Using new molecules that block an immune checkpoint, researchers showed they could stimulate a strong anti-tumor immune response.

If gut bacteria are too similar to the protective layer of nerves, they can misdirect the immune system and cause it to attack its own nervous system. This mechanism can accelerate the progression of multiple sclerosis, as researchers at the University of Basel have shown in trials with mice. However, their results also open up opportunities for treatments that make use of the microbiome.

In a new nationwide study published in The Lancet that included Mayo Clinic, investigators found that patients with oropharyngeal cancer can live longer with fewer side effects if treated with proton beam radiation therapy.