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Very few cancer biomarkers have been translated to clinical diagnostics for patient care. The article by Zhang and Chan describes one of the rare cancer biomarkers that successfully transitioned from laboratory development, safety testing and validation to eventual use in clinical diagnostics. The authors describe their work with OVA1, a Proteomic Biomarker index assay that has recently been cleared by the FDA for assessing ovarian cancer risk in women diagnosed with ovarian tumors. Zhang and Chan offer unique perspectives and sage advice for others on the long, but potentially rewarding, road of cancer biomarker development.

Recent studies show increased risk of pancreatic cancer in individuals with non-O blood types (A, AB or B). This increased risk is likely associated with gene variants in the ABO and FUT2 genes, which alter the activity and specificity of glycosyltransferases. To examine this relationship, Wolpin and colleagues evaluated SNPs in ABO and FUT2 genes in cases and controls from 12 prospective cohort studies. They report that ABO allele subtypes corresponding to increased glycosyltransferase activity were indeed associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk and this risk was not significantly modified by the allele status of FUT2. It will be important to explore the mechanisms linking ABO glycosyltransferase activity and pancreatic cancer risk.

Replication studies of a potential colorectal cancer susceptibility locus (SNP rs719725 on chromosome 9p24) have been inconsistent, demonstrating an association in some populations but not in others. To investigate this, Kocarnik and colleagues examined the impact of rs719725 on both colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer in four well-characterized study populations. They report that SNP rs719725 was significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk in one population, marginally associated with colorectal adenoma risk in another population, and not associated with either in two other populations. These findings provide additional support for an association between variation at 9p24 and colorectal neoplasia but warrant further replication studies in other populations.

Age-specific HPV incidence peaks in late adolescence, corresponding with the initiation of sexual activity. In recent years, a second peak in HPV prevalence has been observed among older, postmenopausal women. To explore this second HPV peak, González and colleagues evaluated the sexual behaviors and cellular immune responses of HPV positive women aged 45–75 years old. The study found that women with more sexual partners and with reduced in vitro immune responses were at higher risk of HPV infections. These studies suggest that HPV infections among older women are associated with current and past sexual exposures and possibly with immune senescence.