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XMRV link could lead to a drug against prostate cancer

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 10:07 This news item was posted in health category and has 1 Comment so far.
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or XMRV’s established link with prostate cancer could lead to potential vaccines and drugs for the treatment of this deadly disease affecting men.
XMRV is relatively new virus which was discovered just three years ago. XMRV belongs to a class of virus called retrovirus. Retrovirus, which inserts its genetic map into the cells it infects, can kill a cell or turn it cancerous by affecting its genes.
XMRV may trigger cancer by locating in the cell’s genome next to DNA that controls cell growth, and disrupting those genes in a way that allows cells to replicate without control.
XMRV has been detected in forty-four percent of men with prostate cancer tumors graded 9 out of 10 for severity on a standard scale, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Our analysis of 233 cases of prostate cancers and 101 benign controls showed an association of XMRV infection with prostate cancer, especially with more aggressive tumors,” Dr. Ila Singh of the University of Utah and Columbia University in New York and colleagues said.
Researchers developed tests that could spot signs of the XMRV virus inside cells. Using these tests they,  checked tissue removed during biopsies from the prostates of 233 men with cancer and 101 with benign enlargement of the organ.
The virus was present in 23 percent of men with cancer and 4 percent of non-cancerous prostates, the researchers found. The tumors that scored highest on the 10-point Gleason severity scale were more likely to contain the virus.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide after lung cancer, killing 254,000 men a year globally. The lifetime risk for developing prostate cancer is one in 6 in the United States, and globally, 3 percent of men die of prostate cancer.
More than 190,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and 27,000 will die, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Currently, prostate cancer is treated based on largely on a blood test for the protein called prostate specific antigen, or PSA. PSA levels are higher in men who have cancer cells in their prostate. However, PSA test by itself can’t detect prostate cancer, said H. Gilbert Welch, the senior author of the Aug. 31 study on PSA testing and a researcher at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Men who have elevated PSA tests are often urged to have a biopsy. Biopsy is a procedure that removes bits of tissue from the prostate to look for the presence of cancer cells. Biopsies are often nconclusive. Patients who have positive biopsies are often urged to have surgery or other procedures.
There is no effective line of treatment against prostate cancer, at present.
The leading current treatment for advanced prostate cancer is Taxotere, a Sanofi-Aventis, a chemotherapy that can cause harsh side effects, including neuropathy, hair loss, nausea and vomiting.
Recently, Dendreon’s has come out with a new therapeutic vaccine called Provenge, which is found to prolong survival.
Late phase human studies with Provenge has shown that the new medicine improved survival in men with advanced forms of prostate cancer.
Provenge data from the Phase III clinical trial met the main study goal of improving survival. This made Dandreon to announce that the company would seek U.S. regulatory approval –Biologic License Application (BLA) –of Provenge in the fourth quarter.
However, Provenge can be very costly, as well. OrbiMed’s Borho predicted Provenge, which is administered only once, would cost more than $50,000.
The study included 512 men with late-stage prostate cancer who have not benefited from drugs that sharply lower testosterone — the male sex hormone that fuels progression of the cancer.
Provenge, which contains sipuleucel-T represents the first product in a new class of active cellular immunotherapies (ACIs).  In controlled clinical trials, the most common adverse events were chills, fever, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, vomiting and tremor. These events were primarily low grade with a short duration of 1-2 days following infusion.
Dendreon plans to market Provenge on its own in the United States, but it said it remains interested in a marketing partner overseas.
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One Response to “XMRV link could lead to a drug against prostate cancer”

  1. Jack said on Monday, September 14, 2009, 10:14

    There is a link between XMRV Virus and Prostate Cancer.XMRV has earlier been found to be related to leukemia and sarcomas in the animal forms. XMRV, a form responsible for cancers noted in animal forms, has not been as yet established as a cause in human being. As per scientists, it needs additional examination to find out.

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