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Study of Tagraxofusp Reports 90 Percent Response Rate for Deadly Blood Cancer with No Prior Available Therapies
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
An open-label, multi-cohort Phase II trial, led by investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, reports that treatment with the drug tagraxofusp resulted in high response rates in patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), a rare but highly aggressive - and often fatal bone marrow and blood disorder - for which there are no existing approved therapies.
Chemotherapy or not?
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University researchers and partners, including a collaborator at Cleveland Clinic, are pushing the boundaries of how "smart" diagnostic-imaging machines identify cancers--and uncovering clues outside the tumor to tell whether a patient will respond well to chemotherapy.
Exposing Cancer's Metabolic Addictions
University of California San Diego Health
University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers and collaborators describe a new set of "rules" that predict how the tissue of origin influences critical aspects of the genetic makeup of tumors, with potentially important therapeutic implications.
Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center receive grant from Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation to fund Hematology Research Center
Yale Cancer Center
Yale Cancer Center (YCC) and Smilow Cancer Hospital (SCH) are proud to announce a five-year grant awarded by The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation to establish The DeLuca Center for Innovation in Hematology Research.
Use of Genetic Testing in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Decreases Cost of Care Nationwide
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study suggests that Oncotype DX-guided treatment could reduce the cost for the first year of breast cancer care in the U.S. by about $50 million (about 2 percent of the overall costs in the first year). The study by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Cancer Institute researchers was published April 24, in JNCI.
Air Pollution Poses Risks for Childhood Cancer Survivors
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Study by Huntsman Cancer Institute researchers finds air pollution put childhood cancer survivor at an increased risk for hospitalization
$15.1M Awarded to Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey for Redesignation as the State's Only Comprehensive Cancer Center
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state's only Comprehensive Cancer Center as recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has been awarded a $15.1 million grant (P30CA072720) as part of its successful 2019 redesignation.
Shining Light on Rare Nerve Tumors Illuminates a Fresh Path for Fighting Cancer
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Experts use emerging technique to reveal that a protein named "Merlin" may interact with 50 other proteins to trigger the rare condition neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2). But this discovery has implications that go far beyond NF2 itself.
Researchers devise a progression risk-based classification for patients with asymptomatic Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have devised a risk model for determining whether patients with AWM have a low, intermediate, or high risk of developing symptomatic Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Wistar Earns 'Exceptional' Rating for NCI Cancer Center Support Grant for the Second Review Cycle in a Row, Demonstrating Strength of Science
Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute's Cancer Center has received an "exceptional" rating on its Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) application from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the second review cycle in a row and the grant has been recommended for renewal, providing $13.6 million to the Cancer Center scientific enterprise.
Has Medicaid Expansion Improved Rates of Colorectal Cancer Screening?
Diseases of the Colon and Rectum Journal
Dr. Yasmin A. Zerhouni and colleagues from Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston sought to answer this question using data from health-related telephone surveys administered by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
To respond or tolerate? LJI researchers selectively block immune activation program orchestrated by the nuclear factor NFAT
La Jolla Institute for Immunology
The immune system occasionally makes mistakes that require correction. For example, in autoimmunity, T-cells lose "immune tolerance" of self and can destroy one's very own tissues. Conversely, in cancer, the immune system can rapidly exhaust itself in the face of tumor antigens and become unresponsive, allowing tumors to thrive.
One Woman's Cancer Fight: a Case Study in Structural Racism
Rush University Medical Center
The experience of one woman's breast cancer fight illustrates how institutionally and culturally embedded racial hierarchies prevent people of color from meeting their basic needs
Scientists create first billion-atom biomolecular simulation
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have created the largest simulation to date of an entire gene of DNA, a feat that required one billion atoms to model and will help researchers to better understand and develop cures for diseases like cancer.
Overlooked Molecular Machine in Cell Nucleus May Hold Key to Treating Aggressive Leukemia
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Many people fighting a very aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) don't survive more than five years. These very sick patients are often unable to receive the only cure--a bone marrow transplant. Now, an international team of scientists report in Nature Cell Biology on a long-overlooked part of a leukemic cell's internal machinery, where they may have found a key to treating the aggressive blood cancer.
