The length of the telomere “caps” of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes may predict cancer risk and be a potential target for future therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) scientists will report today at the AACR Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Longer-than-expected telomeres — which are composed of repeated sequences of DNA...
Category: <span>Cancer</span>
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New immunotherapy combination shows promise for patients with advanced melanoma
Treatment with a combination of ipilimumab (Yervoy) and Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21; Cavatak) led to durable responses in a number of patients with advanced melanoma, including some whose melanoma had progressed despite prior treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, and fewer than anticipated adverse events, according to results from a phase Ib clinical trial presented here...
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Cancer cells disguise themselves by switching off genes, new research reveals
Scientists have uncovered how tumor cells in aggressive uterine cancer can switch disguises and spread so quickly to other parts of the body. In a study published in Neoplasia, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine created a map showing which genes were switched on and off in different parts of the tumor, providing a...
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Anti-cancer drug gets a boost when combined with antirheumatic
The figure shows a close-up of the histone protein region of a nucleosome core particle in which two different drugs (auranofin and RAPTA-T) are bound. Scientists at EPFL and NTU have discovered that combining an anticancer drug with an antirheumatic produces improved effects against tumors. The discovery opens a new path for drug-drug synergy....
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Deworming pill may be effective in treating liver cancer
Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a cancer associated with underlying liver disease and cirrhosis that often only becomes symptomatic when it is very advanced, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths around the world, and yet it has no effective treatment. As with other conditions without treatments, the data that scientists need...
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The ‘triple threat’ cancer capsule that can navigate itself towards tumours before exploding and releasing drugs
The drug is wrapped in a microcapsule that can navigate towards cancer cells Millions of these tiny capsules could be injected into the bloodstream The outer layer of the capsule would prevent damage to healthy tissue Using an ultrasound machine, doctors could trigger the microcapsules to rupture when they reach a solid tumor, releasing the...
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Antibody is effective against radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis
Radiation therapy is part of the treatment regimen for about two thirds of cancer patients today. Radiotherapy is well tolerated in most cases, but it can also lead to damage in healthy tissues that are also irradiated. One debilitating side effect is radiation-induced fibrosis. Fibrosis is a process of scarring by which healthy tissue is...
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Scientists find surprising impact of junk DNA and RNA in cancer
Killer T cells surround a cancer cell. “Human satellite II,” an exceptionally high-copy but unexplored sequence of the human genome thought of as “junk DNA,” has a surprising ability to impact master regulators of our genome, and it goes awry in 50 percent of tumors, according to a new study published in Cell Reports by scientists...
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New molecules may offer treatment option for some aggressive prostate cancers
Micrograph showing prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma (the most common form of prostate cancer) Novel molecules called selective androgen receptor degraders (SARDs) may offer the next generation of treatment options for advanced prostate cancer, a new industry-sponsored study reports. The results of this research will be presented Saturday, April 1, at ENDO 2017, the 99th annual...
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Cancer Is Partly Caused By Bad Luck, Study Finds
Nearly two-thirds of cell mutations that cause cancer are caused by random error, a study found. Cancer can be caused by tobacco smoke or by an inherited trait, but new research finds that most of the mutations that lead to cancer crop up naturally. The authors of the study published Thursday poked a hornet’s nest by suggesting...