Tag: cancer
Innovation in oncology drug development: A focus on patient benefits
Innovation in oncology drug development is driving more efficient and effective development of new cancer treatments. This innovation is providing cancer patients unprecedented access to new therapies. Dr Brian Huber, Vice President of Therapeutic Areas, Drug Development and Consulting at ICON and Matthew Huber, a scientist in the emerging biotechnology sector focused on developing innovative oncology medicines, have conducted a […]
Placental immune editing switches (PIES) and cancer progression
Exceptional mechanisms have evolved over millions of years to allow the foetus to grow directly inside the mother’s womb. These mechanisms, named placental immune editing switches, are orchestrated by the placenta and are responsible for locally switching off the mother’s immune system to protect the foetus. However, Dr Miguel Hernández-Bronchud from Clínica Corachan in Barcelona, suggests that the existence of […]
Oral anticancer therapy: Improving safety, empowering patients
The ability of patients to administer potentially toxic oral anticancer medications by themselves in the comfort of their homes allows freedom and control of their treatment away from a hospital setting but does come with some risks. Audrey Chouinard and team from Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal assessed the success of group education sessions to educate and empower patients […]
Breath hold techniques during volumetric modulated arc therapy in breast cancer patients
The research of Dr Vishruta Dumane, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, focuses on developing approaches to radiotherapy that will minimise risk to neighbouring organs and tissues, whilst maximising the impact of treatment to the tumour. Her recent work adds further support for the use of deep inspiration breath holds during radiotherapy (VMAT) to reduce exposure of […]
How ubiquitin determines the fate of our proteins
Regulation of the multitude of protein-protein interactions that take place in the cell is essential. HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases play an important role in regulating protein functions and maintaining cellular health. However, many questions about their biological functions remain unanswered. Working at the interface of biochemistry and biophysics, Dr Donald Spratt from Clark University in Massachusetts, uses NMR spectroscopy to […]
Dancing DNA: How Rad51 chooses the perfect partner
Professor Hiroshi Iwasaki, Tokyo Institute of Technology, aims to learn more about a biological process called homologous recombination, which is crucial to maintaining the integrity of DNA. His laboratory-based research means that we can learn more about this process and a key protein called Rad51. An increased understanding of this complex mechanism could be translated to the DNA repair processes […]
Off-the-shelf immunotherapy could lead to more accessible cancer treatment
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that harnesses the immune system to destroy cancerous cells. Dr Li Zhang and colleagues at Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and the University of Toronto, are pioneering a new type of “off-the-shelf” treatment using a type of immune cell—a double negative T (DNT) cell. Dr Zhang‘s work shows that DNT cells are a […]
Tumorigenesis: Revealing cancer’s origins
Despite huge amounts of research, many aspects of cancer remain mysterious. One of these is the process of tumorigenesis – the very earliest stages of tumour development. John Evans, Emeritus Professor at the University of Otago, New Zealand, has drawn together a wealth of evidence to suggest that the extracellular matrix, the network of proteins and carbohydrates that surrounds cells, […]
A holistic approach to cancer: The unseen influence of the unconscious mind
Although the mind-body dualism has dominated Western medicine for centuries, contemporary cancer research is making room for more holistic approaches to understanding carcinogenesis. Dr Marco Balenci, psychoanalyst and member of the American Psychological Association, looks at cancer as a systemic rather than local disease. His recent article places the work of Elida Evans in the history of American medical-psychological thought and, […]
Artificial intelligence allows quick and easy diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
The pancreas is an important organ that regulates food digestion and blood sugar levels. Cancers commonly arise in the pancreas, leading to death for over 50,000 patients per year in the U.S. alone. This is due to a lack of effective therapies and a low survival rate for this disease since symptoms arise only in the late stages of disease. […]