Scientists have identified a mutated gene that causes breast cancer to become more aggressive and spread to other parts of the body in up to 30% of patients. The discovery provides exciting new avenues to develop new treatments for breast cancer, including more effective personalised approaches. Hormone therapy effectively treats around two-thirds of breast cancers, […]
German scientists have identified the proteins inside colon cancer cells that trick the immune system from seeing them as a threat. But, in lab tests, once researchers blocked the signals from the cells, the immune systems began to attack them. The insight could help scientists develop new and highly targeted immunotherapies for one of the […]
Scientists have discovered new and more effective ways of growing breast cancer tumours that could accelerate research and the development of new treatments. Instead of transplanting human tumours into mice, they’ve developed a bank of “human patient-derived xenografts (PDXs)” that can be used to screen drugs. Used alongside personalised genetic tests could improve cancer treatment […]
Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of breast cancer but may also cause prostate and pancreatic cancers in men, Cambridge University scientists have discovered. After studying the medical history of thousands of families, the team found that 27% of men who carry a BRCA 2 mutation will develop prostate cancer, and those […]
Scientists studying the cell replication process have discovered that damage to DNA during the early stages could potentially create “genomic instability” that could cause cancer. The cutting-edge research into cell replication has implications for future research and could, in time, lead to the development of new strategies for diagnosing and treating cancer. Cells in the […]
Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute have engineered a new range of immunotherapies that target not only cancer cells with specific markers but cancer cells surrounding the tumour site. Described by researchers as a “micropharmacy” in the body, the new cells offer hope for those with cancers that evade treatment with immunotherapies or for whom […]
USCF researchers have developed a new way of looking at cancer immunotherapies, matching the immune environment around the tumour site. The research time analysed 364 individual tumours across 12 cancer types, identifying a range of immune cells such as macrophages, NK and B cells that could be potential targets for new immunotherapies. The discovery opens […]
Liquid biopsy tests before and during chemotherapy can accurately detect whether patients with prostate cancer are resistant to treatment with anti-cancer drug docetaxel, scientists have found. By analysing a blood test for circulating tumour cells (CTCs), researchers were able to identify patients who are resistant to docetaxel treatments. Identifying patterns in the data can predict […]
Scientists have developed a new oral DPP inhibitor that, when used in combination with targeted immunotherapy, has shown promise at treating pancreatic cancer. In trials, the combination therapy proved to be successful at increasing the number of cancer-killing cells around a tumour, reducing its growth and, in some cases, eliminating cancer altogether. The authors believe […]
Chemotherapy drugs could enhance the spread of cancer beyond a primary tumour site, scientists have established. In tests, researchers found that mice injected with cyclophosphamide, a popular chemotherapy drug, enabled breast cancer cells to squeeze through the blood vessel linings in the lungs and stick to cell walls. While chemotherapy remains an effective treatment for […]
Mutations in cancer-suppressing genes that block cell growth may explain why some cancers evade the body’s immune system, scientists have established. A US team has identified 100 “mutated tumor suppressor genes” that affect the body’s ability to spot and destroy cancer cells in mice. While at an early stage, identifying genetic mutations could lead to […]
Scientists have identified a new synthetic molecular code that could improve a patient’s response to an effective cancer treatment, known as PD-1 blockade immunotherapy. The team from Kyoto University have created a new molecular code that ensures a supply of energy to cancer-killing T-cells. The molecular code is highly effective at targeting cancer cells when […]
