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medpundit |
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Saturday, May 01, 2004Now scientists in Boston and Japan have discovered that patients whose tumors shrink substantially as a result of the pill-a-day therapy harbor mutations in a crucial gene. That gene bears the recipe for production of a key protein known as an epithelial growth factor receptor, an EGFR, as it is known in scientific shorthand. The receptor is intimately involved in relaying signals through a family of enzymes called tyrosine kinase. In the mutated form, the gene causes tyrosine kinase to be overactive. The drug seems to be more effective in those with mutated genes. Testing patients for the mutation before offering them treatment will improve the success of the drug, The original paper can be downloaded in pdf form here. (It includes very impressive before and after lung scans.) posted by Sydney on 5/01/2004 05:33:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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