How cells correctly choose active genes

It is essential for cells to control precisely which of the many genes of their genetic material they use. This is done in so-called transcription factories, molecular clusters in the nucleus. Researchers have now found that the formation of transcription factories resembles the condensation of liquids. Their findings will improve the understanding of causes of diseases and advance the development of DNA-based data storage systems.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

RAS inhibitors for use in fighting more cancers

New findings help better understand the how one of the most commonly mutated genetic drivers of cancer passes signals that cause the disease.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Scientists discover how mitochondria import antioxidants

A new finding offers researchers a direct way to investigate oxidative stress and its damaging effects in aging, cancer and other diseases.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Ibrutinib improves survival for younger people with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

New evidence suggests that adding the targeted therapy ibrutinib (Imbruvica) to a standard chemotherapy regimen can improve how long some younger people with a specific form of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) live.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Experimental drug boosts immunotherapy effectiveness in pancreatic cancer in mice

An experimental drug enhanced the benefit of an immunotherapy to fight pancreatic cancer in mice by increasing the number of immune cells in the immediate vicinity of the tumor, leading to a reduction in tumor growth, and in some mice, eliminating their cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

It takes cellular teamwork to heal the intestine

A meticulous single-cell analytical approach to study the repair process of rotavirus-caused injury in an animal model revealed that the damaged epithelium contains a variety of cell types involved in repairing it through broad coordinated responses that ultimately heal the damaged tissue.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Combining two ‘old therapies’ packs a powerful punch against pediatric brain tumors

Copper has been clinically improving the lives of people since about 1500 BCE, when an Egyptian physician first recorded its use as a treatment for inflammation. Some 35 centuries later, researchers have provided solid evidence that the first metal used medicinally may now have a new role — helping save children from a devastating central nervous system cancer known as medulloblastoma.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Researchers identify molecule that blocks immune cells from entering and killing breast tumors

Researchers have identified a key molecule in certain kinds of breast cancers that prevent immune cells from entering tumors and killing the cancer cells inside. This research could pave the way toward a new treatment for certain kinds of aggressive breast cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Machine learning model uses clinical and genomic data to predict immunotherapy effectiveness

A new machine learning model accurately predicts whether immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), a growing class of immunotherapy drugs, will be effective in patients diagnosed with a wide variety of cancers. The forecasting tool assesses multiple patient-specific biological and clinical factors to predict the degree of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors and survival outcomes. It markedly outperforms individual biomarkers or other combinations of variables developed so far, according to new findings.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Prostate cancer urine test identifies good prognosis patients

Researchers have shown that a prostate cancer urine test can identify men at ‚intermediate risk‘ who can safely avoid immediate treatment and benefit from ‚active surveillance‘ instead. Previously, the team’s Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) test could identify men with high and low risk cancers. But thanks to some fine-tuning, it can now help men with intermediate-risk disease – for whom treatment options had been less clear.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Researchers develop a new class of CAR-T cells that target previously untargetable cancer drivers

In a breakthrough for the treatment of aggressive solid cancers, researchers have developed a novel cancer therapy that targets proteins inside cancer cells that are essential for tumor growth and survival but have been historically impossible to reach. Using the power of large data sets and advanced computational approaches, the researchers were able to identify peptides that are presented on the surface of tumor cells and can be targeted with ‚peptide-centric‘ chimeric antigen receptors (PC-CARs), a new class of engineered T cells, stimulating an immune response that eradicates tumors.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Artificial intelligence to detect colorectal cancer

A researcher found that artificial intelligence can accurately detect and diagnose colorectal cancer from tissue scans as well or better than pathologists, according to a new study.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

New test to diagnose aggressive childhood brain tumors

Researchers have developed a new test to more easily diagnose medulloblastoma, the most common malignant childhood brain tumor. The test — which can distinguish between extremely high-risk medulloblastoma cases that need radiation therapy from those that are lower-risk and do not need radiation — could help pave the way for personalized treatment options for children suffering from the disease. It relies on an antibody-based technique called immunohistochemistry which is widely available in clinical laboratories around the world.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Chemo helps breast cancer cells get their ‘foot in the door’ to the lungs

A new study adds to the evidence that chemotherapy enhances cancer’s spread beyond the primary tumor, showing how one chemo drug allows breast cancer cells to squeeze through and attach to blood vessel linings in the lungs.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Drug-like molecule points to novel strategies for cancer therapy

A decade ago, genome sequencing revealed a big surprise: about 50 percent of human cancers are linked to mutations in what are known as epigenetic regulators, which control the activity of genes. Medical researchers have now developed a new drug-like molecule that can counteract the effects of mutated epigenetic regulators, which are known to drive certain types of cancer including lymphoma.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Uncovering how injury to the pancreas impacts cancer formation

Pioneering research shows that acinar cells in the pancreas form new cell types to mitigate injury but are then susceptible to cancerous mutations.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Engineers devise a way to selectively turn on RNA therapies in human cells

Researchers have designed a way to selectively turn on gene expression in target cells, including human cells. Their technology can detect specific mRNA sequences, which triggers production of a specific protein.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Cleveland Clinic study links gut microbiome and aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers have shown for the first time that diet-associated molecules in the gut are associated with aggressive prostate cancer, suggesting dietary interventions may help reduce risk. While more research will be necessary, the study’s lead author says findings from the team’s analysis of nearly 700 patients may have clinical implications for diagnosing and preventing lethal prostate cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Cancer cells change shape, how they move to invade different types of tissue

Research has shed new light on the way malignant cells change their shape and migration techniques to invade different types of tissue.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

New computer modeling could boost drug discovery

Scientists have developed a computer-aided data tool that could improve treatment for a range of illnesses.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Cell-free DNA identifies early signs of relapse in pediatric medulloblastoma

Findings show that cell-free DNA in cerebrospinal fluid can be used to detect measurable residual disease and identify patients at risk of relapse.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Metabolic memory plays a key role in breast cancer relapse

Molecular targets for therapies that could prevent breast cancer recurrence have been identified by a group of scientists who analyzed tumor cells that proved resistant to the original treatment. Recent advances in early detection and targeted therapy have led to a growing success in treating breast cancer upon first presentation. This often is achieved by silencing tumor driving oncogenes and causing tumor regression.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Researchers target tumors with intracellular precision

A non-toxic, bacteria-based system can detect when it is inside a cancer cell and then release its payload of therapeutic drugs directly into the cell. The work could lead to effective, targeted therapies for currently untreatable cancers, such as liver or metastatic breast cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

Modeling cellular migration

A new model sheds light on the function of a protein that is a major player in cancer growth, and their results could one day help researchers determine better ways to stop the spread of cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily

New cancer treatment may reawaken the immune system

Researchers have discovered a new way to jump-start the immune system to attack tumors, which could allow cancer immunotherapy to be used against more types of cancer.

Quelle: Sciencedaily