cancer tumors Archives - Amazing Health Advances

What You Need to Know About Pituitary Tumors

The AHA! Team — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 06:33:20 +0000

Morgan deBlecourt via Duke Health – Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths in the pituitary gland, a pea-sized organ at the base of the brain that regulates hormones. Fortunately, these tumors are usually treatable and non-cancerous. Duke Health neurosurgeon Jordan Komisarow, MD, is part of a team of doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating pituitary tumors. Here he answers frequently asked questions to help you decide where you should seek care. How serious is a pituitary tumor? Pituitary tumors are slow-growing and rarely life-threatening. According to Dr. Komisarow, many people find out they have a pituitary tumor accidentally, after undergoing an imaging scan for an unrelated problem. They often have no symptoms. On the other hand, pituitary tumors that are large can affect your vision. A subset of tumors produce harmful hormones and can significantly impact your quality of life. Regardless, all pituitary tumors should be managed by an experienced team of specialists to avoid serious complications. How can a pituitary tumor affect the rest of my body? Since the pituitary gland produces hormones, a pituitary tumor can affect any body system that involves hormones, including growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Symptoms can vary widely from fatigue to weight gain, infertility, sexual dysfunction, breast discharge, uncontrolled diabetes and blood pressure, and more. Large pituitary tumors can crowd nearby brain structures like the optic nerves, which can cause symptoms such as vision loss. What are the most common treatments for a pituitary tumor? If your pituitary tumor is low-risk and causing few or no symptoms, your best option may be to monitor the tumor with regular imaging and hormone testing, said Dr. Komisarow. Medications can help treat hormone imbalances. Surgery to remove the tumor is usually reserved for people experiencing significant symptoms or complications related to the tumor. What doctors treat pituitary tumors? Many types of doctors treat pituitary tumors since they can affect so many body functions. Even if you’re not a candidate for surgery, a neurosurgeon often serves as the point person for pituitary tumor care. Endocrinologists manage hormones and treat any resulting pituitary disorders. Neuro-ophthalmologists, eye doctors who specialize in treating vision problems caused by neurological conditions, treat vision loss. Other specialists who may be involved in your care include ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors, radiation oncologists, and plastic surgeons. Where should I go for pituitary tumor treatment? Dr. Komisarow recommends seeking treatment at a center like Duke, which offers an all-in-one pituitary clinic. This means you’ll see a neurosurgeon, endocrinologist, and neuro-ophthalmologist, all in one day and in one location. They offer comprehensive testing, review your test results, and discuss next steps. “You want to find doctors who specialize in treating pituitary tumors, meaning it’s not just a component of their practice, but it’s the center of their practice,” Dr. Komosarow said. “Especially if you need surgery, our team at Duke has the experience and technology to safely care for people that other institutions turn away due to risk of anesthesia or nerve damage. We want to help every patient we can.” To read the original article click here.

The post What You Need to Know About Pituitary Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

