Loss of a DNA repair system creates a unique vulnerability in many cancer types

Cancer cells adapt to potentially fatal mutations and other molecular malfunctions by adjusting one or more other genes’ activity, in the process becoming dependent on those genes for their survival and growth. The resulting genetic dependencies may provide targets for developing new precision-guided drugs or other cancer treatment strategies. Reporting in Nature, researchers led by members of the Cancer Dependency […]

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Major response to immunotherapy in early-stage mismatch repair deficient colon cancer

Pre-operative treatment with a combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and ipilimumab achieves major pathological responses in 100 percent of early-stage colon cancers with mismatch repair deficiencies, according to results reported at ESMO 2018 from the first exploratory phase II trial to investigate this approach. Restoring patients’ immune response against cancer cells with checkpoint inhibitors is an established treatment […]

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Watching stem cells repair spinal cord in real time

Monash University researchers have restored movement and regenerated nerves using stem cells in zebra fish where the spinal cord is severely damaged. The research, presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research conference in Melbourne this week, raises the possibility that these same stem cells could be triggered in human patients who have suffered paralysing damage to their nervous […]

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Keyhole may trump robotic surgery for mitral valve repair

Keyhole surgery for heart valve repair may trump robotic surgery, because it is associated with lower rates of subsequent heart flutter and blood transfusions, and a shorter hospital stay, reveals research looking at the pros and cons of different surgical approaches, published online in the journal Heart. But as keyhole, robotic, and conventional surgery are all very safe and effective, […]

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