Articles tagged with Immunotherapy
A high-fiber diet has been shown to improve the response of melanoma patients to immunotherapy by influencing the gut microbiome. Patients who consumed at least 20 grams of dietary fiber per day lived longer without their cancer progressing, compared to those who consumed less fiber.
Patients with sufficient fiber intake had improved progression-free survival and response to immunotherapy in melanoma. A high-fiber diet was associated with slower tumor growth and increased CD4+ T cells in pre-clinical models, supporting the potential benefits of dietary interventions on cancer treatment outcomes.
Scientists have identified the transcription factor Blimp1 as a new critical regulator of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells. Disrupting Blimp1 in these cells remodels the tumor microenvironment and augments the response to immunotherapy, promoting improved tumor control and anti-tumor immunity.
A new treatment combination of dasatinib, blinatumomab, and prednisone has shown promise in treating older patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The trial achieved a three-year DFS rate of 80 percent and an overall survival rate of 85 percent for enrolled patients.
A case study published in Nature Medicine reports a patient experiencing progressive neurological features resembling Parkinson's disease after CAR-T cell therapy, suggesting potential neurotoxicity. The study highlights the importance of monitoring for neurotoxicity in patients receiving BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapies.
Scientists from German Cancer Research Center show that blocking a cytokine slows down the immune system and exhausts T cells, leading to a more severe course of leukemia. The study suggests that a moderate activation of immune cells may be key to success in cancer immunotherapies.
Researchers at University of California San Diego found a way to boost innate immunity in liver cancer, making tumors highly responsive to immunotherapy. The combination of anti-PD-L1 antibody and polyIC molecule showed remarkable synergistic effects in liver tumor inhibition.
A recent review article describes a class of viruses known as oncolytic viruses, which have the remarkable ability to target and destroy cancer cells. Researchers are exploring these viruses for cancer therapy, with some showing promising results in stimulating an immune response against cancer.
Researchers found that second-generation antihistamines block histamine binding to HRH1, improving cytotoxic T cell activation and reducing resistance to immunotherapy. High plasma histamine levels in patients were correlated with worse responses to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
Gastric cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with 1.09 million new cases in 2020. Recent research offers hope for improved treatment options, making it a critical area of focus for medical oncologists like Dr. Mohamad Sonbol.
Researchers have developed an assay that uses specific immune-biomarkers to monitor patient survival chances and effectiveness of ovarian cancer treatments. The 'sFIS' assay will enable targeted therapy for each patient, improving treatment outcomes.
Researchers at Children's National Hospital have successfully developed a personalized T cell immunotherapy that targets and kills unique proteins in individual tumor cells. This approach, combining genetic sequencing and protein identification, offers a promising treatment option for children with hard-to-treat brain tumors.
Researchers produce large quantities of powerful cancer-fighting iNKT cells using stem cell engineering and organoid technology, offering a potential solution for mass-producing an off-the-shelf immune cell therapy. The therapy, which uses hematopoietic stem cell-engineered iNKT cells, has been shown to be effective in killing multiple...
A Phase II study shows that combination treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab improves overall survival in patients with asymptomatic melanoma brain metastases, with an overall survival rate of 71.9% at three years. The treatment demonstrates durable responses, even in symptomatic patients.
Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with checkpoint inhibitor combination nivolumab plus ipilimumab experienced longer treatment-free survival compared to those receiving targeted therapy sunitinib. The analysis revealed significant differences in how patients spent their overall survival time between the two treatments.
A nationwide study published in JAMA Oncology found that immunotherapy use among trial-ineligible solid-tumor cancer patients increased significantly between 2014 and 2019, yet no survival benefit was observed. Researchers emphasize cautious use of immunotherapies for this population due to potential early harm.
Researchers developed a mathematical model that can predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatment for individual patients based on standard clinical measures. The model showed high sensitivity in predicting treatment response within two months, with minimal false-negative results.
A phase 2 clinical trial shows durvalumab immunotherapy combined with standard chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival for patients with previously untreated malignant pleural mesothlioma. The study's findings provide insights into patient selection methods for this novel chemo-immunotherapy regimen.
Researchers discovered a new biomarker, inactive AMPK (lo-P-AMPK), that may predict immune evasion in lung cancer. The finding could enable better personalized care for lung cancer patients by identifying those most likely to benefit from immunotherapies.
Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have developed a novel therapy that targets proteins essential for tumor growth and survival. Using a multi-omics approach, they identified peptides unique to neuroblastoma tumors, which are then targeted by peptide-centric chimeric antigen receptors (PC-CARs).
