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MIT Scientists Develop A Rapid Modeling Technique for Cancer Gene Mutations
The group, led by Koch Institute director Tyler Jacks, used CRISPR to generate mutant genes that were then packaged into enteroviruses that were used to infect target organs in mice. This is a much faster process than the traditional method that need crossing genetically-engineered mice.
Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with cancer. However, sifting through this deluge of information to figure out which of these mutations actually drive cancer growth has proven to be a tedious, time-consuming process.
MIT researchers have now developed a new way to model the effects of these genetic mutations in mice. Their approach, based on the genome-editing technique known as CRISPR, is much faster than existing strategies, which require genetically engineering mice that carry the cancerous mutations.
“It’s a very rapid and very adaptable approach to make models,” says Thales Papagiannakopoulos, a postdoc at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and one of the lead authors of the paper, which appears in the Oct. 22 online edition of Nature. “With a lot of these mutations, we have no idea what their role is in tumor progression. If we can actually understand the biology, we can then go in and try targeted therapeutic approaches.”
MIT press release: http://bit.ly/1tR1I8J
Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
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Uniting to Support Patients With Cancer Beyond Treatment
November 17th 2024Kasey Bond, MPH, of Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, speaks to why it’s vital to keep patients at the center of all strategic partnerships between academic institutions and community-based oncology practices.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Bridging Cancer Care Gaps and Overcoming Medical Mistrust
November 13th 2024In this clip from our interview with Oscar B. Lahoud, MD, cochair of our Institute for Value-Based Medicine® evening hosted with NYU Langone Health, he addressed medical mistrust in underrepresented communities.
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How English- and Spanish-Preferring Patients With Cancer Decide on Emergency Care
November 13th 2024Care delivery innovations to help patients with cancer avoid emergency department visits are underused. The authors interviewed English- and Spanish-preferring patients at 2 diverse health systems to understand why.
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