- Researchers from the UK used sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to discover, in a preclinical study, that tumors, unlike healthy tissue, had elevated sodium concentration ([Na+]). The findings demonstrated that sodium levels in tumors of breast cancer patients could be predictors of cancer aggressiveness and the potential efficacy of chemotherapy treatment. The study was published in British Journal of Cancer.
- A study led by the University of Granada in Spain discovered that men with prostate cancer had lower levels of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, than men without the disease. The study was published in Journal of Urology.
- Scientists in the UK have discovered bacteria linked to aggressive prostate cancer. By performing genetic analyses on the urine and prostate tissue, they found five species of bacteria connected to cancer progression. If the role of bacteria is confirmed in the ongoing experiments, that will pave the way for new ways of prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. The study was published in European Urology Oncology.
- Researchers from the University of Wisconsin have created a drug-releasing hydrogel to reduce the possibility of local cancer recurrence (colon cancer, melanoma, and triple-negative breast cancer) after surgery. Human clinical trials are needed as this was a preclinical study done on mice. Those findings could potentially be used in other types of cancer. The study was published in Nature Communications.
- The new research by Genetch, Inc., the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center explained how tumor cells or cells infected by pathogens resist killing by T cells, known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs).The in vitro study demonstrated that ESCRT protein recruitment helped cancer cells resist CTL attacks. The study was published in Science and commented upon in the same issue.
Author Archives: Marina
Automated MeSH Indexing in PubMed
This year the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is transitioning the process of MeSH indexing in PubMed from manual to automated.
MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) are assigned to MEDLINE citations for the purposes of enriching the metadata and increasing discoverability.
Until 2022 MeSH indexing was done by human indexers at the National Library of Medicine. Starting 2022 human indexers will only oversee and troubleshoot MeSH indexing.
One of the major benefits of automating the process of MeSH indexing is almost instant appearance of MeSH in MEDLINE citations in PubMed. With manual indexing this was delayed for a few months on average. Citations awaiting MeSH indexing were called In Process citations which could be found by keyword searches only.
The downside of automated MeSH indexing, at least in the beginning, could be, potentially, increase in indexing errors. The NLM will be engaged in the ongoing improvement of MeSH indexing algorithm.
Read more about the transition.
Tissue Regeneration Helping Cancer Spread, Viruses and Bacteria Working Together in Cancer Development and More
- Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute (U.K.) discovered that a process involved in regenerating tissue damaged by radiation could promote the spread of cancer. An animal experiment demonstrated that this was happening due to the signaling of immune cells called neutrophils which help repair tissue damage. The study was published in Nature Cancer.
- It is well known that patients who develop cervical cancer are often infected not only with the human papillomavirus (HPV) but also simultaneously with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Researchers from Germany and the U.S. have proven that the two pathogens work together in a concerted effort to “reprogram” the infected cells so that they multiply uncontrollably. The study was published in Nature Communications.
- The researchers at the University of Virginia and MD Anderson Cancer Center investigated the role of EP300 gene mutations in the development of small cell lung cancer (SLLC) and discovered, in preclinical experiments, that this gene makes a protein that acts as a tumor promoter and inhibitor. By stopping this protein from working as a tumor promoter, it is possible to prevent the formation and spread of SLCC. As EP300 mutations are frequently found in a wide range of cancers, targeting the EP300 has potential for treatments of more than one cancer type. The study was published in Science Advances.
- Researchers from Germany, the United States, and the Netherlands explored in-depth programmed cell death, or apoptosis, processes. They found that the NOXA protein (a key proapoptotic factor) is being suppressed in aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer. The researchers aimed at identifying drug candidates that may promote NOXA’s cancer-fighting properties. By systematically testing substances in genetically altered cell lines, they identified one effective substance. The findings pave the way to new options in treating pancreatic cancer. The study was published in PNAS.
- In a somewhat similar approach, researchers from Wellcome Sanger Institute (U.K.) and collaborators used systematic testing of combinations of already clinically relevant drugs along with analysis of genetic information and multi-omics techniques on cell lines. As a result, they created a new resource to predict effective cancer treatment combinations. The study was published in Nature.
- Researchers from Australia established that two molecular pathways (Hippo/YAP and PI3K/mTOR) work together in cancer cells to promote fat metabolism that drives tumor growth. These findings may lead to new cancer therapeutics. The study was published in Developmental Cell.