Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Modeling Brain Metastasis by Internal Carotid Artery Injection of Cancer Cells
10:01

Modeling Brain Metastasis by Internal Carotid Artery Injection of Cancer Cells

Published on: August 2, 2022

8.5K

Drug-Resistant Brain Metastases: A Role for Pharmacology, Tumor Evolution, and Too-Late Therapy

Thomas Stricker1, Carlos L Arteaga2

  • 1Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. Center for Cancer Targeted Therapies, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. carlos.arteaga@vanderbilt.edu thomas.stricker@vanderbilt.edu.

Cancer Discovery
|November 4, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Deep molecular profiling reveals significant genetic differences between primary tumors and their brain metastases. These discrepancies challenge the reliability of using primary tumor biomarkers for targeted therapy selection in brain metastatic patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Translational Research

Background:

  • Recent studies performed deep molecular profiling on matched primary tumors and their corresponding brain metastases.
  • Understanding the genomic landscape of brain metastases is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Discussion:

  • Both studies found frequent discordance in somatic alterations between primary tumors and brain metastases.
  • This suggests divergent evolution, where metastases acquire unique genetic changes.
  • Such genomic heterogeneity complicates the use of biomarkers derived from primary tumors.

Key Insights:

  • Brain metastases exhibit distinct molecular profiles compared to their primary tumors.
  • Somatic alterations in metastases frequently differ from those in the primary site.
  • Biomarker reliability for targeted therapy in brain metastases is questioned.

Outlook:

  • Future research should investigate the clinical implications of this genomic discordance.
  • Development of novel biomarkers or therapeutic strategies targeting metastatic-specific alterations is warranted.
  • Re-biopsy or liquid biopsy may become essential for accurate treatment selection in metastatic cancer.

More Related Videos

Modeling Brain Metastasis Via Tail-Vein Injection of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells05:02

Modeling Brain Metastasis Via Tail-Vein Injection of Inflammatory Breast Cancer Cells

Published on: February 4, 2021

3.9K
Modeling Brain Metastases Through Intracranial Injection and Magnetic Resonance Imaging06:44

Modeling Brain Metastases Through Intracranial Injection and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: June 7, 2020

8.3K

Related Concept Videos

Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.9K
Treatment Resistent Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistent Cancers

1.5K
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...
6.3K
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...
9.1K
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu01:29

Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu

Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
109
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...
68