New Antibiotic Approach Proves Promising Against Lyme Bacterium

The AHA! Team — Fri, 31 May 2024 05:32:44 +0000

Duke Health – A technique that has demonstrated success against cancer tumors could also be lethal to bacteria and other pathogens DURHAM, N.C. – Using a technique that has shown promise in targeting cancer tumors, a Duke Health team has found a way to deploy a molecular warhead that can annihilate the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Tested in cell cultures using the Borrelia burgdoferi bacterium, the approach holds the potential to target not only bacteria, but also fungi such as yeast and viruses. The findings appear in the journal Cell Chemical Biology. Duke Health team has found a way to deploy a molecular warhead that can annihilate the bacterium that causes Lyme disease “This transport mechanism gets internalized in the bacterium and brings in a molecule that causes what we’ve described as a berserker reaction – a programmed death response,” said lead author Timothy Haystead, Ph.D., professor in Duke’s Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. “It wipes out the bacteria — sterilizes the culture with a single dose of light. And then when you look at what occurs with electron microscopy, you see the collapse of the chromosome.” Haystead and colleagues used a molecular facilitator called high-temperature protein G (HtpG), which is involved in protecting cells that are undergoing heat stress. This family of proteins has been the focus of drug development programs for possible cancer therapies. Studies of this protein as an antimicrobial have also been encouraging, but the Duke team’s work appears to be the first to tether an HtpG inhibitor to a drug that enhances sensitivity to light. The researchers found that the HtpG inhibitor, armed with the photosensitive drug, was rapidly absorbed into the cells of the Lyme bacteria. When hit with light, the bacteria’s cells went into disarray and ultimately collapsed, killing them. “Our findings point to a new, alternate antibiotic development strategy, whereby one can exploit a potentially vast number of previously unexplored druggable areas within bacteria to deliver cellular toxins,” Haystead said. In addition to Haystead, study authors include Dave L. Carlson, Mark Kowalewski, Khaldon Bodoor, Adam D. Lietzan, Philip Hughes, David Gooden, David L. Loiselle, David Alcorta, Zoey Dingman, Elizabeth A. Mueller, Irnov Irnov, Shannon Modla, Tim Chaya, Jeffrey Caplan, Monica Embers, Jennifer C. Miller, Christine Jacobs-Wagner, Matthew R. Redinbo, and Neil Spector (deceased). The study received funding support from the Steven and Alexander Cohen foundation and Bay Area Lyme Foundation. To read the original article click here.

The post New Antibiotic Approach Proves Promising Against Lyme Bacterium appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Anesthetize Nerve Cells to Shrink Breast Tumors?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 08:00:09 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed an innovative treatment for breast cancer, based on analgesic nanoparticles that target the nervous system. The researchers found that cancer cells stimulate infiltration of nerve cells into the tumor, and these cells then help the cancer cells proliferate, grow and migrate. Based on these findings, they tried targeting the tumor through the nerve cells. Nanoparticles containing an anesthetic are injected into the bloodstream. Once they reach the tumor, they accumulate around its nerve cells and paralyze the local nerves — and communication between the nerve cells and cancer cells. When tested on cancer cell cultures and on lab mice, the method led to a significant inhibition of tumor development and of metastasis to the lungs, brain and bone marrow. The study, published in Science Advances, was led by Prof. Avi Schroeder and chemical engineering PhD student Maya Kaduri. Schroeder, head of the Louis Family Laboratory for Targeted Drug Delivery & Personalized Medicine Technologies, develops innovative cancer treatments, including for breast cancer and specifically for aggressive triple-negative breast cancer. He encapsulates drug molecules in nanoparticles, which transport the drug to the tumor and release it inside, without damaging healthy tissue. Kaduri explained that blood vessels formed in tumors contain nano-sized holes that enable penetration of nanoparticles, while healthy tissue does not have such holes. “We know how to create the exact size of particles needed, and that is critical because it’s the key to penetrating the tumor,” she said. “The fact that this is a very focused and precise treatment enables us to insert significant amounts of anesthetic into the body because there is no fear that it will harm healthy and vital areas of the nervous system.” The researchers believe the new approach may be relevant for treating breast cancer in humans. The study was supported by the Rappaport Technion Integrated Cancer Center as part of the Steven & Beverly Rubenstein Charitable Foundation Fellowship Fund for Cancer Research, and by Teva, as part of its National Forum for BioInnovators. The research was conducted in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Institute of Pathology at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. To read the original article click here.

The post Anesthetize Nerve Cells to Shrink Breast Tumors? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

