Genetic Testing Paving the Way for Precision Medicine-Based Cancer Treatment

While genetic testing has been used for years to diagnose cancer, it is now finding new application in the identification of cancerous mutations that will respond to targeted therapies. NuView Life Sciences is developing a new technology platform, NV-VPAC1, that could be used in tandem with genetic testing to deliver precise treatment to an individual’s unique cancer cells.

In 2017, an estimated 1,688,780 new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States⁽¹⁾. Up to 10% of these cases will be caused by inherited genetic mutations⁽²⁾, while almost two thirds of these cases will result from random mutations that occur as cells copy themselves in a process called DNA replication⁽³⁾. While genetic testing is already being used to explore triggers for cancer development, researchers are now investigating the use of genetic testing to choose specific cancer treatments based on an individual’s unique genetic makeup. As this field of genetics grows, companies like NuView Life Sciences (nuviewinfo.com/site/3/) are developing innovative technologies that can be used to target cancerous cells.

In recent years, genetic testing for certain mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, has become a mainstay in cancer diagnostic tests (www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/tests-to-find-and-diagnose-cancer.html), specifically those that are more likely to occur as a result of genetic abnormalities. However, researchers are now better understanding the role that genetic mutations play in a patient’s response to treatment. Since certain mutations can make a patient less likely to respond to treatment⁽⁴⁾, efforts involving the use of genetic testing to determine patient-specific treatment plans have grown.

Paul Crowe, CEO of NuView Life Sciences, says, “We’re finding out now that the mutations that lead to cancer can also be used to identify certain treatments that give the patient the best shot at success. At NuView, we’re already in the process of developing advanced technology, specifically our NV-VPAC1 platform, that will be able to use identified mutations to target cancerous cells and deliver treatment based on the patients’ unique genetic makeup.”

For years, cancer treatment has involved the application of one-size-fits-all treatment methods like chemotherapy and radiation. Instead of delivering treatment directly to cancer cells, these treatments affect all cells that grow and divide, including normal, healthy cells⁽⁴⁾. While the patient may benefit from such treatments, there is no guarantee that they will be effective against specific types of cancer⁽⁴⁾. These broad-spectrum therapies can also cause many serious side effects that negatively impact the patient and reduces their quality of life through treatment⁽⁴⁾.

As the field of precision medicine (ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/precisionmedicine/definition) evolves, genetic testing is proving useful in the identification of cellular targets containing mutations that drive cancer progression⁽⁵⁾. It is now possible to identify cancer cells based on abnormal protein levels, or by specific mutations that can easily be identified in a person’s chromosomes⁽⁵⁾. As cancerous cells are isolated, individual treatments can be determined based on the cell’s unique mutations. Instead of relying on standard therapies, precision medicine technologies, like NuView’s NV-VPAC1, can be used to administer targeted cancer therapies to specific cellular destinations that have been identified as cancerous.

Crowe says, “We want patients to be able to receive treatment that’s based on their unique circumstances instead of standard therapies that are given with no real regard for a person’s individual genetics. We are working toward using our technology to deliver treatment directly to cancer cells, administering precisely determined doses of medications that, based on a person’s individual genetic composition, could prove to have the most success in stopping the spread of cancer.”

About NuView Life Sciences:

Founded in 2005, NuView Life Sciences is a biotechnology company located in Park City, Utah, working to improve the way cancer is diagnosed and treated in our modern healthcare system. NuView is focused on creating precision cancer diagnostics and therapeutics to improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs through the development and clinical application of its exclusive peptide analog technology, NV-VPAC1.

Led by a team of industry experts with decades of combined experience in healthcare and medical imaging technologies, NuView is poised to change how we look for and respond to cancer. To learn more about NuView Life Sciences, please visit http://nuviewinfo.com/site/3/.

Sources: