Personalised medicine and targeted therapies in cancer Flashcards

1
Q

What is personalised medicine?

A

AKA precision medicine
It is treatment tailored to individual patients or groups of patients, to match therapies to them to ensure a more effective treatment

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2
Q

What is targeted cancer therapy?

A

Using drugs that target specific genes and proteins that are involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells

Drugs that interfere with specific molecular structures that are implicated in tumour growth and progression

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3
Q

What is targeted cancer therapy?

A

Using drugs that target specific genes and proteins that are involved in the growth and survival of cancer cells

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4
Q

How are personalised medicines developed?

A

By identifying a biomarker associated with a particular type of cancer

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5
Q

What are biomarkers?

A

Are associated with a particular type of cancer.
They can be:
Unique mutated nucleic acid sequences, proteins, glycoproteins or group of proteins…
that are expressed by tumour cells and are not normally present in healthy cells

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6
Q

Give an example of a small drug molecule used as a targeted therapy in cancer treatment

Which cancer?

Its MOA

A

Imatinib:

Used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML, a haematological malignancy)

MOA: inhibits tyrosine kinase and activity against BCR-ABL 1 (Philadelphia chromosome)

It binds to BCR-ABL1 and inhibits downstream signalling pathways

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7
Q

Give an example of a small drug molecule used as a targeted therapy in cancer treatment

Which cancer?

Its MOA

A

Imatinib:

Used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML, a haematological malignancy)

MOA: inhibits tyrosine kinase and activity against BCR-ABL 1 (Philadelphia chromosome)

It binds to BCR-ABL1 and inhibits downstream signalling pathways

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8
Q

Discuss BRCA 1,2 mutations

A

Are predictive genetic biomarkers for breast and ovarian cancer
These mutations are hereditary

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9
Q

Discuss 5-fu/capecitabine potential implications

A

5-fu or capecitabine are used to treat cancers
They can have life-threatening toxic effects
DPYD is a protein that metabolises 5-fu or capecitabine
(a lack of DYPD = 5-fu or capecitabine build up = severe toxic effects)

Some populations have a DPYD deficiency = so screening is necessary for 5-fu or capecitabine use

(most common genetic difference is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP))

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