Bacterial Therapy in a Dish
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Biomedical engineers have developed a system that can study 10s to 100s of programmed bacteria within mini-tissues in a dish, condensing study time from months to days. The speed and high throughput of their technology allows for stable growth of bacteria within tumor spheroids and can also be used for other bacteria species and cell types. The team says this study is the first to rapidly screen and characterize bacteria therapies in vitro.
Video Plus Brochure Helps Patients Make Lung Cancer Scan Decision
American Thoracic Society (ATS)
A short video describing the potential benefits and risks of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in addition to an informational brochure increased patients' knowledge and reduced conflicted feelings about whether to undergo the scan more than the informational brochure alone, according to a randomized, controlled trial published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
Researchers Identify a New Therapeutic Target for Glioblastoma and Other Cancers
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCSF researchers have discovered that STAG2 - a gene commonly mutated in several human cancers - plays an essential role in DNA replication, revealing potential mechanisms for therapeutically targeting glioblastoma and other cancers.
University of Chicago to lead the Statistics and Data Management Center for NRG Oncology in NCI's National Clinical Trials Network program for multi-center cancer clinical trials
University of Chicago Medical Center
The University of Chicago will lead the NRG Oncology Statistics and Data Management Center, which is receiving six more years of funding from the National Cancer Institute.
Scientists Advance Creation of 'Artificial Lymph Node' to Fight Cancer, Other Diseases
Johns Hopkins Medicine
In a proof-of-principle study in mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report the creation of a specialized gel that acts like a lymph node to successfully activate and multiply cancer-fighting immune system T-cells. The work puts scientists a step closer, they say, to injecting such artificial lymph nodes into people and sparking T-cells to fight disease.
Advances in Cryo-EM Materials May Aid Cancer and Biomedical Research
Penn State Materials Research Institute
A new type of grid for use in cryogenic electron microscopy is turning cryoEM from an art to a science.
Researchers Use Gene Editing with CRISPR to Treat Lethal Lung Diseases Before Birth
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Using CRISPR gene editing, a research team has thwarted a lethal lung disease, in an animal model, in which a harmful mutation causes death within hours after birth. This proof-of-concept study showed that in utero editing could be a promising new approach for treating lung diseases before birth.
Triple negative breast cancers can adopt reversible state that is resistant to chemotherapy
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells can develop resistance to frontline, or neoadjuvant, chemotherapy not by acquiring permanent adaptations, but rather transiently turning on molecular pathways that protect the cells.
Diet High in Leucine May Fuel Breast Cancer's Drug Resistance
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Researchers at the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center revealed an unexpected relationship between levels of the amino acid leucine and the growth of tamoxifen resistance in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer
ASRA Grants Support Early-Career Researchers
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA)
Mastoora Nasiri, MD, and Adlai Pappy are the latest to receive grant funding for research in regional anesthesia and acute and chronic pain. Their studies will address enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery and cancer survival.
Muscles Struggle to Ever Fully Recover After Losing Tissue
University of Georgia
When muscle is lost in the aftermath of a bomb blast, surgery to remove cancer or even a gunshot or knife wound, time typically heals the surface wound. But the muscle underneath that is damaged as a result of the injury may never be the same again, according to results of a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia.
New role for innate immune sensor: suppressing liver cancer
UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern researchers have found that a protein in the body's innate immune system that responds to gut microbes can suppress the most common type of liver cancer.
Researchers Uncover New Role for Tamoxifen in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a new article in JNCI reporting the first known prognostic marker for triple-negative breast cancer, researchers provide evidence that a widely used breast cancer drug, tamoxifen, may be effective against this notoriously aggressive disease subtype.
Artificial intelligence performs as well as experienced radiologists in detecting prostate cancer
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
UCLA researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence system to help radiologists improve their ability to diagnose prostate cancer. The system, called FocalNet, helps identify and predict the aggressiveness of the disease evaluating magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans, and it does so with nearly the same level of accuracy as experienced radiologists.
New Research in JNCCN Touts Ice Chips as a Simple, Inexpensive Way to Reduce a Common Chemotherapy Side Effect
National Comprehensive Cancer Network(r) (NCCN(r))
Researchers from Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania find patients who kept ice chips in their mouths during infusion with oxaliplatin reported less trouble eating and drinking than patients who were not exposed to this intervention. Randomized study published in JNCCN-Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Recently identified gene mutation which predicts increased risk of cancers has profound effect on normal breast cells
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
In a study published online in Springer Nature, UCLA researchers have proven the impact of a new class of gene mutations on normal cellular biology. These mutations are in parts of the DNA that have only recently been discovered and shown to be powerful regulators in human biology. The mutation studied, called the KRAS-variant, has previously been shown to serve as a biomarker that can help people determine if they are at higher risk for certain cancers and also to help guide cancer treatment in KRAS-variant patients. The KRAS-variant is a germ-line mutation found in all cells and is passed from parents to their children.
New Algorithm Identifies Patients Harboring Tumor-Causing Defect Found in Multiple Cancers and Treatable with Common Drug
Harvard Medical School
New algorithm successfully identifies patients with a tumor-fueling DNA repair defect found in multiple cancers and treatable with a common cancer drug. Most genetic tests currently used in clinic do not reliably capture the cancer-causing defect, missing many patients who could benefit from treatment. Incorporating the new algorithm into common gene panels could double the number of breast cancer patients who could benefit from targeted therapy. Patients with other cancers driven by the same DNA repair defect could also benefit from such enhanced genetic testing. Researchers say new algorithm can be incorporated readily into standard genetic tests already in clinical use.
Rare but Important Gene Target Found in Many Tumor Types, Suggesting New Therapy Possible
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
A consortium of researchers led by Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators have completed the largest analysis of a new gene fusion they believe is responsible for development of a wide spectrum of cancer types.
CAR T as Plan B: A Case Study on the Personal and Systemic Difficulties from Immunotherapy and Other Innovative Cancer Treatments
National Comprehensive Cancer Network(r) (NCCN(r))
CAR T-Cell therapy, immunotherapy, and other innovative cancer treatments were the focus of a patient-centered keynote and roundtable discussion at the NCCN 2019 Annual Conference (#NCCNac19)
Turning Silenced Cancer Genes Back Into Fighters
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Working with human colon cancer cells and mice, researchers led by experts at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have successfully blocked the activity of portions of a protein known as UHRF1 and restored the function of hundreds of cancer-fighting genes that became "misregulated" by the disease.
Cancer-Killing Combination Therapies Unveiled with New Drug-Screening Tool
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Francisco scientists have designed a large-scale screen that efficiently identifies drugs that are potent cancer-killers when combined, but only weakly effective when used alone. Using this technique, the researchers eradicated a devastating blood cancer and certain solid tumor cells by jointly administering drugs that are only partially effective when used as single-agent therapies.
UCLA researchers study cost-effectiveness of rectal cancer treatments
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
Costs are on the rise for many kinds of medical treatments. UCLA researchers are looking for cost-effective ways to treat people who have locally advanced rectal cancer, a cancer located in the end section of the large intestine.
Near-atomic map of parathyroid hormone complex points toward more targeted therapies for osteoporosis, cancer
Van Andel Research Institute
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 11, 2019) -- An international team of scientists has mapped a molecular complex that could aid in the development of better medications with fewer side effects for osteoporosis and cancer.
Medicaid reimbursement to treat cancer patients with radiation therapy varies widely, study shows
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
A new study finds wide state-by-state variations in Medicaid reimbursements to physicians who treat cancer patients with radiation therapies. These differences could compound existing disparities in access to health care in rural communities, which tend to have higher Medicaid coverage rates than metropolitan areas.
Shutting Down Deadly Pediatric Brain Cancer at Its Earliest Moments
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cell-by-cell genetic analyses of developing brain tissues in neonatal mice and laboratory models of brain cancer allowed scientists to discover a molecular driver of the highly aggressive, deadly, and treatment-resistant brain cancer, glioblastoma. Published in Cell Stem Cell, the findings present an opportunity to find out if new therapeutic approaches can stop glioblastoma at its earliest stages of initial formation or recurrence.
Research Alert: One-Third of Cancer Patients Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine
UT Southwestern Medical Center
One third of people who have a cancer diagnosis report using complementary and alternative medicine such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture and alternative medicine.
Johns Hopkins Researchers Create Novel Cell Model of Aging-Related Colon Cancer Risk
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say a new study of clusters of mouse cells known as "organoids" has significantly strengthened evidence that epigenetic changes, common to aging, play a essential role in colon cancer initiation. The findings show that epigenetic changes are the spark that pushes colon-cancer driving gene mutations into action, the researchers say.
