New research by UK scientists has identified distinct cell types that may be responsible for pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers.

A team at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute (CRI) has determined that the immature ‘progenitor’ cells in mammary glands are of two types, only one of which responds to oestrogen.

The discovery points to the potential for new chemotherapy drugs targeting the oestrogen-positive and oestrogen-negative progenitor cells – which are thought to cause breast cancer in older and younger women respectively.

Progenitor cells, which have the potential for a limited number of cell divisions, are likely ‘roots’ for tumours. The researchers found that some progenitor cells in the human breast have oestrogen receptors while others do not.

The oestrogen-positive progenitor cells survive better in low-oestrogen tissue such as the breast tissue of post-menopausal women, so it may be linked to tumour development in these women.

The oestrogen-negative progenitor cells have a similar genetic makeup to the cells of basal-like tumours – an aggressive form of breast cancer that mostly affects younger women.

Study author Dr John Stingl of the CRI said: “This exciting discovery reveals that mammary glands are much more complicated than scientists initially thought. Uncovering new types of ‘mother’ cells may explain why there are different types of breast cancer, and why young and older women tend to get different types.

“It could also provide new starting points for ways to diagnose and treat the disease in the future.”

Global revenues from small-molecule targeted cancer therapies are expected to reach $27.3bn in 2015, a new report predicts.

visiongain’s Small-Molecule Targeted Cancer Therapies: World Market 2011-2021 found that the overall market generated $20.3bn last year but is set to grow as more patients are diagnosed with cancer.

Dr Syed Ahmed, a senior healthcare industry analyst, visiongain, says there is still “an under-met need for therapeutic agents” and the therapies “remain a crucial part of the pharmaceutical market from 2011 to 2021.”

The report found that there were more than 13 million patients worldwide diagnosed with cancer in 2009. But there may be as many as 20 million new cases by 2025, it says.

Targeted cancer therapies block the growth and spread of tumours by interfering with with molecules involved in tumour growth and progression. Most of these are either small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies.

The market is currently dominated by Novartis’ Glivec/Gleevec (pictured), the report says, but ‘blockbuster’ brands are set to lose their patent protection in the next ten years paving the way for generic competition.

“A strong R&D pipeline for small-molecule cancer therapies makes this industry segment dynamic and promising for pharmaceutical companies," said a report analyst.

A vibrating gel injected into the vocal tissues of the throat could restore vocal capacity to people whose voices have been damaged by surgery.

The new gel (pictured), developed by Harvard Medical School surgeon Steven Zeitels in partnership with MIT bioscientist Bob Langer, can vibrate up to 200 times per second, mimicking the action of human vocal cords.

Their research has been partly funded by singers Roger Daltrey (of The Who) and Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith), both of whom have suffered loss of singling ability following surgery, thought its main funding source is the Institute of Laryngology and Voice Restoration.

It has recently been reported that Dr Zeitels is helping to treat singer Adele, who has had to cancel her 2011 tour to undergo surgery to alleviate issues with her throat.

Injected directly into the vocal cords, the gel responds to breath and muscle tension by vibrating.

Zeitels is a professor of laryngeal surgery whose patients include singer Julie Andrews as well as Daltrey and Tyler. He was directed to Langer by a number of scientific experts.

Langer is famous for his work on anti-cancer drugs that starve tumours of their blood supply, including Roche’s Avastin, and on time-release drug delivery technologies for chemotherapy.

Creating artificial vocal cords requires a durable material that can bond with the existing tissue and respond correctly to muscle contractions and air movement. Langer has developed a polyethylene glycol gel tailored at the molecular level.

“With synthetic materials, the beauty is you can tailor them and build in the degradation rate or mechanical strength you need because you’re making them from scratch,” Langer commented.

Zeitels and Langer plan to test the gel in a cancer patient for the first time in 2012.

A potential multi-cancer drug is to be tested in a human trial to see if it can treat a number of solid tumour cancers.

The drug, L-NNA could be used in the treatment of solid cancers such as those of the bowel, breast or lung.

