- MIT scientists developed a novel method to introduce certain cancer-related mutations into mouse models. CRISPR genome-editing technology has been used to “design models of multiple mutations of the cancer-causing gene, Kras, in various organs.” The novel method is quite revolutionary, and much more efficient than the traditional labor- and time-consuming approach. The study was published in Nature Biotechnology.
- Researchers from German Cancer Research Center and other institutions worldwide conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on vitamin D3 supplementation impact on mortality and prognosis in cancer, which showed that taking vitamin D daily could help in reducing cancer death risk by 12%. The same review demonstrated that older people benefit more from taking the vitamin than younger people and that it works best when taken preventatively. The systematic review was published in Ageing Research Reviews.
- While breast density was long linked to breast cancer risk, the new study demonstrated that the slower pace of changes in breast density in one breast compared to the other breast in the same patient over time also seems to be linked to cancer risk. The study was published in JAMA Oncology.
- A new study demonstrated that interrupting a standard hormone therapy, given to prevent breast cancer recurrence, for conceiving a child “appears safe in the short term.” The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine