News and Announcements
Stay connected, stay ahead. Know everything that matters, as it happens. From the very latest industry news, reports, papers, and studies. Would you like to see your news here? Email the admin and we will get it linked.
Cell density, the ratio of cell mass to volume, is an indicator of molecular crowding and a fundamental determinant of cell state and function. However, existing density measurements lack the precision or throughput to quantify subtle differences in cell states, particularly in primary samples. Here we present an approach for measuring the density of 30,000 single cells per hour by integrating fluorescence exclusion microscopy with a suspended microchannel resonator.
Eighty-five percent of diagnosed cases of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this group, 5% of patients show molecular alterations in the ALK gene involved in cell multiplication. The use of inhibitors against this oncogene — one of the most effective strategies against this type of cancer — has benefited many patients. But, is it possible to know if the treatment will be effective in all those affected?
The B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor venetoclax has shown promise for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, identifying patients likely to respond remains a challenge, especially for those with relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease. We evaluated the utility of ex vivo venetoclax sensitivity testing to predict treatment responses to venetoclax-azacitidine in a prospective, multicenter, phase 2 trial.
Key Points:
This year during two days in October, the 3rdPrecision Medicine Networking forum took place in Riga, Latvia. For the second time this forum included a special session for Functional precision medicine, organized by SfPM member Inese Cakstina-Dzerve, RSU, Latvia (former Fulbright fellow at Letai lab). This session was co-chaired with speaker from last year -Caroline Heckman (FIMM, Helsinki, Finland). A speaker team consisted of 2 SfPM board members (Diana Azzam and Christian Regenbrecht) and 2 Letai lab alumni(Triona Ni Chonghaile and Inese Cakstina-Dzerve).
The Society recently held elections for several open seats including two newly created seats which aim to include commercial sector representation.
Congratulations to our newest board members:
The following members have been reelected for another term:
Click the button below to learn more about our board.
Many SFPM stalwarts will be speaking at the PMNET meeting October 10-11, Riga Latvia. Please visit pmnetforum.com to register for this exciting meeting!
The researchers highlighted the effectiveness of a functional precision medicine approach, called dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP), in identifying targeted therapy for highly aggressive relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. The technique can measure the increase in mitochondrial priming, which signifies a higher potential for apoptosis. DBP can identify drugs with new or persistent activity in resistant tumors for the development of targeted in vivo therapeutic strategies.
The inherent genetic heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has challenged the development of precise and effective therapies. The objective of this study was to elucidate the genomic basis of drug resistance or sensitivity, identify signatures for drug response prediction, and provide resources to the research community.
SFPM board member Diana Azzam, PhD, and researchers at FIU developed a new approach to targeting hard-to-treat cancers. The method was used successfully for the first time for relapsed pediatric patients.
Cancer patients with advanced-stage disease have poor prognosis, typically having limited options for efficacious treatment, and genomics-based therapy guidance continues to benefit only a fraction of patients. Next-generation ex vivo approaches, such as cell mass-based response testing (MRT), offer an alternative precision medicine approach for a broader population of patients with cancer, but validation of clinical feasibility and potential impact remain necessary.