- 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.
New Nursing eBook: 2020-2021 Oncology Nursing Drug Handbook
A new nursing eBook has been added to the Library collection, entitled the 2020-2021 Oncology Nursing Drug Handbook. This text, specifically for nurses caring for patients with cancer, details drug therapy in terms of the nursing process: nursing diagnoses, etiologies of toxicities, and key points for nursing assessment, intervention, and evaluation.
Major topics and information include effective symptom management, patient education, chemotherapy administration, cellular communication pathways disrupted by cancer, immunotherapy, new drugs and their indications, and updated indications and side effects for recently FDA approved drugs.
New Open Access eJournal: Data Science Journal
The Data Science Journal is a peer-reviewed, open access, electronic journal publishing papers on the management, dissemination, use and reuse of research data and databases across all research domains.
Main topics include descriptions of data systems, their implementations and their publication, applications, infrastructures, software, legal, reproducibility and transparency issues, the availability and usability of complex datasets, and a focus on the principles, policies and practices for open data.