter
An inexpensive drug that's already used to treat type 2 diabetes could find new life as a cancer fighter, with two new studies suggesting it fights off colon cancer and even prevents lung cancer in smokers. (Source: CTV Health)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 01:23 PM --

USPTF urged to reconsider CTC recommendations
The CT Colonography (CTC) Coalition has called on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) to reconsider its recommendation regarding virtual colorectal cancer screening, following the statement issued by the task force maintaining that further research is still required to make a conclusive recommendation regarding CTC. (Source: Cardiovascular Business News)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 10:44 AM --

USPTF urged to reconsider CTC recommendations
The CT Colonography (CTC) Coalition has called on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) to reconsider its recommendation regarding virtual colorectal cancer screening, following the statement issued by the task force maintaining that further research is still required to make a conclusive recommendation regarding CTC. (Source: Health Imaging News)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 10:44 AM --

An 8q24 gene desert variant associated with prostate cancer risk confers differential in vivo activity to a MYC enhancer [RESEARCH]
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) routinely identify risk variants in noncoding DNA, as exemplified by reports of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer in five independent regions in a gene desert on 8q24. Two of these regions also have been associated with breast and colorectal cancer. These findings implicate functional variation within long-range cis-regulatory elements in disease etiology. We used an in vivo bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) enhancer-trapping strategy in mice to scan a half-megabase of the 8q24 gene desert encompassing the prostate cancer-associated regions for long-range cis-regulatory elements. These BAC assays identified both prostate and mammary gland enhancer activities within the region. We demonstrate that the 8...... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 09:02 AM --

Bisulfite Patch PCR enables multiplexed sequencing of promoter methylation across cancer samples [METHOD]
Aberrant DNA methylation frequently occurs at gene promoters during cancer progression. It is important to identify these loci because they are often misregulated and drive tumorigenesis. Bisulfite sequencing is the most direct and highest resolution assay for identifying aberrant promoter methylation. Recently, genomic capture methods have been combined with next-generation sequencing to enable genome-scale surveys of methylation in individual samples. However, it is challenging to validate candidate loci identified by these approaches because an efficient method to bisulfite sequence more than 50 differentially methylated loci across a large number of samples does not exist. To address this problem, we developed Bisulfite Patch PCR, which enables highly multiplexed bisulfite PCR and sequ...... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 09:02 AM --

Study supports earlier colon cancer screening for men, but not African Americans
Male sex, but not race, predicted colon polyp prevalence, suggesting that African Americans may not benefit from earlier screening. (Source: Cancer Network)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 07:00 AM --

Assessing the Prioritization of Primary Care Referrals for Polysomnograms
Conclusion: In a public hospital, primary care patients were less likely to be referred for PSG compared to mammogram and endoscopy. Uninsured patients were more likely to be referred for PSG than those with private insurance. Further studies are needed to address the low PSG referral rates in high-risk populations. Keywords: Sleep apnea, primary care, referral, health care delivery, socioeconomic status (Source: Sleep)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 04:38 AM --

Behind the headlines - Genetic effects of vitamin D studied
âStocking up on vitamin D supplements and enjoying the summer sun could cut the risk of a host of diseases,â reported the Daily Mail. This news story is based on a study that investigated how vitamin D might influence the risk of certain diseases by affecting the activity of genes. It found that vitamin D binds directly to genes associated with several common autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and colorectal cancer. Studies of this kind add to our knowledge of the function of vitamin D, and will be used to assess the guidelines for recommended vitamin D intake. What does NHS Choices make of this study? This is a valuable addition to our knowledge of the effects of vitamin D in the cells and how it might affect our risk of certain di...... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 01:19 AM --

Celiac patients have similar colorectal neoplasia risk to general population
Study findings confirm that celiac disease patients have a similar risk for colorectal cancer to the general population. (Source: MedWire News - Gastroenterology)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 01:16 AM --

Evidences that GPR43, a GâproteinâCoupled receptor for short chain fatty acids, suppresses colon cancer
(Source: International Journal of Cancer)... MORE...
POSTED 09/01/2010 at 12:15 AM --

SG2285, a Novel C2-Aryl-Substituted Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Dimer Prodrug That Cross-links DNA and Exerts Highly Potent Antitumor Activity
The pyrrolobenzodiazepines (PBD) are naturally occurring antitumor antibiotics, and a PBD dimer (SJG-136, SG2000) is in phase II trials. Many potent PBDs contain a C2-endo-exo unsaturated motif associated with the pyrrolo C-ring. The novel compound SG2202 is a PBD dimer containing this motif. SG2285 is a water-soluble prodrug of SG2202 in which two bisulfite groups inactivate the PBD N10-C11 imines. Once the bisulfites are eliminated, the imine moieties can bind covalently in the DNA minor groove, forming an interstrand cross-link. The mean in vitro cytotoxic potency of SG2285 against human tumor cell lines is GI50 20 pmol/L. SG2285 is highly efficient at producing DNA interstrand cross-links in cells, but they form more slowly than those produced by SG2202. Cellular sensitivity to SG2285 ...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:07 PM --