Enzyme Inhibition May Lead to New Melanoma Therapy, Say Researchers at Fox Chase with Support from Sbarro Institute
Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)
Inhibition of the cellular enzyme thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) may be an effective treatment for melanoma, according to research published in the journal Oncogene in January. The paper, "Thymine DNA glycosylase as a novel target for melanoma," describes how inhibition of TDG, known for its role in cell repair and proliferation, may be used to trigger cell death of cancerous melanoma cells and halt tumor growth.
UTHealth earns CPRIT grants for cancer research, prevention
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) scientists working to increase the effectiveness of cancer drugs and the number of adolescents taking the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine have been awarded grants totaling $1.2 million from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
Cancer Center at Illinois is AACI's Newest Member
Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI)
The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) welcomed its newest member this spring, with the addition of the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rohit Bhargava, PhD, is director.
High-dose vitamin D shows benefit in patients with advanced colorectal cancer
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Results of a small clinical trial suggest that supplementing chemotherapy with high doses of vitamin D may benefit patients with metastatic colorectal cancer by delaying progression of the disease, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Nutrients from food, not supplements, linked to lower risks of death, cancer
Tufts University
Researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts have found that adequate intake of certain nutrients from foods--but not supplements--is linked to a reduction in all-cause mortality. There was no association between dietary supplement use and a lower risk of death.
ACP breast cancer screening guideline update: Breast cancer surgeon/expert available
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
Expanded Practice and Policy Recommendations made by Collaborative Program to Improve Prevention of Prevalent Cancers
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
ScreenNJ, a collaborative program led by Rutgers Cancer Institute and funded in part by the New Jersey Department of Health, aims to increase prevention efforts for prevalent cancers thanks to recommendations resulting from a statewide gathering of health care and community leaders.
Medical Libraries: A Resource in the Cancer Journey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
A cancer diagnosis can have an emotional as well as physical impact on patients, including coping with an uncertain prognosis, making treatment decisions, and learning how to manage treatment effects. A medical library at New Jersey's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center is a vital patient resource.
Cancer Exports Molecular 'Saboteurs' to Remotely Disarm Immune System
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Francisco researchers have identified a surprising phenomenon that may explain why many cancers don't respond to certain immunotherapy drugs, and hints at new strategies to unleash the immune system against disease.
Leading Myeloma Experts to Join New Center for Blood Cancers at NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health
Nationally renowned hematology experts will lead the Multiple Myeloma Program at NYU Langone's Center for Blood Cancers.
Researchers Show That Mutations in Human Livers Can Promote Tissue Regeneration
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Researchers at the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have identified genetic mutations that accumulate in the adult liver that can promote regeneration in the context of chronic liver damage.
Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals New Strategies to Target Pancreatic Cancer
University of California San Diego Health
An international team of scientists led by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine employed an array of next-generation sequencing and gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR, to map the molecular dependencies - and thus vulnerabilities - of pancreatic cancer stem cells.
Radiation oncology workforce study indicates potential threat to rural cancer care access
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
The newest study of America's radiation oncology workforce finds that gender and race gaps have narrowed slightly, although persistent and growing geographic disparities point to a need for more equity in access to radiation therapy care. Results of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2017 Radiation Oncologist Workforce Study are published in the March issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics (Red Journal), and an infographic summarizing the results is also available.
Johns Hopkins Faculty, Staff Members Address Travails of Navigating Metastatic Cancer Survivorship in New England Journal of Medicine Perspective Piece
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Due to advances in treatment, an ever-increasing number of patients are living longer as metastatic cancer survivors. They and their doctors face a host of new challenges that require immediate attention.
Patent-Pending Probiotic Could Disrupt Crohn's Disease Biofilms
Case Western Reserve University
Probiotics typically aim to rebalance bacteria populations in the gut, but new research suggests they may also help break apart stubborn biofilms. Biofilms are living microbial communities--they provide a haven for microbes and are often resistant to antibiotics. A new study describes a specific probiotic mix that could help patients with gastrointestinal diseases avoid harmful biofilms that can worsen their symptoms.
