A research team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom and the European Bioinformatics Institute have come up with new techniques that reveal the role of genetic mutations in the failure of treatments for some cancers, including colon and lung cancer.
The researchers explained how known mutations affect drug resistance, and also highlighted new changes in DNA that warrant further exploration, noting that this new framework will help map common changes in DNA during treatment, which will help guide future clinical trials.
The researchers used Casper gene editing techniques and single-cell genomics techniques to study the effects of several drugs across human cancer cell lines and cell models. By combining these techniques, they were able to create a map showing drug resistance mechanisms across different species, with a focus on colon and lung cancer.
The research team found that cancer mutations are divided into 4 categories according to their effect on DNA, and they include drug resistance mutations, which reduce the effectiveness of drugs, drug addiction mutations, which make some cancer cells depend on drugs for their growth, and driver mutations that give cells the ability to use signaling pathways. Growth surrogate, allergenic variants that make cancer more sensitive to certain treatments, meaning patients may benefit from specific drugs.
The study focused on colon and lung cancer and Ewing’s sarcoma, as these types are characterized by resistance to treatment and lack effective options. The researchers also used 10 drugs that are either currently prescribed or under clinical trials, which helps shed light on new options.
Drug resistance is considered one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment, as mutations in cancer cells reduce the effectiveness of drugs over time, and after resistance to the initial treatment, subsequent treatments known as second-line treatments become limited options, so understanding the molecular changes that cause this resistance is vital to uncovering treatment options. New.