International Research Chemistry Awards

  Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that bacteria inside cancerous tumors may be key to understanding why immunotherapy works for some patients but not others. Two new studies, published simultaneously in Nature Cancer, reveal that elevated levels of bacteria in the tumor microenvironment suppress immune response, driving resistance to immunotherapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The research team, led by Dr. Chan, Daniel McGrail, Ph.D., assistant staff in the Center for Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno- Oncology , and Natalie Silver, M.D. M.S., director of Head and Neck Cancer Research, validated the findings through patient samples, preclinical models and clinical trial data. In the first paper, Dr. McGrail analyzed genetic data from patient tumor samples, revealing that higher bacterial levels – not specific strains – weaken immune response. Dr. Silver confirmed these findings in preclinical models: antibiotics reduced tumor size and impro...

  A recent study published in Engineering has shed light on the transmission and epidemiological trends of tmexCD1-toprJ1-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae across various ecological niches, highlighting the potential threat this antibiotic-resistant bacterium poses to global public health. The research, conducted by a team of scientists from multiple institutions in China, utilized whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to analyze strains from humans, animals, food, and the environment, revealing significant insights into the spread and characteristics of these resistant bacteria. The study found that tmexCD1-toprJ1-positive strains, which confer resistance to the critical antibiotic tigecycline, are predominantly identified in Klebsiella pneumoniae from chicken feces in China. However, the presence of these strains has expanded beyond chickens to other ecological niches and countries, including Japan, Vietnam, Kenya, and others. The researchers noted that the majority of these strains exhibit...

  Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most aggressive forms of lung cancer, with a five-year survival rate of only five percent. Despite this poor prognosis, SCLC is initially highly responsive to chemotherapy. However, patients typically relapse and experience very rapid disease progression. Current research into the biological mechanisms behind SCLC remains essential in order to prolong treatment responses, overcome relapse and, ultimately, improve long-term patient outcomes. A research team led by Professor Dr Silvia von Karstedt (Translational Genomics, CECAD Cluster of Excellence on Aging Research, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne – CMMC) has discovered a novel mechanism used by this type of cancer that helps explain its aggressive nature. The study titled "Lack of Caspase 8 Directs Neuronal Progenitor-like reprogramming and Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression" was published in Nature Communications. Unlike other epithelial cancers, SCLC shares features w...