Good bye, Myriad. May 13, 2009
Posted by ramunas in cancer genetics.1 comment so far
Yes, that happened. A lawsuit against Myriad BRCA patents in USA. The plaintiffs include Breast Cancer Action, The American College of Medical Genetics, the Association for Molecular Pathology, the College of American Pathologists, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, individual researchers, patient advocacy groups, genetic counselors, and individual women. Hey guys, I am with you!
The monopoly that Myriad Genetics now enjoys (at least in USA) due to these patents reduces consumer choice and removes the competitive incentives regarding price, quality assurance, or improvement of the tests (just remember the case with large scale deletions which previous Myriad tests just missed before 2002). In my opinion human gene patents are intrinsically flawed – you can patent a technology and tools (e.g. test) but not a (natural) sequence.
In Europe there was (and still is) strong opposition against Myriad monopoly (alas this year they infringed patents for commercial use in largest European countries).
For those overseas – there are more cheaper testing options available via dedicated networks, like Gendia or Diagnogene.
Today – Von Hippel-Lindau disease Day May 9, 2009
Posted by ramunas in cancer genetics.add a comment
Today is an international Von Hippel Lindau Disease Day. VHL Alliance is the main source of information about this disease and also very active community. Take a look at VHLA Youtube channel.
Von Hippel Lindau is a rare (1:35000) autosomal dominant genetic condition with increased formation of specific vascular tumours (mostly benign) called hemangioblastomas, mostly in eye retina and cerebellum as well as increased risk for renal clear cell carcinomas at young age and sometimes adrenal pheochromocytomas. Multiple pancreatic and renal cysts are common.
(image from a very informative article in Lancet, 2003)
The critical management step is an early recognition of VHL with the help of genetic testing what allows presymptomatic identification of persons at risk and target them towards specific surveillance and prompt treatment.
Molecular testing is quite easy – VHL gene has only 3 exons which can be easily sequenced for small mutations. But there is a trick: up to 30-40 percent of mutations are large deletions of entire gene or particular exons, therefore other techniques must be used, like MLPA or real-time PCR. Altogether nearly 100% sensitivity can be reached.
Each case of hemangioblastoma, renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) or pheochromocytoma before the age of 50, bilateral or multifocal involvement should prompt to genetic testing.
There are lot of efforts for developing targeted cure for VHL – anti-VEGF therapy is one experimental choice. Hopefully other strategies (like modulation of HSPC300 gene activity) will bring some hope for a cure.
On monday I’m organising VHL seminar for doctors at our hospital as well as bringing VHL patients together.
iBlog, iBack, iGene January 7, 2009
Posted by ramunas in cancer genetics, familial cancer, genetic testing, hereditary cancer, personal, research.3 comments
I am back. 2008 were quite important for me – graduated clinical genetics and virtually shifted from traditional-pediatrics based genetics and focused solely to cancer and adult onset disease, also half-sunk in molecular lab – working in best equipped lab with cool people is great. This month will try to handle pyrosequencing and Illumina genotyping, wow.
And defented my long-rolled PhD in tumor cell kinetics and T regulatory cells (enjoy the power of Open Access).
Do you know that 4154delA mutation of BRCA1 gene seems to originated in the Eastern Baltic Sea region of the Northern Europe? Read my and colleagues articles.
Research is the best way to find new health improving strategies. Such example could be CIMBA - “Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2″) – an international initiative to identify genetic modifiers of cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. The goal is to find SNPs which could be important in modifing BRCA mutation effects and thus important in clinic for correct genetic risk stratification. A newly formed Baltic Familial Breast Ovarian Cancer Consortium (BFBOCC) currently is activelly recruiting patients from Lithuania and Latvia for the involvement in CIMBA (contact person for LT – me).
Spare time (hm, a night:) is a good for website developing – www.genetika.lt – is my new website in constant progress in lithuanian language to help translate cancer genetics in understandable manner for patients and doctors. This lovely header is creation of this weekend with the genuine help of Gimp buddy:
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease – a rare tumor predisposing disorder, where targeted surveillance and early diagnostics is crucial for the improved patients survival – is no longer an “incognito” in my country – developed genetic testing and counseling service will help for these families to get the best from current medical practice. More about VHL.
And for 2009 several new genetic testing are scheduled to come – Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome (type I and II), Neurofibromatosis type II and Li-Fraumeni syndrome – developing National Hereditary Childhood Cancer Research Platform.
