Drug Addiction Research Paper

Researchers have associated mutations in specific genes with more than 50 hereditary cancer syndromes, which are disorders that may predispose individuals to developing certain cancers. Genetic tests can tell whether a person

From the science community perspective, the CRISPR-Cas system could reduce or even eliminate many of the difficulties researchers face when gene editing such as cost, duration and accuracy. Prior to CRISPR-Cas, gene editing was performed in “big labs” with experts

Many doctors, physicians, researchers and biotech companies--including the revolutionary Seattle Genetics research facility--are now turning to antibody-assisted cancer treatments and precisely targeted cures instead of treating cancer with a cocktail of chemicals and radiation that generate risky side effects and damage the healthy tissue that patients need to recover. Cancers are among the most frightening and difficult-to-treat illnesses. Ranked as the leading cause of death and disability, cancer is actually an umbrella term that covers many different diseases. Each person faces a unique disease because cancers interact with the body's existing cells, so each case has a

A team from the Brazilian university says the experimental drug binds with tumor cells and causes the loss of key molecules.

CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat, referring to the repeating DNA sequences found in the genomes of microorganisms. CRISPR technology allows scientists to make precise changes in genes by splicing and replacing these DNA sequences with new ones. Through these changes, the biology of the cell is altered and possibly affects the health of an organism. The possibilities are endless as this offers opportunities in curing deadly diseases, modifying genes, and changing humanity as we know it. Although bioengineering has been around since the 1960s, CRISPR is significant because of the comparative low costs and the ease of the procedure to

During my time in the Brugge Lab, we have utilized our compound screening platform to examine vulnerabilities of cancer cells under therapeutic, environmental, and

With the use of our ever-growing genetic understanding, we are rapidly moving towards personalised cancer treatment. The availability and affordability of technologies allowing us to gain a comprehensive molecular characterisation of tumours and one’s own genetic make-up, brings personalised medicine right into the forefront of cancer treatment. Personalised medicine promises to be a potentially revolutionary new form of cancer treatment, with the use of indicators such as discrete genes and proteins to differentiate one cancer type form another and enable the use of targeted therapies. Throughout this project I explore exactly what personalised medicine is and investigate the opportunities and challenges that accompany its potential to be next new form of cancer treatment.

The CRISPR Team was fortunate to be a part of the “Virus Documentary” (SciChannel) and conduct successful experiments discovering the activity of viruses. Through a series of test conducted by The CRISPR Team, it

Scientific research has made various improvements and advancements in many diseases and treatment methods. In cancer alone, over the past decade, we have made several breakthroughs that have allowed us to prevent and/ or successfully treat previously deadly forms. The BRCA 1 gene mutation allows for individuals to see if they have a higher risk for cancers such as breast cancer. By having a predictor such as this, people are able to receive preventative treatments, allowing health care providers to catch problems early, which increases the chances of a successful outcome.

Another example is Talimogene Iaherparepvec (OncoVEX GM-CSF), which is developed by Bio Vex, which later was purchased by Amgen for $ 1 billion in 2011 [21]. The virus is based on herpes simplex (HSV-1) and in March 2013, the virus has successfully completed a phase three trial for advanced melanoma [22]. It is expected to be the first oncolytic agent to be approved in the west. Also, it was examined in a phase one trial for pancreatic cancer and

The world of genomes is more similar to the art of coding, than many may believe. For starters, they both share the ability of creating information that does an overwhelmingly important role in fabricating and supporting the final project - which in a genetical case is all living organisms. The complex code of genetics has been a pivoting factor in countless research done by scientists, as it is the literal makeup of each and every living organism, each unique in their own way. Research in genetics has been around for more than 150 years, and although the study is something relatively old and a seemingly immaculate process, there are cases where the result is not always as one would hope. Unfortunately, if a mutation occurs in the

The relatively recent completion of the Human Genome Project has prompted a change in the approach of a lot of the current endeavors by broadening cancer research away from a focus on single genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, to that of the entire genome of the individual.(Pasche & Absher, 2011). Tailoring therapy is a well-entrenched strategy employed when it comes to tackling cancer given that each patient harbors a unique constellation of different permutations that influence the probability, onset, and progression of their disease. The difference in disease prognosis can be mild to severe and is largely driven by the subtle but unique differences in genetic makeup of individuals. High-throughput tools have been developed to analyze nucleic acid and generate data that could help improve diagnosis and treatment of cancers by identifying new potential biomarkers for disease and also potential drug targets for the development of new therapies. This paper explores some of the available technologies that are at the forefront of

Cancer occurrs by the production of multiple mutations in a single cell that causes it to proliferate out of control. Cancer cells often different from their normal neighbors by a host of specific phenotypic changes, such as rapid division rate, invasion of new cellular territories, high metabolic rate, and altered shape. Some of those mutations may be transmitted from the parents through the germ line. Others arise de novo in the somatic cell lineage of a particular cell. Cancer-promoting mutations can be identified in a variety of ways. They can be cloned and studied to learn how they can be controlled.

In this report, I will be describing a hypothetical independent bioinformatics group project with Dr. Ian Watson (McGill University). I have discussed with him previously about potential post-graduate projects I could take on. Dr. Watson’s research focuses on melanoma genomics which include sequencing the exomes and genomes of patient samples (of varying severity) and biomarker responses to immunotherapy (Watson, 2016). I will choose to focus on a project that will work on previously sequenced patient samples for brevity and practicality. Specifically, I will choose to analyze the pharmacological responses from the supplied tumour data via analyzing their genetic profiles. Melanoma-targeted therapies have shown promise with many drugs currently undergoing (Food and Drug Administration) FDA trial (Cancer Research Institute, 2016). Dr. Watson has access to several clinical trial phase biopsies whose genetic profiles can be analyzed. Ideally, I will aim to differentiate and distinguish groups of poor- and high-responders by their genetic signatures. For instance, immunocytokines are more effective in patients with killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)/KIR-ligand mismatch genotypes (Delgado et al., 2010). Another example is vemurafenib which inhibits mutant BRAF (a common mutation in melanoma patients which activates the RAS pathway, see Figure 1). Indeed, vemurafenib has a higher survival rate than traditional chemotherapy in patients with a

ImmunoGen increases its market share by sublicensing this technology to pharmaceutical companies including Sanofi, Roche, Eli Lilly, and Amgen. For example, Bayer has exclusive licenses to ImmunoGen maytansinoid TAP technology. The exclusive license grants Bayer the rights to develop treatments only targeting mesothelin (Cancer Drug Developers Considering ImmunoGen's Tap Technology). This endeavor is expected to net ImmunoGen roughly $170M for each product engineered, not including future royalties on sales. Furthermore, Novartis has agreed to license ImmunoGen’s TAP technology to target cancer therapeutics as well (Cancer Drug Developers Considering ImmunoGen's Tap Technology). This potential deal is set to bring in roughly $200M.