Tag: Lung Cancer

Rise of the clones: Study identifies inherited and acquired mutations that drive precancerous blood condition

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has identified some of the first known inherited genetic variants that significantly raise a person’s likelihood of developing clonal hematopoiesis, an age-related white blood cell condition linked with higher risk of certain blood cancers and cardiovascular

Researchers find combination can enhance ipilimumab immunotherapy: Anti-CTLA-4 treatment triggers immune-suppressing EZH2 on T cells; clinical trial open

Using a targeted therapy to block a protein that suppresses T cell activity could improve cancer treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The team showed that EZH2 is elevated in immune T cells in patients after treatment with

Inexpensive detector is like ‘Velcro®’ for cancer cells

Researchers have developed a new type of sensor that acts like Velcro® for prostate cancer cells, sticking them to a modified frosted glass slide, like those used in science classes, so that they can be identified from blood samples. The low-cost method, reported in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, could help doctors better diagnose and

Childhood cancer: The four survival strategies of tumor cells

Cancer cells in children tend to develop by following four main trajectories — and two of them are linked to relapse of the disease, research led by Lund University in Sweden shows. The four strategies can occur simultaneously in a single tumour, according to the study that is now published in Nature Genetics. The researchers

Atherosclerosis: Stopped on time

The internal clock controls all vital functions in the body. Body temperature as well as blood pressure or the release of certain enzymes are subject to oscillations throughout the day, the so-called circadian rhythm. For the first time, a team around Professor Oliver Söhnlein has now shown the influence of circadian rhythms on atherosclerosis —

CLL patient goes into remission thanks to single CAR T cell: Case study provides clues that could help improve response rates

The doctors who have spent years studying the case call it “a series of fortunate events.” What began as a remarkable response to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is now providing evidence about the human genome and immune response that could help turn gene therapy non-responders into responders. Researchers at the University of

Cancer cells co-opt pain-sensing ‘wasabi receptor’ to survive oxidative stress: Antioxidants and the TRPA1 channel protein complement each other to increase tumor survival

Anyone who’s taken a bite of a sandwich with too much spicy mustard or a piece of sushi with too much wasabi can attest to the tear-inducing sensation these condiments can cause. These loud warnings to the nervous system of exposure to potentially harmful chemicals are triggered by TRPA1, a calcium channel protein sometimes referred

Cellular valve structure opens up potential novel therapies

Human cells are enclosed by membranes and are in osmotic equilibrium with their environment. If the concentration of solute molecules (osmolarity) in the fluid surrounding the cells decreases, cells start to swell; in extreme cases, this can result in the cells bursting. To avoid this, cells activate volume-regulated chloride channels (VRACs) of the LRRC8 protein

Trial shows chemotherapy is helping kids live with pulmonary vein stenosis: Adding chemotherapy to a treatment regimen including catheterization and surgery can deter abnormal cellular growth

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is a rare disease in which abnormal cells build up inside the veins responsible for carrying oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart. It restricts blood flow through these vessels, eventually sealing them off entirely if left untreated. Typically affecting young children, the most severe form of PVS progresses very

Madagascar periwinkle research uncovers pathway to cancer-fighting drugs: Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle

Plant scientists have taken the crucial last steps in a 60-year quest to unravel the complex chemistry of Madagascar periwinkle in a breakthrough that opens up the potential for rapid synthesis of cancer-fighting compounds. The team in the laboratory of Professor Sarah O’Connor at the John Innes Centre have, after 15 years of research, located

Using mathematical modeling and evolutionary principles important in treatment decisions: Moffitt researchers show continuous maximum dose and adaptive treatment approaches are effective strategies for different tumors

Cancer patients are commonly treated with the maximum dose they are able to withstand that does not cause too many toxic side effects. However, many patients become resistant to these treatments and develop cancer recurrence. Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center are using mathematical modeling based on evolutionary principles to show that adaptive drug treatments based

Pill for breast cancer diagnosis may outperform mammograms

As many as one in three women treated for breast cancer undergo unnecessary procedures, but a new method for diagnosing it could do a better job distinguishing between benign and aggressive tumors. Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing a pill that makes tumors light up when exposed to infrared light, and they have