Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
09:29

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies

Published on: September 30, 2016

[Molecular pathogenesis. Its importance in targeted therapy in colorectal cancer]

M Kloor1, S Michel, M von Knebel Doeberitz

  • 1Abteilung für Angewandte Tumorbiologie, Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 220, 69120 Heidelberg. matthias.kloor@med.uni-heidelberg.de

Der Pathologe
|September 24, 2008
PubMed

Insights

New therapies are needed for colorectal cancer, especially for the 15% of cases with microsatellite instability (MSI). These MSI tumors may respond to novel treatments targeting tumor-specific antigens and the host

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Context:

  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality in Germany.
  • Current treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, have limitations.
  • Novel targeted therapies show promise but exhibit variable patient responses.

Purpose:

  • To explore the potential of novel therapeutic strategies for colorectal cancer.
  • To investigate the role of microsatellite instability (MSI) in CRC treatment response.
  • To evaluate the anti-tumoral immune response in MSI colorectal cancer.

Summary:

  • Approximately 15% of colorectal carcinomas exhibit deficient DNA mismatch repair and microsatellite instability (MSI).
  • MSI-high colorectal cancers demonstrate reduced sensitivity to conventional chemotherapy.
  • These tumors often elicit a strong host anti-tumoral immune response, likely driven by numerous tumor-specific antigens.

Impact:

  • Highlights MSI colorectal cancer as a distinct entity with unique therapeutic vulnerabilities.
  • Suggests that targeting MSI-generated tumor-specific antigens could form the basis for new treatments.
  • Indicates that these novel antigen-targeted interventions warrant clinical evaluation for MSI CRC.

More Related Videos

Using Human Differentially Expressed Gene Lists to Perform Downstream Pathway Enrichment Analysis and Target Prioritization03:08

Using Human Differentially Expressed Gene Lists to Perform Downstream Pathway Enrichment Analysis and Target Prioritization

Published on: October 3, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase01:11

Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase

Genetic polymorphisms in drug targets have emerged as critical determinants of interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity. Pharmacogenomic investigations increasingly focus on identifying these variations to personalize and optimize therapeutic interventions. A drug target may be a receptor, enzyme, or signaling protein involved in pharmacologic responses or disease-related pathways. While early pharmacogenetic studies focused primarily on drug metabolism, current research...
Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets01:29

Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets

Advances in genomics have profoundly influenced drug discovery by increasing both the speed and accuracy of pharmaceutical development. Pharmacogenomics, which examines how genetic variation influences drug response, facilitates the identification of novel therapeutic targets and enables patient stratification for personalized treatment. These strategies contribute to improved drug efficacy, minimized adverse effects, and more efficient clinical trial design.Mapping genetic differences...
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...