White Blood Cells May Be Harnessed to Boost Cancer Immunotherapy

AHA Publisher — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Jon Schiller via Israel21c – White blood cells called Eosinophils can be “summoned” in order to fight cancer by both destroying the cancer cells directly as well as recruiting the immune system’s cancer-fighting T-cells, according to a new study published in the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Eosinophils produce powerful destructive proteins intended for fighting parasites. However, in the modern Western world, where high levels of hygiene have significantly reduced the risk of many parasites, eosinophils can be harmful, inducing allergies and asthma. Considering the destructive power of eosinophils, the researchers decided to test the potential benefits of these white blood cells if turned against cancer cells. Examining tissue samples of lung metastases taken from breast cancer patients, the researchers found that eosinophils reach the lungs and penetrate cancerous tissues, where they often release their destructive proteins and summon T-cells for reinforcement. Ultimately, T-cells gather in the affected lungs, slowing the growth of tumors. In the absence of eosinophils, lung metastases were much larger than those exposed to the white blood cells. These findings led to the conclusion that eosinophils could serve as a basis for improved immunotherapeutic medications to fight cancer effectively. “We chose to focus on lung metastases for two main reasons. First, metastases, and not the primary tumors, are often the main problem in treating cancer, and the lungs are a major target for the metastasis of many types of cancer,” said lead researcher Prof. Ariel Munitz of Tel Aviv University’s department of microbiology and clinical immunology. “Second, in a preliminary study we demonstrated that eosinophils gather in tumors developing in mucous tissues like the lungs, and therefore assumed that they would be found in lung metastases as well,” he added. Compared to traditional techniques like chemotherapy, immunotherapy generally leads to longer protection from cancer and fewer side effects. This new discovery may contribute to the development of new methods of immunotherapy. “Enhancing the number and power of T-cells is one of the main targets of immunotherapy treatments administered to cancer patients today,” said Munitz. To read the original article click here.

The post White Blood Cells May Be Harnessed to Boost Cancer Immunotherapy appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Researchers Developing New Cancer Treatments With High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

AHA Publisher — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 07:00:27 +0000

University of Waterloo via Newswise – Researchers are bringing the use of acoustic waves to target and destroy cancerous tumours closer to reality. While doctors have used low-intensity ultrasound as a medical imaging tool since the 1950s, experts at the University of Waterloo are using and extending models that help capture how high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can work on a cellular level. Led by Siv Sivaloganathan, an applied mathematician and researcher with the Centre for Math Medicine at the Fields Institute, the study found by running mathematical models in computer simulations that fundamental problems in the technology can be solved without any risk to actual patients. Sivaloganathan, together with his graduate students June Murley, Kevin Jiang and postdoctoral fellow Maryam Ghasemi, creates the mathematical models used by engineers and doctors to put HIFU into practice. He said his colleagues in other fields are interested in the same problems, “but we’re coming at this from different directions”. “My side of it is to use mathematics and computer simulations to develop a solid model that others can take and use in labs or clinical settings. And although the models are not nearly as complex as human organs and tissue, the simulations give a huge head start for clinical trials.” One of the obstacles that Sivaloganathan is currently working to overcome is that in targeting cancers, HIFU also poses risks to healthy tissue. When HIFU is being used to destroy tumours or cancerous lesions, the hope is that good tissue won’t be destroyed. The same applies when focusing the intense acoustic waves on a tumour on the bone where lots of heat energy gets released. Sivaloganathan and his colleagues are working to understand how the heat dissipates and if it damages the bone marrow. Other researchers working with Sivaloganathan include engineers, who are building the physical technology, and medical doctors, in particular, James Drake, chief surgeon at Hospital for Sick Children, looking at the practical application of HIFU in clinical settings. Sivaloganathan believes HIFU will make significant changes in cancer treatments and other medical procedures and treatments. HIFU is already finding practical application in the treatment of some prostate cancers. “It’s an area that I think is going to take center stage in clinical medicine,” he said. “It doesn’t have the negative side effects of radiation therapy or chemotherapy. There are no side effects other than the effect of heat, which we are working on right now. It also has applications as a new way to break up blood clots and even to administer drugs.” To read the original article click here.

The post Researchers Developing New Cancer Treatments With High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Researchers to Develop New Technology to Detect and Remove Cancer Tumors

