Medical Bulletin 31/October/2022

Repotrectinib has been designed to help patients with NSCLC that have a genetic rearrangement in their tumour cells called ROS1positive that can fuel cancer's growth.

This type of NSCLC accounts for around one or two per cent of lung cancer cases. It is more often found in younger people, women and people who never smoked.

The results of the TRIDENT-1 trial, presented at the 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain, suggest that repotrectinib could be effective for treating ROS1 positive NSCLC, both in patients who have received other targeted treatments and in those who have not.

Reference:

"Pivotal topline data from the phase 1/2 TRIDENT-1 trial of repotrectinib in patients with ROS1+ advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)", by Byoung Chul Cho, presented in the Plenary Session 7: Late Breaking Proffered Paper, 15:00-16:30 CEST, Friday 28 October, Room 111 + 112

Why shingles can lead to stroke unfolded by CU Anschutz research

Herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus which causes chicken pox. The virus lingers in the ganglionic neurons and can reactivate causing excruciating pain. But researchers have found that shingles can also increase the risk of stroke especially for those under age 40 where the shingles vaccine is not typically recommended.

Scientists investigating why people who have had shingles are at a higher risk of stroke, now believe the answer lies within lipid vesicles called exosomes that shuttle proteins and genetic information between cells, according to new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus,

The study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, details the mechanisms behind the link between shingles and strokes.

Reference:

Andrew Bubak et al,Zoster-associated prothrombotic plasma exosomes and increased stroke risk,The Journal of Infectious Diseases, DOI10.1093/infdis/jiac405

Experimental drug shows evidence of anti-cancer activity

A new drug that inhibits an enzyme playing a crucial role in cell division and growth has shown signs of anti-cancer activity with manageable side effects in liver cancer patients who have been treated unsuccessfully previously with up to three lines of treatment.

NMS-01940153E has been designed to be a very potent and selective inhibitor of Monopolar Spindle 1 (MPS1), which is a kinase (a type of enzyme) that is overexpressed in several cancers including liver cancer. MPS1 plays a critical role in regulating the processes involved in cell division and growth and, if it malfunctions, it leads to cancer.

Presenting the findings on Friday at the 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain, Dr Maria Reig, head of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Unit at Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona University, Spain, said: "Primary liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although new treatments options are becoming available, the overall prognosis for advanced liver cancer remains poor. I wanted to find new treatments for this cancer."

Reference:

"NMS-01940153E, an MPS1 inhibitor with anti-tumor activity in relapsed or refractory unresectable Hepatocellular carcinoma", by Maria Reig, presented in plenary session 7 'Late breaking and proffered papers', 15.00-16.30 hrs CET on Friday 28 October.

"Brain on fire" autoimmune disorder improves with blood plasma exchanges: Rutgers research

A recent study highlights the medical case of a 5-year-old girl suffering from anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) encephalitis, a rare, difficult-to-diagnose malfunction of the brain. Unresponsive to treatments, the child had been transferred to a rehabilitation center and been in a catatonic state for three months when a team of Rutgers physicians were called in to help.

The autoimmune disease believed to be triggered by both environmental and genetic factors has also been the topic of a bestselling book by New York Post writer Susannah Cahalan. She described her medical ordeal suffering from anti-NMDAR encephalitis and recovery in her 2012 memoir, "Brain on Fire." The title of the book, and the 2016 Netflix movie that followed, comes from a phrase used by Cahalan's treating physician to describe the catastrophic brain inflammation that ultimately rendered the reporter trance-like until she was cured.

Reference:

Vikram Bhise et al, Never Too Late to Treat NMDAR Encephalitis: A Paediatric Case Report and Review of Literature,EMJ Neurology, DOI

10.33590/emjneurol/22-00096