Two preclinical studies published in the journal Science have introduced new bioengineered modifications to CAR-T cells in an attempt to make them more potent and safer in their anti-tumour action. These variations allow their activity to be enhanced only in the vicinity of the tumour or their actions to be regulated on demand.
The US companies Moderna and Merck (MSD outside the US and Canada) have announced this week the results of their phase 2b trials of their skin cancer therapy. The results were shared in a press release stating that the risk of recurrence or death is reduced by 44%.
A ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbohydrates, could increase platelet production and alleviate the low platelet counts caused by chemotherapy treatments. This is the finding of a small study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
A panel of experts set up by the journal The Lancet Oncology analyses the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on cancer treatment and research and makes recommendations to mitigate these problems. With an estimated one million cancer diagnoses lost across Europe in the past two years, the team warns that the continent is heading for a cancer epidemic in the next decade if health systems and cancer research are not urgently prioritised.
A pioneering phase 1 clinical trial has tested a type of cancer immunotherapy. Researchers have modified patients' own T-lymphocyte receptors using the CRISPR tool to direct them against specific targets on their own tumours. The results are published in the journal Nature.
Research to be published in the journal Nature identifies and characterizes the cells responsible for relapse in colon cancer. In addition, it proposes revising clinical guidelines and administering immunotherapy before surgery to try to avoid them
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.
A meta-analysis published in the journal PLOS Medicine has analysed the time to diagnosis and treatment of various types of cancer in rich and poor countries. On average, the processes are 1.5 to 4 times slower in disadvantaged countries.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found a link between the practice of physical exercise and a lower risk of developing breast cancer in any of its types. The authors claim that there is very strong evidence that the association is causal.
A study published in the BMJ has found a link between overall ultra-processed food consumption and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in men. The association has not been seen in women.