Jane de Lartigue, PhD

Articles

VEGF Remains Central Target for Antiangiogenic Therapy Despite Challenges

March 31st 2016

Early expectations of antitumor activity across all cancer types have been tempered by clinical disappointment in many cases and only modest efficacy in others. Nonetheless, VEGF signaling continues to present a promising target.

Kidney Cancer Genomic Studies Reveal New Targets and Complexities

March 14th 2016

Genome sequencing studies are beginning to match distinct genomic profiles to different subtypes of kidney cancer, driving a dramatic shift in our understanding of these diseases and how to treat them.

Combination Therapy Paves the Way Forward for CTLA-4 Antibodies

February 29th 2016

New research is carving out a role for ipilimumab and a second CTLA-4-targeting drug, tremelimumab, as combination therapy with potential in a variety of solid tumors. In addition to combinations with other immune checkpoint inhibitors, the agents are being evaluated across a breadth of other strategies.

Expert Discusses Translating EGFR Mutation Status Into Action in NSCLC

February 24th 2016

Mark Socinski, MD, discusses the three generations of drugs are now available to treat patients with EGFR-mutant non–small cell lung cancer, and mutation testing for patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease has been incorporated into clinical practice guidelines.

Genomic Complexity Stifles Targeted Advances in Colorectal Cancer

February 16th 2016

Experts in the field assert that the path forward requires a paradigm shift toward integrative analyses that encompass multiple classes of genomic aberrations and consensus classification of CRC based on genomic data to facilitate more effective management of this disease.

EGFR Inhibitors Continue March in Mutated NSCLC

January 29th 2016

After a rocky start, drugs that inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway have evolved into a new treatment paradigm for patients with non–small cell lung cancer whose tumors harbor EGFR mutations.

Genome Sequencing Hints at New Targets for Cervical Cancer

January 14th 2016

With technological advancements in genome sequencing, researchers are now gaining a more detailed picture of the genetic drivers of cervical cancer and the important role that the human papillomavirus, responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancer cases, plays in molding the genetic profile of this disease.

PD-1 Success Fuels Interest in Many Immune System Targets

December 28th 2015

It is becoming increasingly clear that PD-1/ PD-L1 and CTLA-4 represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to manipulating the immune system to fight cancer, and the number of known checkpoints—and with it the list of potential drug targets—has expanded in recent years.

HDACs Mark a Decade of Growth With New Solid Tumor Targets

December 16th 2015

Amid a growing understanding about the role of epigenetics as a driver of cancer, researchers have turned their attention to a key player in the process: histone deacetylases.

Cancer Stem Cells Coming Into Sharper Focus

November 11th 2015

Particular progress has been made in the development of small-molecule inhibitors of key signaling pathways that are responsible for the unique characteristics of stem cells, developed by biotechnology companies focused solely on CSC-targeting therapies.

Hedgehog Pathway Remains a Ripe Target in Many Malignancies

October 21st 2015

The Hedgehog pathway is one of several key developmental cell-signaling networks whose aberrant activation in adult tissues can lead to cancer.

Immunotherapy May Hold the Key to Attacking HPV-Associated Cancers

August 14th 2015

An improved understanding of the natural history of HPV, its interaction with the host immune system, and the distinct molecular alterations underlying HPV-positive cancers, are fueling development of new drugs, particularly immunotherapies geared toward generating an HPV-specific immune response.

Attacking the Blood-Brain Barrier: New Strategies for Primary and Metastatic Brain Tumors Abound

July 13th 2015

Drug developers are moving forward with scores of new agents that may cross the blood brain barrier in several classes of therapy including chemotherapies, molecularly targeted agents, and immunotherapies.

Ibrutinib Expert Ponders Prospects for Novel Combinations in CLL

July 1st 2015

Jennifer A. Woyach, MD, discusses examining the role of BTK inhibition in CLL using murine and cellular models and mechanisms of resistance to BTK inhibitor therapy.

Novel BTK Inhibitors and Combos May Hold the Key to B-Cell Malignancies

May 21st 2015

Combination therapy has significant potential to fill the niche of developing resistance to BTK inhibitors and rational pairings of ibrutinib with other standard treatments, including chemoimmunotherapy and CD20-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are rapidly gaining ground.

Novel Strategies Aimed at Overcoming Resistance to AR Therapy in Prostate Cancer

May 8th 2015

With increased understanding of the biology of CRPC and the mechanisms of action of AR-targeting drugs, researchers are developing a growing appreciation for the extensive heterogeneity and complexity of both prostate cancer and androgen signaling.

New Era for Monoclonal Antibodies on Horizon in Multiple Myeloma

April 12th 2015

The prospects for mAbs to change the treatment paradigm for multiple myeloma have grown considerably brighter as early-phase clinical trial results suggest that emerging agents with novel mechanisms of action are capable of delivering significant efficacy.

Hopkins Researcher Describes Evolving Challenges of Targeting PI3K in Breast Cancer

March 12th 2015

Josh D. Lauring, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses efforts to develop breast cancer therapies by targeting the PI3K pathway.

Targeting Gastric Cancer: Recent Advances Generate Fresh Hopes After Many Frustrations

March 11th 2015

As we enter an era of unprecedented clinical trial activity in gastric cancer, with thousands of patients enrolled or set to be enrolled in large, randomized phase III trials of novel targeted agents, we may finally be on the path to changing the course of this disease.

PD-1 Researchers Excited About Prospects for Checkpoint Strategy in Hodgkin Lymphoma

February 8th 2015

Amid continuing excitement over the potential for PD-1 pathway immune checkpoint blockade strategies in anticancer therapies, research presented at the 2014 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting helped established a foundation for the use of anti- PD-1/PD-L1 agents in hematologic malignancies.