FDA Proposal For Women With Dense Breasts; NY Hospital an Early Adopter
Catholic Health Services of Long Island
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New Metascape platform enables biologists to unlock big-data insights
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation have revealed an open-access, web-based portal that integrates more than 40 advanced bioinformatics data sources to allow non-technical users to generate insights in one click. Called Metascape, this tool removes data analysis barriers--allowing researchers to spend more time on important biological questions and less time building and troubleshooting a data analysis workflow. The platform was described today in Nature Communications.
Computer Tool Guides Decision-Making for Prostate Cancer Patients
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Prostate cancer patients in Nashville and Los Angeles are benefiting from a computer-based decision aid that implements the latest study results to tailor treatment options to an individual's quality-of-life priorities.
Cornell College's David Berger Receives Fulbright for Cancer Research
Cornell College
David Berger '19 is not only getting ready to graduate, but he's getting ready to move to Austria after getting the news that's he has received a Fulbright grant to research cancer treatments.
Southern Research taps April Brys to lead Drug Development division
Southern Research
Southern Research announced today that April M. Brys, Ph.D., an experienced life sciences executive with a strong track record in research and leadership roles, has been named vice president of the non-profit organization's Drug Development division.
NCCN 2019 Annual Conference Addresses How to Improve Cancer Care Worldwide Amid Intersecting Public Health Crises
National Comprehensive Cancer Network(r) (NCCN(r))
Oncology professionals from all over the world met in Orlando for the NCCN 2019 Annual Conference to discuss how to better address the needs of people with cancer. Join the conversation online with the hashtag #NCCNac19.
Urine Test to Evaluate Immunotherapy Success Gets $1.8 Million NIH Research Grant
Georgia Institute of Technology
Cancer immunotherapy shows surprising successes but also dramatic failures. An emerging activity sensor at Georgia Tech warns clinicians of immunotherapy failures so that they can adjust treatments on time. The sensor is injected intravenously and is read in a urine test.
AACR: Genetic study identifies a risk factor for stroke among cancer survivors
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has identified a genomic risk factor associated with stroke in childhood cancer survivors. The findings were announced today at a press conference as part of the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Atlanta. This investigation draws on whole genome sequencing and other data gathered longitudinally through the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE) study.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network Recognizes Five Individuals for Outstanding Achievements in Improving Cancer Care
National Comprehensive Cancer Network(r) (NCCN(r))
NCCN presents awards to Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine; Margaret A. Tempero, MD, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; Richard Hoppe, MD, Stanford Cancer Institute; Michael Kolodziej, MD, ADVI; and Jennifer Burns, NCCN, during NCCN 2019 Annual Conference.
Probiotics Linked to Poorer Response to Cancer Immunotherapy in Skin Cancer Patients
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Taking over-the-counter probiotic supplements was associated with a 70 percent lower chance of response to cancer immunotherapy treatment with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma patients, according to a preliminary study from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The results are being presented April 2 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2019 Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
Targeting Opioid Receptors to Reduce Breast Cancer Development and Spread
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
In the search for more effective therapies for breast cancer, researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers University are targeting opioid receptors to potentially reduce the development and spread of certain breast cancer subtypes.
Examining a Small Molecule Inhibitor in the Treatment of Aggressive Brain Tumor Type
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Fast growing brain tumors known as glioblastoma multiforme often present treatment challenges due to their diverse tumor cell types and their ability to spread into healthy brain tissue. A Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey researcher examines the impact of a novel small molecule inhibitor in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, using a patient's own tumors cells with patient derived organoids.
Gut Microbiome Directs the Immune System to Fight Cancer
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
A study from Sanford Burnham Prebys has demonstrated a causal link between the gut microbiome and the immune system's ability to fight cancer. The researchers identified a cocktail of 11 bacterial strains that activated the immune system and slowed the growth of melanoma in mice. The study also points to the role of unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular signaling pathway that maintains protein health (homeostasis). Reduced UPR was seen in melanoma patients who are responsive to immune checkpoint therapy, revealing potential markers for patient stratification. The study was published in Nature Communications.
UC San Diego Health Treats 1st Cancer Patient with Stem-Cell Derived Natural Killer Cells
University of California San Diego Health
Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health treats the first patient treated for cancer with a human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapy called FT500. Dan Kaufman collaborated with Fate Therapeutics to bring the iPSC-derived natural killer cell cancer immunotherapy to patients.
