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Welcome to the next FICAN webinar. This time the seminar is organized by FICAN East scientific working group. The seminar will be held online via Microsoft Teams and is open to everyone interested in cancer research. 

Speaker: , Professor of Drug Design, 91����

Title: Cancer, variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and molecular modelling in personal medicine 

Abstract:

The range of cancer drugs is extensive, and gene sequencing offers opportunities for personalized treatment selection. Designing personalized treatment requires multidisciplinary collaboration, and often, computer models of drug targets can assist in selecting cancer medications. Sequencing identifies mutations present in cancer, and models can be used to study how these mutations affect the efficacy of cancer drugs. For instance, a mutation may prevent a cancer drug from binding to its target protein, rendering the medication ineffective for the patient. While the use of computer models to aid in cancer drug selection has been employed to some extent globally, it remains rare in Finland. By leveraging information on mutation-induced changes in protein structures, the most effective cancer drug can be chosen. Creating and studying computer models is rapid, providing information on drug suitability in hours or, at most, a few days. Additionally, I will present several case examples from Germany to illustrate this approach in practice.

Relevat references for this talk:

Kuittinen, Poso, Bartos: Lääkkeen vaikutuskohteen tietokonemalleista apua yksilöidyn syöpälääkkeen valintaan. Duodecim, 2024, 140, 1703-1709.
S. Spahn, F. Kleinhenz, E. Shevchenko, A. Stahl, Y. Rasen, C. Geisler, et al., Nat. Commun. 2024, 15, 1287.

These nationwide webinars aim to 
• share information about high-quality cancer research and its results conducted in various regions, 
• provide insights into cancer care and diagnostics, with a focus on new approaches and techniques, and 
• foster collaboration and discussion for the benefit of cancer patients throughout Finland. 

For further information, please contact Maarit Sillanpää, email maarit.sillanpaa@uef.fi.