New targeted therapy reduced 80% of tumours in B-Raf study.

Antibody suppliers to cancer research groups commonly list BRAF on their antibody database. A gene which encodes the B-Raf cell-signalling protein, it plays an important role in cell division, growth and secretion. However, BRAF can also function as an oncogene, being expressed in 60% of malignant melanomas. A recent study using B-Raf antibodies revealed a new targeted therapy that shrank advanced melanoma tumours in 80% of the patient group.

A member of the raf/mil group of serine threonine protein kinases, B-Raf is expressed mainly in the brain and central nervous system. It is known to play a role in the MAP kinase/ERKs cell signalling pathway, regulating mitosis by controlling mitogenic signalling from the membrane to the nucleus. In response to NGF (nerve growth factor) triggering, B-Raf activates MAP kinase, an essential protein in mitosis.

Although this mechanism is tightly controlled, B-Raf is easily mutated. Hereditary mutations cause birth defects, while acquired mutations lead to oncogenic changes. Over 30 BRAF oncogene variants have been identified, although over 90% of human BRAF cancers are caused by just one - V600E. Mutated BRAF varies in its expression, accounting for 1 – 3 % of lung cancers but up to 60% of malignant melanomas. It is also widespread in colorectal and papillary thyroid cancer. With metastatic melanomas on the increase, and no significant advances in treatment since the 1990s, it is plain a drug that inhibits BRAF oncogenic activity is needed.

This may have happened. Recently, a team from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre developed a new drug specifically targeting BRAF at the cellular level. In human volunteers suffering from advanced melanomas, treatment with the drug (codenamed PLX 4032), resulted in shrinkage of 80% of tumours. The trial has now progressed to Phase 3.

We at Novus Biologicals have almost 18,700 products on our antibody database devoted to cancer. Many of them, like our B-Raf antibodies, are at the forefront of medical research.
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