Tarloxotinib "very promising" against NRG1-fusion cancers
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2019 shows that the clinical-stage drug, tarloxotinib, is active against NRG1-fusion cancers, in addition to the HER2/EGFR cancers for which the drug was originally designed.
Researchers Discover How Tumor-Killing Immune Cells Attack Lymphomas in Living Mice
The Rockefeller University Press
In a study that will be published April 1 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, researchers from the Institut Pasteur and INSERM reveal that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells can induce tumor regression by directly targeting and killing cancer cells, uncovering new details of how these immune cells work and how their effectiveness could be improved in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other B cell cancers.
Single agent umbralisib effective for relapsed slow-growing lymphoma
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center revealed the investigational drug umbralisib as an effective treatment for patients with relapsed marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Findings from the Phase II trial were presented by study co-lead Nathan Fowler, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Lymphoma & Myeloma, at the AACR Annual Meeting 2019 in Atlanta.
Exploring Immunotherapy in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Phase 1b and phase 2 clinical trials examining pembrolizumab for advanced small cell lung cancer who received two or more lines of prior treatment show anti-tumor activity with durable responses and manageable toxicity. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey's Dr. Janice Mehnert, an investigator on the work, shares more.
Breakthrough Study of Cell Signaling Holds Promise for Immune Research and Beyond
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
For the first time ever, scientists have imaged the process by which an individual immune system molecule is switched on in response to a signal from the environment. The new work provides an enormous leap forward in our understanding of how T cells detect viruses and may provide unique insights into autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy.
Biopsy alternative: 'Wearable' device captures cancer cells from blood
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
A prototype wearable device, tested in animal models, can continuously collect live cancer cells directly from a patient's blood. Developed by a team of engineers and doctors at the University of Michigan, it could help doctors diagnose and treat cancer more effectively.
All in the Timing: Hour of Radiation Treatments Can Affect Mucositis for Patients With Head/Neck Cancers
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
New research from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center reports that timing of radiation treatments can significantly reduce severity of mucositis and its related impacts.
For Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Combining Immunotherapies with Chemotherapy Shows Early Promise in Reducing Tumor Size
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy shrank tumors in 20 out of 24 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, according to early phase 1b data being unveiled at AACR 2019 by Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
With Safety Analysis Now Complete, Roswell Park Moves Forward With Expanded Study of CIMAvax
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Final results from the first U.S. clinical study of CIMAvax-EGF show that this Cuban immunotherapy is safe and showed promising efficacy as part of a treatment combination with nivolumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Genomic analysis offers roadmap for diagnosis and treatment of a high-risk leukemia
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a high-risk cancer with a dismal prognosis, uncertain genetic basis and controversy surrounding the diagnosis. That is changing, thanks to research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that appears today in the journal Nature Genetics. The researchers completed the largest, most comprehensive genomic analysis yet of AEL and identified six age-related subgroups with distinct mutations and patterns of gene expression as well as treatment outcomes.
Cancer prevention drug also disables H. pylori bacterium
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
A medicine currently being tested as a chemoprevention agent for multiple types of cancer has more than one trick in its bag when it comes to preventing stomach cancer, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Smilow Cancer Hospital first in Connecticut to perform CAR T-cell therapy
Yale Cancer Center
One of the most promising new generations of cancer treatment called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is now available for patients at Smilow Cancer Hospital. CAR T-cell therapy is groundbreaking immunotherapy that can cure patients with certain blood cancers who have run out of treatment options.
American Association for Cancer Research honors Cancer Control and Survivorship Program
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has announced that the 13th annual AACR Team Science Award will be presented to the Cancer Control and Survivorship Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The Cancer Control and Survivorship Program is a multidisciplinary research program of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center, which strives to improve the quality of life of individuals surviving childhood cancer. Leslie L. Robison, PhD, chair of the Department of Epidemiology & Cancer Control, and Melissa Hudson, MD, director of the Division of Cancer Survivorship, lead the program.
Pediatric Cell Atlas Will Map Single-Cell Changes for a Deeper View of Child Health and Disease
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Biomedical researchers plan to create the Pediatric Cell Atlas, a powerful new resource for fine-grained scientific understanding of human growth and development. Drawing on dramatic recent advances in technology, the Atlas will offer an unprecedented window into the unique biology of children by benchmarking healthy and abnormal tissues at the level of single cells--the basic units of biology.
