MedTech News
.................... by Andrew Celentano
Study identifies potential RAS inhibitor-immunotherapy strategy for pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer does not respond to most immunotherapies, but RAS inhibitors could alter tumors to make them more sensitive to a novel immunotherapeutic approach. In pancreatic tumors with RAS mutations, RAS inhibitors cause massive cell death and reduce immunosuppression. These changes tend to be temporary because tumors develop resistance to the therapy.
Blood tests could identify early signs of cancer years before diagnosis
A study of blood samples collected up to nine years before a cancer diagnosis found changes in the DNA that captured the body’s response to early traces of cancer development.
Collagen scaffolding helps cancer cells survive inside nutrient-starved tumors
In a study focused on aggressive breast and pancreatic cancers, scientists have discovered how tumors surrounded by a protective “scaffold” of dense, scar-like tissue manage to thrive—despite the scaffold severely restricting the blood supply and nutrient delivery essential for growth.
Turning scar-forming cells into neurons helps restore movement after spinal cord injury
What if cells that form scars after a spinal cord injury could become part of the repair process? Researchers have developed a genetic system that converts certain scar-forming cells into neurons, improving movement in mice and rats with spinal cord injuries.
Year-old brain organoids reveal astrocytes may fuel early-onset epilepsy
Tiny, year-old human brain organoids that mimic the brain of a newborn are providing new clues to potential treatments for a leading genetic cause of childhood epilepsy that typically manifests as the brain matures shortly after birth.
Cancer’s ‘rogue DNA’ relies on two proteins to prevent and repair breaks
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and their colleagues have discovered that a type of rogue DNA found in aggressive cancers has a hidden structural weakness—and that blocking a single repair protein can cause it to fall apart, suggesting a new therapeutic opportunity.
New filters help genetic sequencing flag possible causes of meningitis and encephalitis
New research led by Aston University’s Dr. Ghaniah Hassan-Smith has found a new way to diagnose infections of the central nervous system, such as meningitis and encephalitis, that can be difficult to identify using conventional methods.
A simple pill could prevent sight loss in diabetes-driven eye condition, early findings suggest
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with Breye Therapeutics, have found that an oral medication (“Danegaptide”) can protect against vision-threatening damage in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), a leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.