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The Remarkable Proliferation of Cancer Immunotherapies
9 hours ago
- Cancer immunotherapy has evolved significantly since the 2013 Breakthrough of the Year, with exponential growth in new approaches like ICIs, ADCs, BiTES, CAR-T, and vaccines.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like anti-PD-1 show partial effects; new targets (TIGIT, LAG-3) and combinations are being developed to overcome resistance.
- Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTES) are expanding rapidly, with over 300 investigational ADCs and 500+ BiTES in the pipeline.
- Cell therapies (CAR-T, TILs) have succeeded in blood cancers but face challenges in solid tumors; strategies include using NK cells, CAR-macrophages, and in vivo delivery.
- Cancer vaccines are divided into treatment vaccines (personalized neoantigens) and interception vaccines for high-risk individuals (e.g., Lynch syndrome, BRCA mutations).
- Future directions focus on assessing immune system health (thymus score, proteomic clocks) and non-invasive tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis via liquid biopsy to guide therapy.
- Interception vaccines may be used for cancer prevention in people with high-risk genetic variants or poor immune health, potentially reducing reliance on traditional treatments.
Indian scientists produce most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem
17 days ago
- IIT Madras scientists created Anchor, the world's most detailed 3D cellular atlas of the human brainstem.
- Anchor integrates MRI scans with microscopic images of over 500 tissue sections from fetal to adult brains.
- The atlas identifies more than 200 brain cell clusters and nerve pathways using eight chemical markers.
- It bridges medical imaging and cellular pathology, allowing seamless zoom from whole brain to individual neurons.
- Potential applications include studying disorders like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, stroke, and aiding neurosurgeries.
- The atlas is freely available online and built affordably from high-resolution microscope images.
- Future plans include imaging over 100 whole human brains to create a reference library for neurological diseases.
Frog bacterium wiped out cancer tumors in mice with a single dose
20 days ago
- A bacterium from Japanese tree frog intestines, Ewingella americana, completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single dose.
- The bacteria attacks tumors directly and activates immune cells (T cells, B cells, neutrophils), showing dual anticancer mechanisms.
- Ewingella americana specifically accumulates in tumors due to low oxygen, leaky blood vessels, and cancer cell CD47 protein, avoiding healthy organs.
- The treatment is safe, with bacteria cleared from blood within 24 hours and no long-term toxicity observed in mice.
- Future research will test the approach on other cancers, like breast and pancreatic cancer, and explore combination therapies.
- The study highlights biodiversity as a valuable source for new medical treatments, especially for hard-to-treat cancers.
Millions may be getting the wrong cholesterol test
24 days ago
- A new study suggests that using apolipoprotein B (apoB) testing is more effective than standard LDL cholesterol testing for determining who needs intensified cholesterol-lowering therapy to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
- Researchers created a computer model comparing three cholesterol testing strategies (LDL, non-HDL, and apoB) and found that apoB-guided treatment consistently performed better, improving health outcomes and being cost-effective for the U.S. healthcare system.
- ApoB measures the total number of harmful cholesterol-carrying particles in the blood, which is a more direct indicator of cardiovascular risk than traditional tests, despite requiring an additional blood test and being less commonly used in routine care.
- The findings are timely, as updated guidelines recommend earlier initiation of cholesterol-lowering therapy, making accurate identification of high-risk individuals increasingly important.
- The study, published in JAMA, supports the adoption of apoB testing as a superior method for primary prevention of heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States.

Hasty Briefsbeta

medical research

The Remarkable Proliferation of Cancer Immunotherapies

Indian scientists produce most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem

Frog bacterium wiped out cancer tumors in mice with a single dose

Millions may be getting the wrong cholesterol test