In 2001, the targeted drug imatinib (Gleevec) was hailed as one of the first “bullet” treatments for cancer: a targeted therapy that successfully disrupted a molecular pathway involved in tumor growth. Are there more targeted therapies on the horizon? Carlo Croce, one of the scientists whose work drives development of such drugs, is optimistic. Croce showed in 2002 that the molecular pathways to cancer all involve dysregulation of microRNAs—small noncoding RNA molecules now known to be important in the regulation of gene expression. Recently his lab found that when microRNAs are carried from a cancer cell by exosomes, the small vesicles that bud off the membrane of the cell, they can transmit a signal that promotes remote tumor development or can act directly as hormones to induce cell death. This has led to a new hypothesis about cachexia, the muscle wasting that makes late-stage lung and pancreatic cancers untreatable, and proposals for targeted therapy to prevent the death of muscle cells so these patients can be treated.

For supplemental information about this New Horizons in Science briefing, see the CASW website

This follow-up discussion, the second of two New Horizons SXSW (Science and Science Writing) discussions between scientists and writers, will take a look at lessons learned by scientists and science writers involved with the BICEP2 story, which inspired wide Nobel speculation and looked like it might be the science discovery of the century when the results were released March 17, well ahead of planned publication in June. The story inspired broad speculation about the true nature of the universe, sparked rumors about spurious results, and occasionally devolved into discussion of arcane matters of intense interest to cosmologists and telescope-builders. Was this an example of the perils of press-conference science, or a chance to help the public understand how science really works?

For supplemental information about this New Horizons in Science briefing, see the CASW website