Research on the drugs used to treat cancer and how well they work. Covers immunotherapy, chemotherapy-free regimens, biosimilars, targeted drugs, and treatment costs.
A cardioprotective drug, dexrazoxane, has been found to prevent long-term heart damage in children receiving chemotherapy. The use of dexrazoxane can allow anthracyclines to be given more safely and at higher doses without risking damage to the heart.
Researchers at Cardiff University have discovered a new drug treatment that inhibits memories responsible for cocaine cravings, significantly accelerating the end of drug-seeking behavior. The therapy, currently used in cancer trials, targets the brain's limbic system and could potentially speed up clinical development.
Researchers discovered that the experimental drug AMPI-109 works by flipping a molecular switch on PRL-3 enzyme, which initially puts cancer cells to 'sleep' and then leads to their death. This mechanism could sensitize triple-negative breast cancers to immunotherapy, offering new treatment options.
Researchers discovered that functional regulatory components outside of genes contribute to breast cancer development. Epigenetic changes identified as key drivers of the disease.
A new study published in JAMA Oncology found that 86% of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline authors had at least one reported financial conflict of interest. The study revealed significant payments to guideline authors, with an average of $10,011 for general payments and $236,066 for industry research payments.
Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that uses lower doses of chemotherapeutic drugs at more frequent intervals to control tumors. The approach, called metronomic dosage regimen, shows promise in improving treatment outcomes for complex cancers.
A group of researchers calls for an overhaul of the US process for reviewing coverage of 'off-label' cancer drug use. They found inconsistencies in the five reference guides used to determine reimbursement and weak quality evidence supporting some off-label uses.
A mathematical model suggests that alternating between erlotinib and evofosfamide could help prevent drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer patients. This treatment schedule is more effective than using either drug alone, according to a study published in PLOS Computational Biology.
Researchers found that oxygen inhibits the anticancer activity of T cells in mice, allowing cancer cells to escape immune attack and establish metastatic colonies. Inhibiting oxygen-sensing proteins in T cells improved the efficacy of immunotherapy, suggesting a new approach for treating cancer.
An international team of researchers identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity, including stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma, thyroid cancer, and multiple myeloma. Limiting weight gain may help reduce the risk of these cancers.
Researchers found a mixture of HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer cells in patients' blood samples, which can lead to tumor progression and resistance to treatment. Combining therapies targeting both populations may be effective in eliminating these cells.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered a drug combination that specifically targets the metabolic pathways of pancreatic cancer cells. By combining an experimental drug with metformin, researchers were able to shrink tumors by at least 50% in animal models, providing new evidence for treating this aggressive form of cancer.
Researchers at the University of Washington extended the lives of middle-aged mice by up to 60% with a brief rapamycin treatment. The study also highlights the need to understand how dose and gender influence side effects, revealing potential benefits for humans, particularly older adults.
Gerontologists call for clinicians to coordinate care among orthopedics, rehabilitation services, and primary care to reevaluate patients' medication use after a fracture. Clinicians should consider reducing or discontinuing psychotropic medications linked to increased risk of falls and fractures, while prioritizing prescribing drugs k...
Researchers have discovered a new group of compounds that could treat pulmonary hypertension by altering vessel stiffness and its downstream control of metabolism. The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, highlight the use of these drugs to target the molecular origins of the disease.
The Center for Innovative Drug Discovery at UTSA and UT Health Science Center has received a $4.6 million grant to support small molecule drug discovery in cancer research. The grant will enable the center to design and create novel molecules to treat various types of cancers.
Scientists identified a target that could lead to the development of new drugs targeting small cell lung cancer while sparing healthy cells. The research found that amplifying a gene's effect spurred tumor growth in mice, but blocking it suppressed tumor growth.
Calixarenes can amplify enzyme catalytic capacity, enabling novel therapeutics in cancer treatment. They also serve as drug delivery vehicles, refining pharmacokinetic profiles and releasing drugs selectively to cancer cells.
A longitudinal study published in PLOS Medicine found a strong association between the duration of adulthood overweight and obesity and an increased risk of developing various types of cancer. For every ten-year increase in adulthood overweight duration, the risk of all obesity-related cancers was associated with a 7% increase.
A recent study published in Nature Genetics has identified 45 noncoding genes associated with prostate cancer development and progression. These genes, known as noncoding RNA, play a key role in activating the disease process.