A new machine learning model developed by Timothy Chan accurately predicts whether immune checkpoint blockade will be effective in patients with various cancers. The tool assesses multiple patient-specific factors, including tumor mutational burden and chemotherapy history, to predict response and survival outcomes.
A team of researchers at George Washington University has identified DDR1 as a key molecule that prevents immune cells from entering and killing breast tumor cells. Deactivating this molecule allows immune cells to infiltrate the tumor and kill cancer cells, opening up new avenues for therapeutic agents.
Researchers are developing a transformative technology called Multiscale Intelligent Convergence (MusIC) to map the complexity of T cells and identify attributes essential for patient benefit. The goal is to create more reliable biomanufacturing of T cell infusion products and engineering potent immune cells.
Researchers from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Winship Cancer Institute discovered that pre-surgical anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is safe and effective for OCSCC patients. The studies identified potential molecular biomarkers in blood and tumors to predict treatment response.
Researchers found immune cell patterns within tumours that can predict if patients with kidney cancer will respond to immunotherapy. The study identified a specific 'clonal' T cell receptor pattern linked to a greater chance of positive immunotherapy response.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have developed a method to identify non-responding tumors using hypoxia imaging, which shows promise for improving response rates. Investigational new drug evofosfamide was found beneficial in treating hypoxic tumors with immunotherapy.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that T cell mitochondria regulate the refuelling of toxic weapons, enabling killer T cells to stay healthy and keep killing. This discovery sheds light on how these immune system assassins are able to sustain their deadly missions.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a non-invasive optical probe to understand the complex changes in tumors after immunotherapy. Using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning, they identified key features that indicate how tumors respond to treatment, showing promising results for predicting patient response.
Researchers have discovered a way to bring cancer-killing T cells to bear against a specific type of colorectal cancer, showing promising results. The findings may represent a therapeutic strategy to target other types of cancers, and the next step is to further explore how T cells become activated in the tumor environment.
Researchers analyzed fecal metagenomic DNA sequencing data to see if specific donor strains correlated with successful treatment outcomes. They found no correlation between donor strains and response to anti-PD-1 therapy in melanoma patients.
Researchers at CNIO and 12 de Octubre Hospital have developed a new cancer treatment called CAR-NK-cell immunotherapy, which uses natural killer cells to target cancerous cells. The treatment has shown promising results in mice with multiple myeloma, with 25% of treated mice remaining disease-free.
A recent study found that non-Hispanic Black patients who received immunotherapy for advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer had a lower risk of death compared to non-Hispanic white patients. The researchers controlled for access-related issues and found disparities persisted in certain populations.
Researchers developed a gel made of fibrin that improved the effectiveness of CAR-T cell immunotherapy for glioblastoma by enhancing T cell distribution and preventing tumor recurrence. In mouse studies, the gel showed promising results, with 64% of treated mice being tumor-free after 94 days.
Researchers have identified a common mutation in gliomas that sensitizes them to immunotherapy, which can lead to improved survival rates and tumor-free periods. The discovery may have broader therapeutic implications for all glioma patients, offering new hope for treatment.
Researchers found that antidepressants inhibit the growth of pancreatic and colon cancers in mice by blocking a mechanism used by cancer cells to evade the immune system. The findings suggest a promising approach for combining antidepressant drugs with immunotherapy to treat incurable cancers.
A new ex vivo drug delivery system has been shown to keep MSCs viable longer and reprogram the peripheral immune response toward organ repair. The study's results suggest that SBI-101 can impact a peripheral immune response that can be transmitted to local tissue damage in vital organs, including the kidney.
A high-fat diet increases the incidence of colorectal cancer by suppressing MHC-II levels in intestinal cells. This disruption allows cancer cells to grow unchecked. Researchers hope that reconfiguring the gut microbiome and boosting immune recognition molecules can help combat cancer.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center discovered differences in gene activity between immune cells from patients with lung cancer who responded and did not respond to immunotherapies. The findings suggest that non-responders' immune cells can be reprogrammed to act more like responders', potentially leading to new treatment...
The IMpower010 trial demonstrates that atezolizumab significantly improves disease-free survival in resected, early-stage NSCLC patients compared to best supportive care. Tumors expressing PD-L1 > 50% show a greater benefit of treatment.
The KEYNOTE-826 study found that adding immunotherapy to standard first-line treatment increases overall survival by eight months for patients with recurrent, persistent or metastatic cervical cancer. The addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy also reduced the risk of death and disease progression by 33%.
