DIPG tumor patterns offer new insight on survival

Researchers have discovered that a molecular communication pathway — thought to be defective in cancer — is a key player in determining the effectiveness of measles virus oncolytic cancer treatment in ovarian and aggressive brain cancers. This discovery enabled researchers to develop an algorithm to predict treatment effectiveness in individual patients. (Mehr in: Cancer News — ScienceDaily)

For women, mammograms are a sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary, annual ritual. But this procedure doesn’t always provide accurate results, and it exposes women to X-rays. In a new study, scientists report that they have developed a non-invasive ‚disease screening pill‘ that can make cancerous tumors light up when exposed to near-infrared light in mice without using radiation. (Mehr in: Cancer News — ScienceDaily)

Researchers have discovered that colon cancers are often resistant to existing drug treatments because they are composed of two different cell types that can replace each other when one cell type is killed. The study suggests that combination therapies targeting both cell types at once may be more effective at treating colorectal cancer, the third highest cause of cancer-related death in the United States. (Mehr in: Cancer News — ScienceDaily)

Scientists exploring how to tame random gene fluctuations as the embryos that become our bodies start to form have identified a control switch in the vertebrate segmentation clock of developing zebrafish. The researchers report their findings could uncover methods for modulating genetic signals to prevent birth defects or cancers rooted at the earliest stages of development. (Mehr in: Cancer News — ScienceDaily)

The battle between the human immune system and long-term, persisting infections and other chronic diseases such as cancer results in a prolonged stalemate. Over time battle-weary T cells become exhausted, giving germs or tumors an edge. Using data from multiple molecular databases, researchers have found nine distinct types of exhausted T cells, which could have implications for fighting chronic infections, autoimmunity, and cancer. (Mehr in: Cancer News — ScienceDaily)