A study led by Case Western Reserve University researchers has identified a gene, S100P, that may help tumors evade trastuzumab, a common breast cancer treatment. By blocking S100P, tumor cells became sensitive to the drug again.
Researchers found that a cancer drug called etoposide can damage the development of mouse ovary tissue, potentially affecting future fertility. The study suggests that women who take etoposide during pregnancy may have reduced fertility in their daughters.
Researchers analyzed tumor biopsies from 53 melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors to predict treatment response. The study found that adaptive immune responses, such as killer T cells, were significantly higher in responders after treatment began.
A new approach using metabolic imaging could help determine a patient's response to targeted therapies much earlier and with greater precision than traditional tumor shrinkage. This method recognizes a drug's ability to stop cancer cells' energy overuse, allowing for more accurate assessments of treatment success.
Researchers have identified key proteins involved in regulating gene expression in blood cells, which could lead to the development of more effective breast cancer treatments. The study's findings may also help explain how existing drugs work inside human cells.
A new approach using patient-derived cell lines has revealed that pancreatic tumors have diverse genetic mutations, making it challenging to target treatments. The study suggests that personalized medicine can be improved by testing drugs against each patient's specific tumor genetics.
Researchers developed a computational approach to identify individualized targets for therapy by analyzing patient-specific data and mapping complex networks of gene and protein interactions. The study provides insights into the mechanisms behind resistance to anti-androgen therapies and offers a tool for prioritizing effective drugs.
A new tool, HiPub, helps researchers visualize connections between genes, proteins, drugs, and diseases in the vast biomedical literature. It extracts relevant information from text and visualizes it in a network, streamlining knowledge discovery.
Scientists have developed a novel combination of an aptamer and siRNAs to target two tumor-dependent genes in prostate cancer cells. This approach shows promise for effective, less toxic gene therapies for various cancers. The strategy uses two 'missiles' to bind to specific proteins, increasing its grip on cancer targets.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a system using transformed human stem cells to speed up screening of existing drugs for rare brain and other cancers. This method enables more confident comparison with human cells, leading to promising treatments like CDK inhibitors for Group 3 medulloblastoma.
Researchers discovered that a specific molecular pathway is responsible for the metabolic changes in exhausted T cells, which are crucial for effective immune response. By targeting this pathway, scientists may develop new cancer therapies to enhance treatment outcomes.
Researchers at Emory Vaccine Center have identified molecular characteristics of T cells that expand after PD-1 inhibition, paving the way for rational design of combination therapies. The study reveals distinct co-stimulatory molecules and receptors on these revived T cells, which could be targets for drugs.
Researchers discovered that cancer tumors starve immune T cells by shrinking their mitochondria, limiting their ability to fight cancer. Boosting mitochondrial function in T cells improves their performance and could enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy drugs.
Researchers at George Washington University discovered a connection between CD4 T-cell exhaustion and CD8 T-cell exhaustion in chronic toxoplasmosis. Regulating CD4 T-cells with Blimp-1 protein expression can reverse CD8 T-cell dysfunction, leading to improved pathogen control.
A new study published in The Journal of Urology found no association between phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) and reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. PDE-5i use was also not linked to lower or higher grade cancer types.
Researchers from around the world collaborated on an open-source drug-discovery project, identifying compounds to treat malaria, other parasites, and even cancer. The successful trial has sparked over a dozen new drug-development projects, bridging the gap between academia and industry.
A new chemotherapy, RCn, has shown promising results in killing cancer cells while minimizing harm to normal cells. The drug effectively shrinks tumors in mice and improves the delivery of other chemotherapy drugs.
The CU Training Program in Cancer Biology has earned a prestigious National Cancer Institute T32 grant, funding PhD-level and postdoctoral training positions. This award recognizes the program's excellence in interdisciplinary education of next-generation cancer scientists.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that cancer drug pazopanib decreases levels of phosphorylated Tau, a toxic brain protein linked to dementia in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The study suggests that tau pathology may be the main culprit behind dementia in Alzheimer's disease.
Changes to HER2 testing guidelines have led to a doubling of HER2-positive breast cancers in women, resulting in additional testing and more women being labeled as HER2-positive. However, the effectiveness of targeted therapies like Herceptin is still uncertain, highlighting the need for accurate determination of HER2 status.
