María Mayán Santos

A study published today in Science Advances describes the case of a person who in less than 40 years of life has developed twelve tumours, five of them malignant, due to inherited mutations in a gene. The research reveals that his  immune system has naturally generated an altered inflammatory response that fights tumours. Understanding the mechanism will be useful to stimulate this type of response in other cases, according to the CNIO authors of the study.

The extraordinary plenary session of the Congress of Deputies today approved the reform of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation. After being passed in the Lower House without any votes against it on 23 June, the bill was approved in the Senate on 20 July with an amendment referring to indefinite-term contracts, which was rejected today in Congress. 

Whole genome analysis of more than 12,000 tumors has identified new patterns of mutations associated with specific cancers. These combinations generate specific mutational signatures, the study of which provides information on environmental factors causing the mutations. The work is published in Science.