Team develops test to predict immunotherapy response in kidney cancer

A novel imaging test shows promise for identifying kidney cancer patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. In a study published today in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, investigators with the UT Southwestern Medical Center Kidney Cancer Program developed a new test to illuminate kidney cancers that may respond to checkpoint inhibitors. The strategy involved transforming an immunotherapy drug, […]

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Team breaks new ground in study of malignant pediatric brain tumor

Scientists are making important progress in the battle against a class of devilishly complex human pediatric brain cancers thanks to a new study from a team of Florida State University students and faculty. Among young children, there’s no brain tumor more common than medulloblastoma. But no specific and effective therapy yet exists for this dangerous disease. Instead, doctors are forced […]

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Research team documents potential new treatment path for breast cancer

Immunotherapies that take off the “brakes” on the adaptive anti-tumor response have worked well in melanoma and lung cancer but less so in breast cancers. That could change. A Vanderbilt team led by John Wilson, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Rebecca Cook, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, activated innate immunity in breast cancer cells and […]

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Team develops new eye tests that could help patients and reduce burden on NHS

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, are leading a cutting-edge project, named the “MONARCH” study, that could benefit eye disease patients whilst saving both time and money within the NHS. The MONARCH study aims to investigate if patients with an eye condition called wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could test their vision at home, […]

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Team identifies genes that increase risk for triple-negative breast cancer

A research team led by Fergus Couch, Ph.D., a geneticist at Mayo Clinic, has identified specific genes associated with an increased risk for developing triple-negative breast cancer. Their research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of cancer that cannot be treated using targeted therapies,” says Dr. Couch. “It accounts […]

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Team discovers gene mutations linked to pancreatic cancer

Six genes contain mutations that may be passed down in families, substantially increasing a person’s risk for pancreatic cancer. That’s according to Mayo Clinic research published in the June 19 edition of the JAMA. However, because researchers found these genetic mutations in patients with no family history of pancreatic cancer, they are recommending genetic testing for all pancreatic cancer patients […]

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Biochemist, physicist team to see antibacterial TCS deform mitochondria

Grocery shopping can be an illuminating chore for a toxicologist. Julie Gosse, a University of Maine associate professor of molecular and biomedical sciences, has scanned the supermarket aisles for products that contain triclosan (TCS), a synthetic antibacterial agent. Since the ’90s, TCS has been in a slew of consumer products, including facial cleansers, toothpaste, mouthwash and hand sanitizers. For years, […]

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