Thats for now – greetings from Vilnius, European Capital of Culture 2009.
Familial Cancer Database Online | FaCD September 4, 2008
Posted by ramunas in Resources, bio-software, cancer genetics, familial cancer, hereditary cancer, technology.3 comments
Familial Cancer Database Online is a very useful online tool for experts in cancer genetics to assist in making a genetic differential diagnosis in cancer patients as well as remind tumor spectrum associated with certain hereditary disorders.
And its dynamic cyberinfrastructure already brings the most updated content in the field of clinical cancer genetics with intention to develop further.
The content was created and is edited by dr. Rolf Sijmons (on the left – during poster presentation at ESHG meeting in Barcelona this year), clinical geneticist and associate professor clinical oncogenetics at the Dept. of Genetics of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands. However, other experts who want to contribute to particular syndrome files are invited to contact the editor; these authors will be listed in the syndrome files they contributed to.
And I’m pleased of being included in the list of contributors for the contribution to rare hereditary disorder called Mosaic Variegated Aneuploidy syndrome, where in addition to other symtomes the risk for several cancers (leukemia, rhabdomyosarcomas and embrional kidney cancers) is increased.
FaCD is intended for free of charge use by health professionals with at least basic knowledge of clinical cancer genetics.
Complexity of Breast Cancer August 20, 2008
Posted by ramunas in breast cancer, cancer genetics, familial cancer, genetic testing, hereditary cancer, research.3 comments
This is an exciting time in the study of hereditary factors involved in breast cancer susceptibility. Breast cancer for a long time was classified according histology. Now genetics play a significant role and better knowledge ensures better management and treatment.
Hereditary breast cancer (HBC) accounts for as much as 10% of the total BC burden. Only about 30 percent of these cases will be found to be due to a germline mutations in well known BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes, but the rest won’t have these mutations. Less than 10 percent of remaining HBC will fall into other rare conditions – and here we can see breast cancer as heterogeneous disease (ref.):
Cowden, Li-Fraumeni syndromes, heterozygosity for Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene (ATM) or for CHEK2 1100delC or other rare conditions Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS1), familial diffuse gastric cancer (CDH1), Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (STK11), Fanconi anemia (BRIP1, PALB2), Bloom syndrome (BLM)) contribute sligthly – there is consensus for ten most important genes involved in HBC (ref.)
An estimated additional 15–20% of those affected with BC will have one or more first- and ⁄ or second-degree relatives with BC (familial or polygenic breast cancer). Therefore, when these numbers are combined, familial BC risk accounts for approximately 20–25% of the total BC burden (see figure).
Here we’re talking about so called low-penetrance susceptibility genes and variants (SNPs), like rs2981582 in FGFR2, rs889312 in MAP3K1, rs3803662 in TNRC9, rs1801270 in CASP8 and many more, most of which were hot topics in the recent years. Particular alleles (particular “letter” variants of these digitalized “rs” SNPs) only increase risk slightly (twice or so) and are intense study object now, but they sooner or later will enter clinical practice.
(Common) genetic vigilance June 30, 2008
Posted by ramunas in cancer genetics, genetic testing.add a comment
Just wrote some notificaion on commercial tests in my “genetic testing” section:
IMPORTANT NOTE. Some commercial tests for moderate/low cancer risk genetic predisposition are not verified/supported by independent experts or scientific evidence. Please consider these links with common sense and vigilance.
Take care:)
Somatic mutations in cancer and genetic syndromes June 29, 2008
Posted by ramunas in Ras-MAPK, Resources, cancer genetics, sporadic cancer.3 comments
As for clinical geneticist, traditionally concerned more with germline (hereditary) mutations and disease, it might be strange to search through somatic mutation (or acquired) databases. But it is obvious that understanding of cancer genetics can not be limited to only germline or somatic mutations – it must be combined approach. And then you start to think in systemic way, or in other words, you think in pathways or patterns (pretty much the same way as main character from D. Aronofsky’s notorious “Pi” 
)
Anyway, currently I’m gliding through Ras-MAPK signaling pathway and in a future some posts will be related to it. Interestingly, lot of things in genetics are connected or in other ways, as a friend of mine once stated, “traditional genetics is dead”
Just take a look: Ras-MAPK pathway is probably one of the most upregulated pathway in sporadic cancers. And there are bunch of syndromes with inherited altered mutations in a genes from there:
Among other symptoms, Neurofibromatosis type 1 have up to 13% risk for developing maligancy (mostly for MPNST), Costello syndrome have about 17% increased risk of cancer (particularly rhabdomyosarcomas, neuroblastomas and bladder Ca), in Noonan there is increased risk for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Therefore lot of attempt must taken to perform targeted screening for these patients. LEOPARD (which is allelic for Noonan s. and stands for lentigines, ECG anomalies, ocular hypertelorism, pulmonic stenosis, abnormal genitalia, retarded growth and deafness) and CFC syndrome seems do not have increased cancer risk.