Professor Peter Hoskin, from the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in London, said: “Scientists across the world are looking for ways to prevent cancer cells from receiving the supplies they depend on to grow and divide. It's very exciting to launch this trial of a new drug which in future may provide a new approach to treat a wide range of cancers.”

The drug constricts blood vessels leading to tumours, cutting of blood supply by acting on the enzyme, nitric oxide synthase (NOS).

“All cancers rely on the delivery of vital nutrients and oxygen through blood vessels. Without a blood supply, a tumour can't grow beyond the size of a pin head,” added Professor Hoskin.

Scientists at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in London are in the process of recruiting 40 patients for the Phase I trial. The study will focus on establishing the correct dose of drug and will be funded and managed by Cancer Research UK’s drug development office.

Other medicines have already been developed that block tumours from forming their own networks of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis.

Dr Nigel Blackburn, Director of Drug Development at the charity, said: “This is a promising area of research. We're looking forward to the early trial results of this new drug with great interest.”

The FDA has approved Spinal USA’s two spinal treatment products, the VAULT Stand Alone ALIF System and the S-Lok PC Posterior Cervical System (pictured, right).

Rich Dickerson, Senior Vice President of Operations for Spinal USA, said that the two medical devices “provide our customers with a wider array of surgical options”.

The VAULT System (pictured, below) is designed for use with autogenous bone graft for intervertebral body fusion of the spine in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD) with up to Grade I spondylolisthesis, aiming to “reduce surgical trauma and yield a net cost saving”, said Mr Dickerson.

He added that the S-Lok PC Posterior Cervical System offers “surgeons a comprehensive fixation system with enhanced ease of use and greater intraoperative flexibility”, indicated to promote fusion of the cervical and thoracic spine in mature patients in the treatment of DDD, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, fracture/dislocation, and revision of previous cervical spine surgery and tumours.

DDD is characterised by back pain caused by the degeneration of the disc. Spondylolithesis is a condition in which a bone in the lower part of the spine slips out of place.

Cervical spine surgery is intended to restore nerve function, stop or prevent abnormal motion in the spine, and relieve pain, numbness, tingling and weakness.

Mississippi-based Spinal USA provides spine products for the treatment of serious medical conditions, aiming to reduce medical costs.

The launch of several new trials marks the start of a ‘golden era’ in cancer research, the head of a leading charity has said.

Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, says that scientists now know more than ever about the potentially fatal disease as groundbreaking trials to genetically test tumours in newly diagnosed patients are set to begin.

Although he admits there is still a great deal to be learnt, he says scientists’ “knowledge is growing exponentially” and they are learning “vast amounts more as months go by”.

The trials, backed by the DH and the charity, are set to begin in September in seven hospitals across Britain with scientists believing the results may revolutionise cancer treatment in the UK.

The two year project is intended to lead to a comprehensive genetic testing of tumours across the NHS. It aims to establish which existing treatments cancers are susceptible to, which may lead to the development of new effective medicines intended to target the genetic formation of an individual’s tumour.

The Government has recently backed an increase in genetic testing as part of the national cancer plan, which the charity says will lead in a significant change in the way cancers are treated.

“It is not hyperbolic to say that this is the future of treatment,” Mr Kumar said. “This is the future of medicine. This will not just be true in cancer but across medicine more generally.

“People have known for years that we give treatment and it is only going to work for 20% of people and we are now on the cusp of finding out what is going on.”

Genetic testing may discover which drugs work more effectively for certain individuals and decide how effect other types of treatments, such as surgery or radiotherapy, will be.

Mr Kumar says that researchers may find that old or discarded products could work on certain patients and, if scientists can discover which treatments are more effective, it may bring the price of cancer drugs down in the future.

“The problem at the moment is that it takes $1bn to get a drug to market and 15 years or more,” he added. “That is the justification for the pharmaceutical industry charging high prices.

“If on the other hand by the time you get to phase II you know exactly which patients it is going to work on, you only put those patients through and instead of 10% you get an 80% response rate.