International Research Chemistry Awards

  A team led by the Cancer Immunogenomics group at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, the Computational Biology group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute shows, for the first time, that within a tumor, the expression of the different hallmarks of cancer is not cell-specific, but rather position-specific. Under this new light, tumour architecture emerges as a valuable source of information to understand tumor dynamics and predict its sensitivity to anticancer drugs. "What is a tumor?" This is the fundamental question to answer if we want to treat cancer effectively. Our vision of cancer and tumors has been evolving with time, from the simplistic bunch of all-similar malignant cells to a more sophisticated, heterogeneous and hierarchical cellular structure, composed of many different cell types. Recently, a new paradigm has emerged: the hallmarks of cancer. The hallmarks of cancer are features that, when unlock...

  Recent advancements in acid reflux treatment have introduced promising options for patients seeking relief from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). FDA Approval of Voquezna (Vonoprazan): In July 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Voquezna (vonoprazan) for treating heartburn associated with non-erosive GERD in adults. Voquezna is a potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) that reduces stomach acid production. Clinical trials demonstrated that patients taking Voquezna experienced a higher percentage of heartburn-free days compared to those on a placebo. Common side effects include abdominal pain , constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and urinary tract infections. Introduction of RefluxStop™ Procedure: In November 2023, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) performed its first RefluxStop™ procedures at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Developed by Implantica, RefluxStop™ is a minimally invasive surgical implant designed to prevent acid reflux by restoring th...

  Over the past two decades, the idea of targeting transcription factors to combat malignancies has turned into a clinical reality. Targeting oncogenes and their interactive partners is an effective approach to developing novel targeted therapies for cancer and other chronic diseases . The MYC family of proteins, which are transcription factors, play a pivotal role in many cellular processes. However, dysregulation of MYC, such as amplification of MYCN, is associated with tumorigenesis, especially for neuroblastoma . MDM2, on the other hand, is one of the most frequently studied oncogenes and is an excellent target for cancer therapy, based on its p53-dependent and p53-independent oncogenic activities in various cancers. This comprehensive review published in the Genes & Diseases journal by a team from the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, and Drug Discovery Institute, University of Houston focuses on the oncogenic properties of M...

  A study of men with a family history of prostate cancer has discovered an inherited form of prostate cancer. The inherited mutated gene WNT9B, which functions normally in embryonic prostate development, increases risk of adult prostate cancer, according to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in JCO Precision Oncology . This discovery was replicated in five independent study populations collectively encompassing one-half million patients from the U.S. and Europe, with the increased prostate cancer risk estimates ranging from two- to 12-fold, according to lead author Jeffrey Smith, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine. "Unlike breast cancer, relatively few high-risk prostate cancer genes have been established to date," Smith said. "Inherited risk of prostate cancer is roughly twice that of breast cancer , but its genetic complexity is also considerably greater; this has been a formidable obstacle for global ...

  Despite significant therapeutic advances, breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Treatment typically involves surgery and follow-up hormone therapy, but late effects of these treatments include osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and blood clots. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have created a novel treatment that eliminated small breast tumors and significantly shrank large tumors in mice in a single dose, without problematic side effects. Most breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive (ER+) , and treatment typically involves several years of hormone therapy. Although these drugs are better tolerated than chemotherapy, they still have side effects that diminish quality of life and can leave people at risk for cancer recurrence and treatment resistance. Thus, there is a need for cancer drugs that kill tumor cells selectively and aggressively, while limiting side effects. To address this challenge, Paul Hergenrother and colleague...

  Researchers at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have made an exciting discovery about how human cells protect DNA during cell division, offering new insights into combating diseases such as cancer. Led by Professor Gary Ying Wai CHAN from the School of Biological Sciences , Faculty of Science, and Professor Ken Hoi Tang MA from the Department of Pathology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the research uncovers the vital role of a protein called PICH in preventing genetic errors that can lead to diseases such as cancer. Their findings were recently published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research. Ultrafine anaphase bridges – A hidden threat to our genome Every time a cell divides, it must ensure that its DNA is accurately copied and split between the two new cells. However, tiny threads of DNA, known as ultrafine anaphase bridges (UFBs), can sometimes form and cause problems if not properly managed. These UFBs can be thought of as invisible enemies that tangle up our genetic material....

  A team of researchers led by Emory's Chunhui Xu recently found that heart muscle cells can grow -and survive in the microgravity environment of space. Her findings, published in Biomaterials, show promise for developing hardier heart cells that could effectively repair damaged hearts in cell therapy – the process of transplanting millions of heart cells to repair damaged hearts – on earth. Following earlier research on cancer cells that grew faster in space, Xu's team first tried to simulate microgravity by placing heart cells in a random positioning machine, which constantly shifted the cells, so they never got used to a single direction being up or down. The increased survival rates of these cells led them to ask whether the special environment of space might trigger molecular changes in heart cells that would make them more likely to survive once injected into a patient on earth. "In space, the cells can actually sense that new environment and make changes," ...

