Telomeres are regions of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome that assists in cellular duplication and rejuvenation. This physiological function has been historically associated with biological aging as the length of the telomere shortens after division and subsequently alters the effectiveness of DNA replication. However, a team of researchers at the Jackson Laboratory at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMD) have found that the length is also impactful in genetic alterations in 31 different types of metastatic tumors.

Huge strides are being made in the realm of Immuno-Oncology by a team of scientists at Sichuan University in West China. Nature reports that for the first time — as part of a clinical trial — an individual with aggressive lung cancer has been injected with their own cells engineered to express edited genes leveraging the CRISPR-Cas9 technique and targeting the PD-1 encoding gene. PD-1, which upon T-cell activation blocks the recognition of cancer cells as a foreign entity, impedes the immune responses innate ability to disrupt tumor cell proliferation. The CRISPR-Cas9 strategy combines a DNA-cutting enzyme along with molecular guide that can identify targets (such as PD-1) and replace the removed sequence with stretches of non-coding DNA.

A professor at the University of Limerick has identified a gap in the classification of a portion of the digestive system. The mesentery, which connects the intestine to the abdomen, has for hundreds of years been mistakenly considered a fragmented structure made of separate parts. However, the Professor or Surgery at UL’s Medical School, J Calvin Coffey, challenged this ideology and found that the mesentery is one continuous structure. By acknowledging this differentiation, it allows researchers to target abnormalities and diseases as well as could lead to improved health outcomes.

It is widely accepted that the presentation and course of Crohn’s disease (CD) is highly variable. A new study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center sought to conceptualize the cellular mechanisms behind CD and characterize the processes associated with disease phenotypes (http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2016/10/13/gutjnl-2016-312518.abstract).

It’s imperative in clinical trials, exploratory studies, proof of concept analysis, and research & development to attain samples which are best suited for desired outcomes. Both processing types preserve specimens well, but which to leverage is contingent upon intended application.

Research has found that KRAS mutations are present in 30 percent of non-small cell lung cancers (NSLC) and in 40 to 50 percent of colorectal cancers. This mutation prevalence has been linked to poor survival rates and chemotherapy resistance within the impacted oncology cohorts. In an attempt to remedy this known issue, researchers at University of California, San Diego screened KRAS mutant cells for synthetic lethal interactions (https://www.genomeweb.com/cancer/kras-driven-tumor-growth-inhibited-microrna). Results concluded that the miR-1298 gene when inhibited is lethal to the growth of KRAS-mutated cells, both in vitro and in vivo through a combination of microarray analyses.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – the most common form of dementia – is characterized by the aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ), tau in amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles that spread progressively across brain tissues. However, the mechanisms that govern selective vulnerability of specified tissues is widely debated.

Resistance to estrogen-deprivation therapy is common in ER+ breast cancer tissue. To better understand this evolution to resistance, genomic characterization of multiple primary tumors is imperative for comprehensive results and identifying therapeutic targets (http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160809/ncomms12498/full/ncomms12498.html#acknowledgments). For researchers, attaining samples that have been confirmed for diagnosis and receptor expression supports the inherent need for accuracy in tissue characterization.

At BioIVT, we understand the importance of mutation analysis in cancer research. Our scientists routinely perform DNA and RNA isolation from both FFPE and Fresh Frozen tissues, as well as biofluids. Additionally, we utilize PCR and FISH for the determining the presence and/or location of particular mutations within tissue specimens. Standard mutation analysis is available for lung, skin, and colon cancers, with custom mutation screens available upon request.