AHA Publisher — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:21 +0000

University of Warwick via News-Medical – New technology that will marry probes that can detect cancer tumors through the skin with high-precision robotic surgery is to be developed for use in hospital settings for the first time in a project led by the University of Warwick. The Terabotics project will use probes that use terahertz radiation, or T-rays, to scan for tumors under the skin while medical-grade surgical robots will be adapted to use these scans to guide them in removing tumors in skin and colorectal cancer patients more precisely. If successful, the researchers hope it could lead to real-time diagnosis for cancer patients, shorter waiting periods for cancer surgery, and more comprehensive removal of tumors with reduced need for follow-up surgery. The project, which has received funding of £8 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, is a collaboration between the University of Warwick, University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire, University of Leeds and the University of Exeter. The five-year project starting in September 2021 aims to eventually trial the technology with patients attending cancer services at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Terabotics will use research from the University of Warwick into terahertz (THz) radiation, or T-rays, which sit in-between infrared and WiFi on the electromagnetic spectrum. Previous work from the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics has shown that these can be used to detect very subtle changes in the outermost layers of skin, and the technique has already been demonstrated on healthy volunteers. This will be the first time that it will be studied in patients within an active cancer process. As well as assessing how effective T-ray technology is in diagnosing cancers compared to standard care, the project aims to incorporate the technology into surgical robots to guide them more accurately when detecting tumors during colonoscopy and removing them during surgery. “What we will be testing is our hypothesis that we are able to detect a buried or hidden tumor. We think our terahertz probe will be able to detect those through looking at the transient response of the skin.” Emma Pickwell-MacPherson, Professor and Principal Investigator, Department of Physics, University of Warwick “Somebody might already be diagnosed with cancer but the actual extent of that cancer may not be known. For example, in skin cancer patients, the THz probe will image the visible tumor and the surrounding area to better determine the extent of the tumor that is beneath the surface. This will enable the whole tumor to be removed in one go, rather than incrementally. In turn, this enables better planning for reconstruction and speeds up the procedure.” Initially, the researchers will focus on adapting the T-ray probes to work with the surgical robots, miniaturisation of the technology and refining the design to provide more diagnostic parameters. Later stages of the project will involve trialling the technology with patients with a known or suspected cancer. Those attending cancer services at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire will be offered the opportunity to participate alongside their routine care. Colorectal cancer patients will be seen at the University of Leeds, where an endoscopic probe is being developed specifically to examine the colon. Just like our skin, the colon is an epithelial lining and could potentially be scanned by T-rays in the same way. At present, diagnosis of skin cancer relies upon a visual inspection by a clinician and a biopsy. There are over 150,000 new cases of skin cancer in the UK each year (1) and two to three million globally (2), numbers which are set to rise due to increased life expectancy. 1 in 15 UK males and 1 in 18 UK females will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime and it is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. (2) Professor Joseph Hardwicke, Medical Lead for the project at University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire, said: “This technique is a way to examine the skin at a deeper and more technical level than what we are able to at the moment. The main hope, especially for skin cancer, is to determine the extent of the spread locally and also to potentially diagnose these cancers without the need for a biopsy in future. “This is a whole new area of diagnostics, like how MRI in the 1980s revolutionised medical imaging. I think this is a chance for terahertz combined with robotics to give us that greater accuracy. Even though we are still building evidence, there seems to be a lot of pieces of the jigsaw that make logical sense.” Professor Pickwell-MacPherson adds: “If we can give a quantitative answer using our technology that would be great, and ultimately that will speed up the throughput of patients. That in turn will reduce waiting times and costs, it will mean that the surgical procedures can be better planned and done more efficiently, the number of follow-up procedures can be reduced, then that has implications financially to the NHS. “This area is up and coming and terahertz robotics is becoming a hot topic. It has long been suggested that THz technology could be used for cancer detection and this project will push the technology forward to make it a reality. We hope that by demonstrating its application to skin and colon cancers we will open up the door to applying the technology to benefit other cancers too and transform cancer treatment protocols.” Professor Pietro Valdastri of the University of Leeds said: “Robotics is increasingly used in the operating theatre as it brings superior accuracy and unload some of the burden of the procedure from the surgeon. At Leeds, we are developing the next generation of surgical robots to detect colorectal cancer earlier and remove it more effectively. Adding THz perception capabilities to our robots is a new exciting avenue of research that has the potential to improve cancer patient quality of life in the next 5 to 10 years.” The project is among 20 innovative projects announced to revolutionise healthcare, improve treatments for millions of people with a wide range of conditions and save the NHS money. The projects are supported by £30.8 million of funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Four projects were co-funded by UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC). EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Dame Lynn Gladden said: “Technologies and approaches pioneered by UK researchers have the potential to revolutionise treatment for a wide range of conditions, from bowel cancer to diabetes. “The projects announced today exemplify this potential and may play a key role in improving the lives of millions of people.” To read the original article click here.

