News

New technique could reveal immunotherapy targets, study finds

Anne Li Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and their colleagues have developed a way to pinpoint potential targets for cancer therapies that rely on the body’s immune system. Those targets are molecules called antigens, which appear on the surface of tumor cells and other malignant or damaged…...

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Hunting for immune cells’ cancer targets

Anne Li By screening millions of molecular targets, researchers have uncovered a tumor beacon detected by the immune cells of two patients with colorectal cancer. The screening technology, developed by Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator (HHMI) Christopher Garcia and colleagues after almost 20 years of basic molecular studies of the…...

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A kiss of death for prostate cancer

Anne Li Hokkaido University researchers have uncovered a cellular protein that stabilizes a tumor promoting signaling pathway, suggesting a new target to treat prostate cancer. The drug Gefitinib is used to treat breast, lung, and other cancers by inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, but it has only a…...

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Cancer overrides the circadian clock to survive

Anne Li Tumor cells use the unfolded protein response to alter circadian rhythm, which contributes to more tumor growth, researchers find. A key part of the the circadian clock opposes this process. For tumors to grow and spread, cancer cells must make larger than normal amounts of nucleic acids and…...

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New understanding of why cancer cells move

Anne Li A University of Hawaii Cancer Center researcher has identified how some cancer cells are made to move during metastasis. The research provides a better understanding of how cancer spreads and may create new opportunities for cancer drug development. Metastasis causes the deaths of 90 percent of cancer patients.…...

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News digest – diabetes, junk food ads, HPV vaccine, and… cancer drug treats HIV?

Anne Li This week, Cancer Research UK’s News Digest gives us updates on diabetes, junk food, HPV vaccine, oral cancer, preventable cancer deaths, glioblastomas, and finally….. cancer drug treats HIV? See original article at: https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2017/12/02/news-digest-diabetes-junk-food-ads-hpv-vaccine-and-cancer-drug-treats-hiv/...

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NHS cancer plan marks first step towards fixing chronic staff shortages

Anne Li Cancer rates are increasing, meaning more people than ever are being diagnosed with the disease. And with more people to look after, the NHS is coming under growing strain to meet demand – especially as it strives to meet the priority of diagnosing more cancers earlier. To deliver…...

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Blood test could predict skin cancer’s return

Anne Li Cancer Research UK scientists have discovered that testing skin cancer patients’ blood for tumour DNA could help predict the chances of an aggressive cancer returning. Published in the Annals of Oncology, the findings could pave the way to identifying patients who are most at risk of their disease…...

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Breast cancer less likely to come back with more intensive chemo

Anne Li Giving chemotherapy in higher average doses reduces the risk of early stage breast cancer coming back. More intense chemotherapy dosing also reduced the risk of patients dying from their breast cancer, compared to less intense dosing. Dose intensity can be increased by shortening the intervals between chemotherapy treatments,…...

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Novel compound restores immune response in patients with melanoma

Anne Li A novel compound may restore immune response in patients with melanoma, according to a study presented at the ESMO Immuno Oncology Congress 2017. “Checkpoint inhibitors are a standard of care immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma,” said lead author Dr Sapna Patel, Assistant Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, University…...

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