For somatic mutation in cancer invaluable tool seems to be COSMIC database – Catalogue of Somatic Mutation In Cancer by Wellcome Trust institute. COSMIC is designed to store and display somatic mutation information and related details and contains information relating to human cancers. Enjoy.
Let’s go to Spain and Happy Earth Day! April 22, 2008
Posted by ramunas in cancer genetics, media, personal.1 comment so far
I beg a big pardon for not writing so long – it could lasts till the middle of June, till my final residency (at last) exams – now I’m deep in Emerys&Rimoins Medical Genetics, LDDB, Possum databases etc. Afterwards I hope to concentrate (and work) on my favourite topic – cancer genetics – again.
Before that, I’ll go to Spain – and be in Barcelona during Conference of European Society of Human Genetics (May 31-June 3) and then move to Madrid – to attend biannual Familial Cancer conference (June 5-6, a very good event – thanks organizers for fellowships). If somebody happened to be there – that would be really nice to meet you indeed! (will present my posters in Cancer Genetics section). Also, good ideas where to stay in Barcelona or Madrid are more than welcome
Happy Earth Day, BTW! And be aware about links of chemical cocktails to cancer.
p.s. recently there was a techy conference about blog’s in my city, and was pleased to have an opportunity to have short talk. Not about genetics or medicine, but green blogs – like Worldchanging, Treehugger and Ekoblogas – a bunch of blogs which I also like to read:
Resistance to chemotherapy and role of BRCA2 February 22, 2008
Posted by ramunas in BRCA, cancer genetics, hereditary cancer, ovarian cancer, research.3 comments
Tumor resistance to chemotherapy is an often failure of successive treatment (together with adverse effects).
As you know, BRCA2 mutations are associated with an increase in breast and ovarian cancer risk, as the gene’s normal function is to repair damaged DNA. But these cancer-causing faults are bad news for the tumour itself, as they also render it sensitive to DNA-damaging chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin. Unfortunately, many BRCA2 tumours develop resistance to cisplatin (ref.).
(BRCA2 repairs a stretch of DNA; source)
Interestingly, the researchers found that, when exposed to cisplatin, some ovarian cancer cells develop secondary mutations on their BRCA2 gene that restore the gene’s ability to repair DNA (via). This is called positive mutation in general genetics – a mutation which improves adaptive properties of a cell (if we look from a cancer cell perspective).
The discovery raises the possibility that blocking BRCA2 function in such patients might allow doctors to overcome drug resistance and continue with cisplatin treatment. And maybe this mechanism will be true to other DNA-repair genes such as BRCA1, which may help explain drug resistance to a variety of cancers (via).
Another study finds the similar mechanism involved in resistance to PARP (Poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase) inhibitors, a new class of drugs which are known to be more effective in BRCA1/2 mutation cases, because they work by selectively killing cells which have no functioning BRCA gene.
These observations have implications for understanding drug resistance in BRCA mutation carriers as well as in defining functionally important domains within BRCA2 (ref.). Sure, therefore it is featured by Nature.
Looking to the cancer genetics future | ICG-FBOC meeting February 20, 2008
Posted by ramunas in breast cancer, cancer genetics, familial cancer, genetic testing, hereditary cancer, media, ovarian cancer, personal.add a comment
Next week I’m going to International Collaborative Group on Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer (ICG-FBOC) meeting (9th symposium) named “Looking to the future cancer diagnostics & treatment: the impact of genetics“ in Cyprus (Κύπρος), Larnaka (Λάρνακα). There is going to be an extensive programme with the presentations of well known researchers from UK (Manchester, London), Norway and Greece. I look really forward to meeting these people and listen to their presentations.
If anyone of my readers are going to be there – please drop me a note – that will be nice to meet you there.