  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered how specific protein regions contribute to breast cancer. Their study, published recently in Nature, focuses on what is known as the estrogen receptor, a protein linked in previous research to the development of roughly 70% of all breast tumors. Just as a machine needs specific controls to function, proteins like the estrogen receptor control how cells grow and behave. While more research is needed to possibly use their findings to develop new treatments, the discovery offers scientists new tools and ideas far beyond breast cancer, as similar protein regions are involved in many other diseases . Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with over 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths reported in 2022, according to the World Health Organization. Despite the initial effectiveness of drugs that target the estrogen receptor, many patients eventually develop resistance, making the...

  Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute, UCL, UCLH and Personalis have found that a test to detect circulating tumor DNA can predict lung cancer outcome in a Cancer Research UK-funded study. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is fragments of DNA released into the blood by tumors. It's known to be important for disease prognosis but can be difficult to measure precisely. In research published today in Nature Medicine, Crick and UCL scientists worked with Personalis to test a platform called NeXT Personal, which can detect very small amounts – 1 part per million – of ctDNA. This builds on the Crick team's discovery of signals in the blood that detect cancer cells after treatment, which could indicate a potential for relapse. They applied the platform to blood plasma samples from 171 people with early-stage lung cancer in the TRACERx cohort, finding that people with a low level of ctDNA before surgery were less likely to relapse and had improved overall survival rates than ...

  Preclinical research findings from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center identified a cocktail of three different drugs that can be used to generate more robust immune system CAR-Ts (chimeric antigen receptor-T cells) to fight cancer. This finding may have a significant impact on improving the production of CAR-T cells for clinical use. CAR-T cell immunotherapy involves harvesting immune-system T cells from a patient and genetically re-engineering them in the lab to recognize targets on the surface of cancer cells when they are reinfused into patients. Patients treated with certain types of CAR-T cells can have significant responses to their cancer, particularly when the re-engineered cells contain a subset of immune cells identified as T-memory stem cells (TSCM). Dotti and Yang Xu, PhD, are the paper's corresponding authors. Feifei Song, PhD, a UNC Lineberger postdoctoral research fellow, is the first author. The researchers, using lab and mo...

  Cancer metastasis -the spread of cancer to other organs-is the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Researchers have now uncovered a "genetic signature" of 177 genes shared across multiple cancer types that drives this deadly process. Among the findings are two key genes:SP1, which accelerates metastasis. KLF5, which helps suppress it. The discovery of these shared genetic drivers-applicable to cancers from the lungs to the liver-challenges the long-held belief that metastasis mechanisms vary greatly between cancer types. This so-called "pan-cancer" perspective offers a powerful opportunity to develop treatments effective for many cancer patients, regardless of their specific diagnosis. New hope for earlier diagnosis and treatment One of the most promising aspects of the study is its ability to predict a patient's risk of metastasis. By analyzing the 177-gene signature in a tumor, the researchers could identify whether the cancer is likely to sprea...

  In blood cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, B cells of the immune system multiply uncontrollably. One form of therapy involves labeling the CD20 protein on the surface of the B cells with customized antibodies . This triggers a chain of immunological reactions and ultimately leads to the destruction of the cancer cells. Such immunotherapeutic antibodies have been used against tumor diseases for 30 years. Tracking down the effectiveness of the antibodies This is now likely to change: A team led by the JMU biophysicist has developed a new super-resolution microscopic method . It makes it possible for the first time to investigate the interactions of therapeutic antibodies with target molecules on tumor cells in 3D with molecular resolution. 'We can now observe how effectively the antibodies work and thus contribute to the development of improved therapies,' says Markus Sauer. The new microscopic method is termed LLS-TDI-DNA-PAINT. In the scientific journal Scien...

  In a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine , researchers examined the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on cancer detection and recall rates. Mammography screening contributes to reducing breast cancer-related mortality. Further, improving the sensitivity and specificity of screening could result in lower interval cancer rates, recall rates, and more effective treatment of breast cancer patients. Screening programs generate considerable volumes of mammograms, which, in most programs, require interpretation by two radiologists. Additionally, a consensus conference may be required to achieve high specificity and sensitivity. As such, the work of radiologists involves repetitive tasks of interpreting a vast number of images weekly. Notably, this workload will likely increase as recent guidelines recommend mammography screening for additional age groups. Incorporating AI into cancer screening programs could mitigate some problems. Studies suggest that AI is sim...