New Hope to Treat Dangerous Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?
Stony Brook University
Researchers from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University have identified a gene involved in the cancer stem cell (CSC) population of triple-negative breast cancer, a deadly form of disease. By blocking this gene's action, tumor response to chemotherapy is improved.
The Medical Minute: Thyroid Cancer Surges. Is TMI Responsible?
Penn State Health
Forty years after the 1979 near-meltdown at Three Mile Island, thyroid cancer is on the upswing. Is radiation the culprit? Dr. David Goldenberg discusses his research and how to cure the disease.
New potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer discovered
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Cancer cells demand enormous amounts of molecular "food" to survive and grow, and a study published March 27 online in Nature by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have identified a new approach to starve the cells of one of the most common and deadly cancers, pancreatic cancer.
Glowing Tumors Show Scientists Where Cancer Drugs Are Working
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Experimenting with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have successfully used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to calculate in real time how much of an immunotherapy drug reaches a tumor and what parts of a cancer remain unaffected.
Dallas Cowboys WR Michael Irvin undergoes tests for throat cancer: Cancer expert available
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mini Microscope is the New GoPro for Studies of Brain Disease in Living Mice
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Working with mice, a team of Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has developed a relatively inexpensive, portable mini microscope that could improve scientists' ability to image the effects of cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other conditions in the brains of living and active mice over time. The device, which measures less than 5 cubic centimeters, is docked onto animals' heads and gathers real-time images from the active brains of mice moving naturally around their environments.
Helping Infants Survive Brain Cancer
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) is a particularly challenging type of brain cancer. The tumor most commonly arises in infants under the age of one--who are too young to undergo radiation treatment. Only 40 percent of children remain alive five years after diagnosis, and those who do survive often suffer devastating long-term damage from the treatment. Progress in developing effective therapies has been hindered by the lack of models that could help researchers better understand the cancer. Now, scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys have developed a novel mouse model of CPC and have used it to identify multiple potential drug compounds with biological activity that may be therapeutically useful. The study was published in Cancer Research.
SLAS Technology Presents a Special Issue
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening)
The April edition of SLAS Technology features a special collection of articles prepared by biomedical and chemical engineering students at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, USA) that illustrate the growing use of nucleic acids for gene augmentation.
Immune Cells Age and Die Prematurely in People With Very Short Telomeres, According to New Study
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Scientists at Johns Hopkins say they have found that people born with abnormally short chromosome endcaps, or telomeres, have immune system cells that age and die prematurely. Their short-lived immune system cells also share some of the same characteristics of immune cells in much older people without the telomere disorder.
Tumor-associated immune cells hinder frontline chemotherapy drug in pancreatic cancer
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
A frontline chemotherapy drug given to patients with pancreatic cancer is made less effective because similar compounds released by tumor-associated immune cells block the drug's action, research led by the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found.
MD Anderson study may explain why immunotherapy not effective for some patients with metastatic melanoma and kidney cancer
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
White blood cells known as B cells have been shown to be effective for predicting which cancer patients will respond to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, according to a study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Study results will be presented April 2 at the AACR Annual Meeting 2019 in Atlanta.
Johns Hopkins Researchers Receive Swim Across America Grants to Fight Colon Cancer, Study Immune System Role in Lung Cancer
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Two Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers received grants from Swim Across America to fund work for more effective ways to fight colorectal cancer and find out what role the immune system plays in non-small cell lung cancer.
Are we seeing a different kind of colorectal cancer in younger patients?
Diseases of the Colon and Rectum Journal
In the January 2019 issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, Dr. Chouhan and colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic sought to answer this question by performing detailed molecular studies on nearly 500 colorectal cancers. Roughly 12% of cancers occurred in individuals who were less than 50 years old.
Female radiation oncologists submit fewer charges to Medicare, collect less revenue, study finds
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences
A new study by UCLA researchers has found that female radiation oncologists submit fewer charges to Medicare, are reimbursed less per charge submitted and receive lower Medicare payments overall in comparison to male radiation oncologists.
A protein's surprising role offers clues to limit graft-vs.-host disease
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
In a surprising finding, researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center showed the protein NLRP6 aggravated the difficult symptoms of gastrointestinal graft-vs.-host disease. Knocking out this protein in mice led to significantly better survival and less severe GVHD.