A novel gene therapeutic approach has been developed by WSU researchers to combat muscle wasting disease, which affects millions worldwide. The treatment, targeting a specific hormone, aims to prevent muscle loss and improve cancer patient survival rates.
Scientists at the University of Sussex are developing new cancer drugs that target DNA damage response pathways to selectively kill cancer cells. These drugs aim to maximize DNA damage or prevent its repair, leading to cancer cell death while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.
A phase II clinical study found that treating metastatic thyroid cancer patients with the BRAF mutation showed promising anti-tumor activity in a third of patients, with an overall response rate of 38%. The therapy vemurafenib joins other effective treatments for this patient population.
A new approach to discover key proteins necessary for biologics has been developed by Philip M. Kim at the University of Toronto, combining high-tech computer simulation and laboratory experiments.
A new Stanford-led analysis reveals that introducing snail-eating prawns to local water sources is the most effective way to reduce schistosomiasis prevalence, outperforming drug-only treatment by over 90%. This approach has consistently proven effective in controlling the disease globally.
A new study discovered 172 novel cancer gene-drug combinations that selectively kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells. This breakthrough expands the number of actionable mutations and provides a promising approach to personalized cancer therapy.
Two new studies estimate the economic cost of malignant and non-malignant blood disorders in Europe, with a total cost of €23 billion in 2012. Blood cancers account for a significant proportion of cancer costs, with healthcare expenses being twice as high as average across all types of cancer.
Researchers have developed a new treatment that blocks neurotransmitters to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, significantly improving patient outcomes. The study found that 74% of participants experienced no nausea or vomiting when treated with olanzapine, compared to 45% on placebo.
The GW Cancer Center will train patients and healthcare providers on how to improve communications for better health, with a focus on patient health literacy and cultural sensitivity. The project aims to examine the impact of various factors such as gender, race, and income on the patient-provider relationship.
A team of researchers has obtained detailed structural information on KDM5 histone demethylase inhibitors, which could inform the design of more potent and selective anticancer drugs. The study found that these inhibitors can stop the growth of certain breast cancer cells, particularly those with specific genetic markers.
Researchers have identified a new class of molecules called selenocompounds that can kill multidrug-resistant cancer cells by blocking their defenses against chemotherapy drugs. The most active molecule worked almost four times better than the reference compound and induced cell suicide in cancer cells with similar potency.
A new technology called BiCAP maps protein complexes in breast cancer cells, providing detailed understanding of the disease at a molecular level. This allows for better understanding of how cancer cells respond to drugs and may eventually lead to new targets for therapy.
Research highlights the intertwined pathways regulating apoptosis and cellular senescence in cancer and aging. The review suggests that harnessing benefits of both processes could lead to new combination therapies, while limiting drawbacks.
A Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study found that repeated doses of an immunotherapy drug, ipilimumab, restored complete remission in some patients with relapsed blood cancers after a stem-cell transplant. The treatment reduced cancer in 59% of the patients.
A follow-up study of two US Army veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) finds that while progress is slow, close personal relationships and medical care can sustain them over time. The researchers attribute the men's resilience to the importance of these factors in their recovery.
Researchers have developed an implantable device that can deliver HIV prevention drugs sustainably for up to 60 days. The transcutaneously refillable device utilizes nanochannel delivery systems to control the release of pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs, addressing a significant challenge in current treatments.
A Swiss analysis found that treating Nivolumab only to patients with positive PD-L1 tests compared to DOC or all patients with NIV is more cost-effective, with ICERs below the WTP threshold. Treating only patients with ?1% or ?10% PD-L1+ with NIV also results in improved cost-effectiveness.
A new approach shields a toxic chemotherapeutic until it reaches the tumor site, leading to greater efficacy and fewer side effects. The treatment was successful in mice with sarcoma tumors and had fewer side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy.
Site-specific conjugation technologies have enabled the development of next-generation homogeneous antibody-drug conjugates with superior stability and therapeutic index. These advancements promote the use of ADCs as a new therapeutic option for cancer patients.
Researchers have identified a possible target for a new therapy for children with primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), the most aggressive type of brain cancer in kids. The study found that inhibiting MEK activity is essential for these tumors to grow, paving the way for potential new treatment options.