BioMed Central Blog
New targets for the treatment of methotrexate resistance
Key genes involved in the development of resistance to methotrexate chemotherapy are reported in “Networking of differentially expressed genes in human cancer cells resistant to methotrexate”, a research article recently published in Genome Medicine.
Carlos Ciudad and colleagues used networking analysis of genes mutually deregulated between seven different cancer cell lines to show that DKK1, UGT1A and EEF1A1 play key roles in methotrexate resistance. Excitingly, the application of small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific to these genes re-sensitized the tumor cells to this drug, indicating a potential treatment for chemotherapy resistance.
siRNA is an agent that interferes with gene expression and could in theory silence any specific gene of choice. Its potential as a therapeutic agent was first suggested several years ago, and some siRNA-based drugs have now even reached the clinical trial stage. The potential roles of this technology in disease therapy are wide-ranging, and the identification of prospective genes which could be targetted with siRNAs to prevent or even reverse a cancer’s resistance to chemotherapy will be of great benefit in the future.
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We welcome cutting-edge genomic and post-genomic research reporting findings that significantly advance our understanding and management of human health and disease.
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Rebecca Furlong
Assistant Editor, Genome Medicine
Posted by Rebecca Furlong at 18:08 Comments (0)
The Lyn Clearihan Award for the Best Paper has recently been awarded to the authors of the following article in Asia Pacific Family Medicine:
Care for chronic illness in Australian general practice – focus groups of chronic disease self-help groups over 10 years: implications for chronic care systems reforms Carmel M Martin, Chris Peterson, Rowena Robinson and Joachim P Sturmberg
The award, which aims to raise the standard of primary care research, was presented at the recent WONCA Asia Pacific regional conference in June. Research articles published in Asia Pacific Family Medicine were considered for the award with the winner being decided by a panel of experts made up of Prof Bee-Horng Lue, Prof John Campbell Murdoch of and Dr Somjit Prueksaritanond.
Lyn Clearihan recently stepped down as co-Editor-in-Chief of Asia Pacific Family Medicine having been instrumental in the founding of the journal. The award in her name will be presented at future WONCA Asia Pacific regional conferences, with the next being in Cebu, the Philippines in February 2011.
Asia Pacific Family Medicine aims to provide a forum
for the dissemination of high quality regional research and enhance the
standards of family medicine by focusing on best practice. The journal is the official journal of the
Asia Pacific Region of WONCA and is currently inviting submissions for a
thematic series on 'The expanding role of family medicine in medical
education’.
Posted by Charlotte Hubbard at 04:32 Comments (0)