Use of living matters in medicines is believed to be new way to treat cancers. ALK inhibitors (a type of gene inhibitors) are likely to be new class of drug alongside others such as Monoclonal antibodies and molecule inhibitors.
Non small-cell lung cancer or NSCLC is found in 8 to 9 out of 10 cases of all lung cancers. Defective rearrangment of ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) is found to be triggering event to cause NSCLC. A study conducted at University of Colorado and represented at joint conference of AARC and IASLC says that normal rearrangements of chromosomes interrupt the ALK gene causing its fusion with another gene which triggers creation of oncogenic ALK fusion genes. This event initiates cell growth.
A drug, named Crizotinib in experiments, by Pfizer has shown positive result in lung tumers. Experiments showed reduction of tumor by 57% and progression of tumor stopped in 87% of the patients.
Crizotinib is said to be only drug that is intended to target defective gene. The drug could pave the way for new therapeutic mechanism in drugs used for cancer.
Alice Shaw, a thoracic cancer specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston explains how rearrangements turns into cancer: Normal chromosomal arrangement of defective ALK gene breaks and part of broken gene gets fused with other gene. Such rearrangements cause growth of cells out of control.
Crizotinib is under experiments and could hit the market in 2013 if found positive results in later large scale studies.
Non small-cell lung cancer or NSCLC is found in 8 to 9 out of 10 cases of all lung cancers. Defective rearrangment of ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) is found to be triggering event to cause NSCLC. A study conducted at University of Colorado and represented at joint conference of AARC and IASLC says that normal rearrangements of chromosomes interrupt the ALK gene causing its fusion with another gene which triggers creation of oncogenic ALK fusion genes. This event initiates cell growth.
A drug, named Crizotinib in experiments, by Pfizer has shown positive result in lung tumers. Experiments showed reduction of tumor by 57% and progression of tumor stopped in 87% of the patients.
Crizotinib is said to be only drug that is intended to target defective gene. The drug could pave the way for new therapeutic mechanism in drugs used for cancer.
Alice Shaw, a thoracic cancer specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston explains how rearrangements turns into cancer: Normal chromosomal arrangement of defective ALK gene breaks and part of broken gene gets fused with other gene. Such rearrangements cause growth of cells out of control.
Crizotinib is under experiments and could hit the market in 2013 if found positive results in later large scale studies.
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