Seventy-five percent of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) who were treated with the antibody-drug conjugate pivekimab sunirine (PVEK) had a complete response, according to new data from the Phase I/II multicenter international CADENZA trial. The study was led by principal investigator and corresponding author Naveen Pemmaraju, M.D., professor of Leukemia, and senior author Naval Daver, M.D., professor of Leukemia.   “These strong, durable response results offer hope to BPDCN patients with limited treatment options,” Pemmaraju said....

The eyes – specifically, the outer area of the retina – may provide a window into early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) long before irreversible brain damage has occurred, according to new research from Houston Methodist. This discovery could dramatically change how the disease is diagnosed, monitored and treated.   “By identifying these retinal changes that occur before the brain’s ‘plumbing’ system fails, doctors may eventually be able to use routine eye exams to catch...

Metastasis-directed therapy significantly improved outcomes in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind meta-analysis evaluating the addition of metastasis-directed radiation therapy to standard-of-care treatment. According to corresponding author Chad Tang, M.D., associate professor of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology, gathering level one evidence of the benefits of MDT in this cancer type has been a challenge due to several factors. Most significant among them are that only a small number of patients have oligometastatic cancer – meaning they have multiple...

Researchers identified a targetable driver of brain metastases in patients with aggressive inflammatory breast cancer. The study uncovers a novel role for soluble E-cadherin (sEcad) in promoting tumor invasion while resisting cancer cell death and triggering brain inflammation via the CXCR2 signaling pathway. The results suggest that targeting sEcad or the CXCR2 pathway could treat or prevent brain metastasis. The study was led by Xiaoding Hu, M.D., Ph.D., instructor of Breast Medical Oncology, and Bisrat Debeb, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor...

American women now have the option of screening for cervical cancer at home, using newly approved self-collection tools. While experts hope this will increase uptake in the under-screened population, a first-of-its-kind study found the majority (60.8%) still prefer to see a medical professional in-clinic. The study also revealed that marginalized populations were more likely to prefer at-home self-sampling, and women with low income and those who do not trust the health care system were more...

The investigational cancer vaccine, NOUS-209, was found to safely stimulate the immune system to target precancerous and cancerous cells in individuals with Lynch Syndrome (LS). The results of a Phase Ib/II clinical trial, led by Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, M.D., Ph.D., chair ad interim of Clinical Cancer Prevention, provide early evidence that immune-based approaches, such as NOUS-209, may be able to intercept cancer before it develops, offering a potential new avenue for preventive care for high-risk individuals.   “Current management strategies for Lynch...

In a Phase I study, the novel monoclonal antibody linavonkibart, also known as SRK-181, demonstrated the potential to overcome treatment resistance to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in multiple cancer types. The trial was led by Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., professor of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics and vice president and head of clinical development in MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division.   “This is a very exciting trial because we’ve been trying to effectively target this protein, called transforming growth factor-beta 1, for a long...

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), funded by a National Institutes of Health grant, show that antiviral medicine successfully treated non-human primates infected with the virus that causes Lassa fever.   Lassa fever remains a global health threat Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic disease for which there is currently no treatment. It is estimated to cause 100,000 to 300,000 infections and 5,000 deaths annually in West Africa with Nigeria accounting for a...

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and SOPHiA GENETICS today announced a strategic collaboration that unites SOPHiA GENETICS’ AI-powered analytics with MD Anderson’s clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate data-driven cancer care through new tools that can accurately analyze, interpret and translate diagnostic results into clinical practice.   As part of the collaboration, MD Anderson and SOPHiA GENETICS are launching a series of research and development programs and co-developing an advanced next-generation sequencing oncology test. Built on the...

Patients with a particularly aggressive form of metastatic colorectal cancer may benefit from a novel combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy, according to a Houston-led phase 1/2 clinical trial that offers new insights into why some patients benefit while others don’t.   The multi-institutional clinical trial showed significantly better outcomes from a three-drug regimen of encorafenib, cetuximab and the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in patients with microsatellite-stable (MSS) colorectal cancer harboring the BRAFV600E mutation than...