Rapid approach developed for personalized pediatric cancer care
A complementary approach for identifying personalized treatments for young cancer patients has been developed.
A collaborative study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital (both Canada) has developed a method for identifying personalized treatments for young cancer patients within an actionable timeframe. This method involves growing the patients’ tumor in chicken eggs and analyzing their proteins, helping to identify drug candidates within a matter of weeks.
Genomics has been transformational for pediatric cancers by identifying actionable genetic features, helping to refine diagnosis, classification and treatment. However, translating the data into effective treatments for difficult-to-treat pediatric cancers remains a challenge. As such, the researchers wondered if proteomics could help to identify any weaknesses or actionable protein targets that would have been missed with genetic testing alone.
The researchers focused on an unnamed patient who had been diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer for which current treatment options had failed. Additionally, the tumor was found to have become resistant to any drug selected through genomics, leaving no clear drug candidates from further genetic testing.
The researchers then turned to proteomics to investigate potential drug candidates. Through this, the researchers were able to gain insights into the tumor’s metabolism, finding that it relied heavily on an enzyme known as SHMT2. This weakness could then be harnessed and targeted with an already approved drug, sertraline.
Establishing best-practice guidelines for antiracist patient engagement in AYA oncology research
Read the journal article here.
To test this idea, the researchers developed patient-derived xenograft models. This involved growing a piece of the patient’s tumor on a chicken egg, allowing an identical tumor to develop outside of the patient, which could be tested for personalized responses to drugs in a matter of weeks.
“This technique speeds up the process of evaluating a treatment option in a way that simply wouldn’t be possible with traditional methods,” commented corresponding author James Lim. “We could quickly confirm whether the drug we identified through proteomics could actually work for the patient’s tumor.”
The researchers then presented their results to an expert panel, who considered sertraline the best course of action for the patient. Sertraline was then administered to the patient, leading to promising results. However, while the drug slowed down the growth of the tumor, it did not stop growth entirely, meaning that further treatment was still needed.
“While there is more work to be done, this study shows that our approach can deliver personalized treatment recommendations fast enough to actually help patients with rare and difficult-to-treat cancers,” concluded corresponding author Phillipp Lange. “We now hope to expand this method to other children to identify effective treatments faster across the country.”