Researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center have discovered a novel therapy combination that could offer new hope to ovarian cancer patients who do not respond to existing treatments. Conducted entirely at the University of Colorado Anschutz, this research has advanced from the laboratory to a Phase 1 clinical trial on the campus.

The findings, published today in Cancer Research Communications, outline a promising strategy that combines a PARP inhibitor, a targeted drug used to treat certain types of ovarian cancer, with a novel therapy, SM08502, to attack cancer from two directions. This innovative approach boosts the effectiveness of the treatment, even for patients who are no longer responding to PARP inhibitor therapy. “This achievement exemplifies true bench-to-bedside innovation entirely done at CU Anschutz,” said the paper’s first author Bradley Corr, MD, associate professor and director of clinical research in gynecologic oncology at CU Anschutz. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial to successfully combine these classes of drugs. While the concept has been discussed before, no one has moved it into the clinic until now. That’s what makes this approach truly novel.”

The largest international gathering of breast cancer researchers returns to San Antonio and continues to lead as the hub for scientific breakthroughs. Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, in partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), is hosting the 48^th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on Dec. 9-12.

The UK Centre of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation in Pharmacogenomics (UK CERSI-PGx), led by the University of Liverpool, has published its first clinical guideline focused on the use of the antiplatelet medication clopidogrel, widely prescribed in the UK to prevent blood clots. Pharmacogenomics looks at how differences in our genes can change the way medicines affect each person.

A new study suggests that certain genetic differences, passed down from ancient human ancestors, and exposure to common present-day chemicals could explain why some women are more likely to develop endometriosis.