MET Kinase Inhibitor SGX523 Synergizes with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Erlotinib in a Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Dependent Fashion to Suppress Carcinoma Growth
The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-MET pathway supports several hallmark cancer traits, and it is frequently activated in a broad spectrum of human cancers (http://www.vai.org/met/). With the development of many cancer drugs targeting this pathway, there is a need for relevant in vivo model systems for preclinical evaluation of drug efficacy. Here, we show that production of the human HGF ligand in transgenic severe combined immunodeficient mice (hHGFtg-SCID mice) enhances the growth of many MET-expressing human carcinoma xenografts, including those derived from lung, breast, kidney, colon, stomach, and pancreas. In this model, the MET-specific small-molecule kinase inhibitor SGX523 partially inhibits the HGF-dependent growth of lung, breast, and pancreatic tumors. However, much greater gr...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:07 PM --

Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel SCN5A Is a Key Regulator of a Gene Transcriptional Network That Controls Colon Cancer Invasion
In this study, we examined the expression and function of VGSCs in a panel of colon cancer cell lines by electrophysiologic recordings. Na+ channel activity and invasive potential were inhibited pharmacologically by tetrodotoxin or genetically by small interfering RNAs (siRNA) specifically targeting SCN5A. Clinical relevance was established by immunohistochemistry of patient biopsies, with strong Nav1.5 protein staining found in colon cancer specimens but little to no staining in matched-paired normal colon tissues. We explored the mechanism of VGSC-mediated invasive potential on the basis of reported links between VGSC activity and gene expression in excitable cells. Probabilistic modeling of loss-of-function screens and microarray data established an unequivocal role of VGSC SCN5A as a h...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:07 PM --

CDX2 Regulates Multidrug Resistance 1 Gene Expression in Malignant Intestinal Epithelium
The caudal-related homeobox transcription factor CDX2 has a key role in intestinal development and differentiation. CDX2 heterozygous mutant mice develop colonic polyps, and loss of CDX2 expression is seen in a subset of colon carcinomas in humans. Ectopic CDX2 expression in the stomach of transgenic mice promotes intestinal metaplasia, and CDX2 expression is frequently detected in intestinal metaplasia in the stomach and esophagus. We sought to define CDX2-regulated genes to enhance knowledge of CDX2 function. HT-29 colorectal cancer cells have minimal endogenous CDX2 expression, and HT-29 cells with ectopic CDX2 expression were generated. Microarray-based gene expression studies revealed that the Multidrug Resistance 1 (MDR1/P-glycoprotein/ABCB1) gene was activated by CDX2. Evidence that...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:07 PM --

Cell Selection as Driving Force in Lung and Colon Carcinogenesis
Carcinogenesis is the result of mutations and subsequent clonal expansions of mutated, selectively advantageous cells. To investigate the relative contributions of mutation versus cell selection in tumorigenesis, we compared two mathematical models of carcinogenesis in two different cancer types: lung and colon. One approach is based on a population genetics model, the Wright-Fisher process, whereas the other approach is the two-stage clonal expansion model. We compared the dynamics of tumorigenesis predicted by the two models in terms of the time period until the first malignant cell appears, which will subsequently form a tumor. The mean waiting time to cancer has been calculated approximately for the evolutionary colon cancer model. Here, we derive new analytic approximations to the med...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 11:07 PM --

Narrow-band imaging for colorectal polyps: it can be taught but will it be used?
Colonoscopy remains the reference standard to which new technologies for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening must be compared. As newer CRC screening tests such as CT colonography (CTC) and capsule endoscopy have been developed and compared with colonoscopy, the realization that colonoscopy is an imperfect reference standard has been repeatedly brought to the fore. Concerns regarding the incomplete degree of colonoscopy protection and the emerging understanding of the importance of the serrated polyp pathway and nonpolypoid neoplasia continue to provide an impetus to improve the accuracy of colonoscopy. Currently available video endoscopy systems that allow us to see smaller polyps in finer detail than ever before are becoming standard equipment for many endoscopy suites. In addition, mucosa...... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 06:00 PM --

Ongoing colorectal cancer risk despite surveillance colonoscopy: the Polyp Prevention Trial Continued Follow-up Study
Leung et al recently reported interesting results of the continued follow-up study (CFS) of patients enrolled in the Polyp Prevention Trial (PPT). However, we believe that they provided an arbitrary estimate of the beneficial effect of removal of adenoma by colonoscopy on the subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC) risk by their method. Leung et al compared the observed incidence of CRC of a subcohort of the CFS patients with the expected incidence derived from CRC rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. The corresponding SEER rates were used for each gender, 5-year age group, and 4-year calendar period. The estimated standardized incidence ratio (IR) was 0.64 (95% confidence interval, 0.28-1.06). (Source: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)... MORE...
POSTED 08/31/2010 at 06:00 PM --

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