Scientists at Hokkaido University have developed a lipid nanoparticle that delivers immune-signaling molecules into liver macrophage cells to overcome resistance to anti-tumor immunotherapy. This approach has shown promise in mice experiments and could lead to the development of an adjuvant treatment for cancer patients.
A survey of 5,589 cancer patients found widespread unawareness about immunotherapy's mechanism, efficacy, and cost. Non-oncology doctors also face challenges in keeping up with the latest developments in oncology.
Researchers developed a treatment using cowpea mosaic virus nanoparticles that target lung tumors, slowing tumor growth and preventing cancer spread. The treatment showed efficacy against aggressive cancer cell lines and may offer protection to patients at high risk of metastatic disease.
Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors show better quality of life and reduced symptoms compared to those without immunotherapy. The study analyzed self-reported outcomes of 26 published studies and found that patients' global quality of life was stable or improved, but breathing difficulties increased
A novel population of long-lived T cells, called 'lymph node resident memory T cells,' provides protection against melanoma by persisting in lymph nodes. These cells were found to counteract melanoma spreading in mice and predicted better outcomes for human melanoma patients with lymph node metastases.
Researchers at Kyoto University designed a synthetic molecular code, EnPGC-1, that activates mitochondrial biogenesis in T cells, increasing their numbers and longevity. The approach enhances anti-tumor immunity in mice and improves survival.
A phase II trial found that high-dose cytarabine followed by pembrolizumab improved cancer remission rates in AML patients, with a complete remission rate of 38%. The treatment also showed promise for patients who had not benefited from standard therapy.
Researchers analyzed large datasets to find biomarkers that could help select immunotherapy treatment for older patients. The analysis suggests that factors such as mutational burden and immune checkpoint protein expression are associated with increased response to immunotherapies in older patients, despite lower general immunity.
A nationally representative survey found that 72% of people with food allergies were unaware of oral immunotherapy as a treatment option. The study highlights the need for more accessible and equitable outreach efforts to ensure all patients can benefit from recent advances in food allergy treatments.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have developed a simple blood test to detect treatment-triggered encephalitis in patients undergoing immunotherapy. The study found that markers such as S-100B and NFL can act as early warnings for encephalitis, allowing for timely administration of anti-inflammatory drugs.
The FDA has granted orphan drug status to Octagam 10%, the first and only IVIg treatment for adult dermatomyositis. The therapy is expected to become the first treatment option for adults with this rare disease, which affects approximately 10 out of every million U.S. residents.
A new combination treatment has shown significant tumor shrinkage and prolonged survival in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. The treatment, which targets HDAC and PD-1 proteins, was found to work better in tumors with active BAP1 genes, a key discovery that may lead to improved survival rates.
A new study suggests that a treatment for canine glioblastoma may also be effective in humans, with some dogs experiencing significant tumor shrinkage. The treatment uses an immunotherapy drug called STING agonist, which induced a robust immune response against cancer cells.
Researchers found a safe and tolerable combination of entinostat and immunotherapy, increasing CD8/FoxP3 gene expression and resulting in 16% objective response rate. The study showed promising results for patients with advanced cancers that have not responded to traditional therapy.
Scientists investigated a method to enhance immunotherapy for lung cancer and found that combining it with certain chemotherapy drugs could eliminate harmful immune cells. This approach showed promising results in preclinical studies, inducing the regression of about 70% of tumors.
Researchers at City of Hope found that advanced colorectal cancer patients with no liver metastases respond to checkpoint inhibitors, achieving a major response in 20% of cases. In contrast, patients with liver metastases showed no positive response to immunotherapy.
Researchers have developed an immunotherapy strategy that combines three drugs to boost the immune system against tumors. The new therapy showed promising results in mice, with pancreatic tumors shrinking or disappearing completely in about half of the animals.
A comprehensive molecular map of lung squamous cell carcinoma has identified potential new drug targets, including the gene NSD3, and highlighted immune regulation pathways that could help cancer evade immunotherapies. The study's findings have also revealed metabolic dysregulation and crosstalk between different cellular processes.
A research team at Kansas State University is working on a three-year project to monitor a cancerous tumor's immune state to assess immunotherapy interventions. The goal is to drive more tumors into a favorable state, ultimately contributing to improved cancer immunotherapy treatment.
A big data study from UNSW Sydney found that Australian cancer patients kept up their pharmaceutical treatments during last year's COVID-19 lockdowns. The researchers attribute the good news to relatively low rates of COVID-19 infections in Australia, which minimally impacted cancer treatment patterns.