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...

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...

Zanidatamab, a bispecific HER2-targeted antibody, delivered clinically meaningful and durable responses for patients with HER2-positive biliary tract cancer (BTC), according to final results from the HERIZON-BTC-01 clinical trial. In this clinical trial, zanidatamab demonstrated an objective response rate of 41.3% and a median duration of response of 15.5 months, while patients whose tumors showed strongest levels of HER2 overexpression experienced even greater benefit – a 51.6% response rate and a median duration of response of 18.1 months Initial trial...

Researchers have identified a specific protein, RASH3D19, that is responsible for activation of RAS signaling pathways involved in aggressive tumor growth and resistance to KRAS inhibitors in patients with KRAS-mutant cancers. Blocking RASH3D19 in combination with KRAS inhibitors improved outcomes in preclinical models, suggesting this combination as a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with KRAS-mutant cancers. The study was led by Subrata Sen, Ph.D., deputy chair of Translational Molecular Pathology, and Hiroshi Katayama, Ph.D., associate professor of Translational Molecular...

Researchers have shown that DNA inflexibility, or rigidity, inside the nucleosome regulates the positioning of INO80. This highlights that the physical structure and shape of DNA, not just genetic information, are key components of DNA transcription. It also suggests that the Arp5 subunits may act as sensors that regulate INO80 remodeling depending on the shape of the DNA. The study was co-led by Blaine Bartholomew, Ph.D., professor of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, and colleagues Post Views: 364