In the realm of cancer treatment, one size does not fit all. Each tumor has its own distinct genetic makeup and is as unique as the individual it afflicts. Precision Oncology offers a cutting-edge approach that tailors treatment plans to the unique genetic makeup of each patient's tumor.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, but due to lifesaving research, over 18,000,000 cancer survivors are living in the US. With the constant evolution of cancer research, precision oncology is a promising next stop. It's to important understand the principles of precision oncology and is potential in the fight against cancer.
The Complexity of Cancer and the Genetics
Gone are the days of viewing cancer as a single disease. It is now understood that cancer is a complex array of diseases with each tumor harboring its own unique genetic mutations and molecular abnormalities. Precision oncology can be used to analyze the genomic profile of each tumor rather than relying on broad-spectrum therapies like chemotherapy.
Genetic profiling uses techniques like next-generation sequencing to help oncologists identify specific genetic mutations and alterations driving cancer growth. With this information, oncologists can design targeted therapies that directly interfere with these aberrant molecular pathways. These precision treatments include anything from targeted inhibitors to gene therapy and offer a personalized approach to cancer treatment.
Targeted Therapies
Unlike traditional chemotherapy which damages both cancer cells and healthy cells, targeted treatments use pinpoint accuracy to target only cancer cells. This minimizes side effects and maximizes the efficacy of treatments. Targeted therapies are created to find and attack specific areas, substances, or growth-related messages in cancer cells. Specifically, treatments target proteins that are too high in concentration, mutated, or in abnormal areas of the cell. To do this they used both small molecule drugs and large molecule drugs.
Some examples of how these targeted therapies are used include: Angiogenesis inhibitors which block nutrients from blood vessels to cancer cells, Proteasome inhibitors which cause apoptosis in cancer cells by disrupting normal function, and Signal transduction inhibitors which disrupt cancer cell signaling. Learn more about these examples by clicking the link provided.
Retrieved from Israel Molecular Medicine Portal [3]
Immunotherapy
In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a game-changer in cancer treatment. This type of therapy boosts or changes a person's own immune system to find and attack cancer cells. Immunotherapy offers the potential for durable responses and long-term remissions. Some reasons that the immune system doesn't attack cancer cells on its own is because it may not be able to recognize them as foreign, have a strong enough response, or fight the cancer cell defense. Insite into the genetics of an individual tumor allows for the immunotherapy to be specialized towards that tumor.
The following are some examples of types of immunotherapies. Checkpoint inhibitors essentially take the breaks off of the immune system and allow it to better attack cancer cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy which teaches T-cells how to attach to specific cells by exposing them to special viruses. The next examples use the genetic sequences of a specific tumor to target cancer cells. Cytokines are small protein messengers that can be altered to stimulate the immune system to attack specific cancer cells. Immunomodulators boost specific parts of the immune system to treat specific types of cancer. There are many other examples of immunotherapy used to treat cancer based on a person's genetics.
Example of Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell
Retrieved from CAR-T Cell Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer [7]
Take Aways
Precision Oncology represents a shift in our approach to cancer treatment. By understanding the complexity of cancer and the genetics that influence it researchers can use precision medicine to more effectively treat this devastating disease. Tumor-specific therapies and immunotherapy are quickly developing and as researchers continue to unlock the mysteries of the biology of cancer, they provide hope for the future.
References
[1]Holland, K. (2018). 12 Leading Causes of Death in the United States. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/leading-causes-of-death
[2]CPR23 - Cancer in 2023. (n.d.). Cancer Progress Report. https://cancerprogressreport.aacr.org/progress/cpr23-contents/cpr23-cancer-in-2023/
[3]Manager, P. C. (2021, March 21). Self-assembled peptide–poloxamine nanoparticles enable in vitro and in vivo genome restoration for cystic fibrosis. Israel Molecular Medicine Portal. https://www.molecular-medicine-israel.co.il/self-assembled-peptide-poloxamine-nanoparticles-enable-in-vitro-and-in-vivo-genome-restoration-for-cystic-fibrosis/
[4]Rulten, S. L., Grose, R. P., Gatz, S. A., Jones, J. L., & Cameron, A. J. M. (2023). The Future of Precision Oncology. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(16), 12613. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612613
[5]American Cancer Society. (2021, January 29). Targeted Cancer Therapy | Targeted Drug Therapy for Cancer. Www.cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/targeted-therapy/what-is.html
[6]American Cancer Society. (2019, December 27). Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy | Types of Immunotherapy. Www.cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/immunotherapy/what-is-immunotherapy.html
[7]PhD, J. B. (n.d.). CAR-T Cell Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer. Blog.crownbio.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://blog.crownbio.com/car-t-cell-immunotherapy-pancreatic-cancer
[8]Precision or Personalized Medicine | Precision Medicine for Cancer. (n.d.). Www.cancer.org. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/precision-medicine.html#:~:text=The%20two%20types%20of%20treatment%20most%20often%20used
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