- Researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich have discovered that cancer development and, specifically, metastasizing can be connected to the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is a natural process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats approximately every 24 hours. These findings may help in better timing of chemotherapy treatments for their higher efficacy. The study was published in Trends in Cell Biology.
- In a preclinical study, Standford University researchers found a way to alter cancer cells so that they can induce the body’s immune system “to fight the very cancer the cells came from”. The study was published in Cancer Discovery.
- Researchers from the University of Toronto and Insilico Medicine used an AI drug discovery platform called Pharma.AI. to develop a potential therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This is just the first step, as any potential drug would need to be tested in clinical trials before it can be used in humans. The study was published in Chemical Science.
- An experimental drug, Revumenib, showed very promising results in leukemia early (phase 1) clinical trial. Complete remission was achieved in 18 Leukemia patients. The study reporting on this trial was published in Nature. A related study was published in the same issue.
- Researchers from Australia who studied the mechanisms of tumor resistance to chemotherapy discovered that tumor cells can alternate responding or not responding to chemotherapy through natural randomness. This randomness occurs in the process of cancer cells dying from chemotherapy treatment. Still, there is “a small window where treatment could be most effective.” The researchers also identified specific drugs that can help dealing with this mechanism of resistance. The study was published in Science Advances.
- New research exploring the genomic doubling phenomenon occurring in the process of carcinogenesis was conducted by researchers from Switzerland. The study that provides a new insight into cancer development processes was published in Nature.
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Experimental Tumor Cell Based Vaccine, Futibatinib Trial for Bile Duct Cancers, and More
- Researchers from Harvard University developed an experimental vaccine to start a new generation of cancer vaccines, tumor cell-based vaccines, that would make cancer fight cancer. The researchers modified cancer cells to “produce agents that kill tumors and to form other proteins that help the body develop immunity against the cancer.” Clinical trials of this vaccine could follow in several years. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.
- A typical protocol for patients with colon cancer removed surgically automatically includes chemotherapy after surgery, but it is hard to tell beforehand whether a patient would benefit from it. A positive blood test, otherwise called ‘liquid biopsy” or ctDNA, reveals if there are residual cancer cells in the body. The study conducted by researchers in Japan showed that patients with positive tests might be at a very high risk of cancer recurrence and thus would need post-surgical chemotherapy treatment. Conversely, patients with negative tests may safely not be treated by chemotherapy and avoid its potential hurdles and adverse effects. The study was published in Nature Medicine.
- Researchers from more than a dozen countries conducted a multicenter trial on the use of the oral drug futibatinib for bile duct cancers (cholangiocarcinoma and gall bladder cancer) for which the survival outlook is very poor and found that the drug was superior to chemotherapy and extended the life of patients with advanced bile duct cancers who participated in the trial for up to 2 years. Treatment with this drug is a precision or personalized therapy as it targets a specific genetic mutation in a group of genes known as fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR). Patients with bile duct cancer should undergo molecular testing to benefit from this drug. The results were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Researchers from Israel have produced a peptide that prevented secondary breast cancer in mice with a 90 percent success rate. The scientists hope that their research will prevent cancer metastasis in humans and can be translated to other types of cancer. The study was published in Oncogene.
- A new in vitro and animal study by researchers at The Ohio State University reported a way to re-energize critical killer immune cells when they become dysfunctional while fighting cancer or chronic viral infections. The results were reported in Nature Immunology.
- Researchers from India conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare turmeric mouthwash to benzydamine mouthwash for oral mucositis. The study involving 92 patients found that turmeric mouthwash could reduce the severity of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy. The study was published in Cancer Nursing.
Low-Protein Diet for Colon Cancer, Algorithm for Radiation Therapy Scheduling Drastically Boosts its Efficacy and More
- Researchers from the University of Michigan found, in preclinical studies, that a low-protein diet blocked the nutrient signaling pathway that drove colon cancer growth. “A low-protein diet, and specifically a reduction in two key amino acids” starved cancer cells and helped overcome treatment resistance Results of the study were published in Gastroenterology.
- Researchers from the University of Missouri discovered that nicotinamide, or niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, might increase breast cancer and brain metastasis risk. It is contrary to the results of earlier research that showed multiple health benefits of taking the supplement. The study was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
- New animal research on squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a skin cancer linked to RAS gene mutations, found that cancer development was driven by the interaction and mutual influence of tumor stem cells and their environment. The study further discovered a surprising for SCC connection to leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells. The findings of this study go beyond the studied cancer type and give an insight into cancer biology that may result in developing new ways of treating cancer. The study was published in Nature.
- Canadian researchers used mathematics to devise an algorithm for scheduling radiation therapy that could make it up to 22 percent more effective at killing cancer cells than existing standard radiation treatment regimens. The algorithm needs to be tested in clinical studies. The work was published in Journal of Mathematical Biology.
- Scientists from Germany discovered the reason for the previously observed phenomenon where metastatic growth only appeared after the surgical removal of the original tumor. They conducted an animal study and, in the cancer cells, identified a messenger substance (ANGPLT4) that promoted the local growth of the primary tumor. In the blood, ANGPLT4 split into two fragments, one of which suppressed metastasis. Surgical removal of the primary tumor disables the source of the metastasis-suppressing fragment, thus activating individual dormant metastatic tumor cells. While surgery remains the gold standard in treating most cancers, further study of ANGPLT4 may pave the way to developing new metastasis-suppressing drugs. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.