The post Researchers to Develop New Technology to Detect and Remove Cancer Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Microbiome Transplants Can Reprogram Immune System to Attack Tumors

AHA Publisher — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 08:00:26 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Changing the gut microbiome can reprogram the immune system to attack malignant tumors, according to results of a unique clinical trial at Sheba Medical Center in Israel. The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science by a research team led by senior GI oncologist Dr. Ben Boursi, senior oncologist Dr. Gal Markel and MD-PhD student Erez Baruch. “For the first time in the world, we have successfully fought cancerous tumors by changing the gut microbiome,” Boursi said. “Currently, immunotherapy works for only 40 percent to 50 percent of patients. We anticipate that with the help of this revolutionary treatment, we will see as many patients as possible transforming from non-responders to responders,” he said. The researchers performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on 10 terminally ill patients with metastatic melanoma who had not responded to immunotherapy and had exhausted all other existing treatment options. “In the first stage, we eradicated the patient’s existing microbiome, after which we transplanted gut microbiota from cancer survivors who’d had melanoma, but who had responded well to immunotherapy and who had been cancer-free for at least one year,” Boursi explained. Significant Results Two weeks after the donor microbiome was introduced via colonoscopy, and the patients had completely absorbed the donor microbiota, they resumed immunotherapy. They also received odorless, flavorless pills containing the same bacteria for three months. In two of the study participants, tumors shrank considerably. One patient’s tumor disappeared and hasn’t returned even more than two years later. “To see a 30 percent response is really extraordinary,” Boursi explained to ISRAEL21c, considering the terminal condition of the participants and their previous failed treatments. Most significantly, Boursi and his team saw evidence of an increased immune response on the cellular level as well as in gene expression profiles of the three patients who did respond well. He believes that some of the transplanted patients weren’t responsive to the immunotherapy due to genetic changes in their tumors – meaning the microbiome is not the only factor that can affect the response to treatment. “Although we emphasize the clinical benefit of the treatment, we should remember that it is the cherry on top,” he said. “Our main goal was to see if the treatment is safe and feasible.” Now that the microbiome transplant procedure has indeed been shown to be “simple, safe and relatively inexpensive,” Boursi and the team at Sheba are testing it on other melanoma patients as well as patients with lung cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer death. Side Effects Disappeared Regardless of whether or not the FMT affected the success of immunotherapy, it had another unexpected benefit: While many of the trial participants had suffered severe side effects during their earlier failed round of immunotherapy, after the FMTimmunotherapy caused no significant side effects at all. “This alone is a tremendous achievement,” said Boursi. Now the team is exploring whether the transplant treatment could be used specifically to help ease immunotherapy side effects. They anticipate that their continued lab work may help them identify cancer patients who will benefit most from FMT therapy, as well as identify the most appropriate donor for each patient. They also hope to define the biological pathway underlying the change in immune responsiveness. What is it about the gut microbiome that can make such a difference in the success of immunotherapy? “We know that the gut microbiome has many roles in human health, and one is the development of the immune system,” Boursi tells ISRAEL21c. “For example, in germ-free mice the immune system does not develop properly.” Other authors of the study are affiliated with Tel Aviv University, Shamir Medical Center, Hadassah Medical Center, Bar-Ilan University and Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, all in Israel; and with the University of Pennsylvania and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

The post Microbiome Transplants Can Reprogram Immune System to Attack Tumors appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

New Immunotherapy Shows Promise Against Rare Childhood Cancer

AHA Publisher — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:00:55 +0000

University College London via EurekAlert – A novel CAR T-cell therapy developed by researchers at UCL and designed to target cancerous tumours, has shown promising early results in children with neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. For this proof-of-principle study, researchers at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health (GOS ICH) and the UCL Cancer Institute modified the patient’s own T-cells (a type of immune cell), equipping them to recognise and kill neuroblastoma tumour cells. Twelve children with relapsed or refractory (where the disease does not respond to treatment) neuroblastoma were treated as part of the Cancer Research UK-funded phase I clinical trial. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, is one of the first studies to demonstrate CAR T-cells achieving rapid regression against a solid cancer (non-blood cancer). Although the beneficial effects only lasted a short while, the study provides important evidence that this specific CAR T-cell treatment could be used as a future treatment for children with solid cancers. Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children and develops from specialised nerve cells (neuroblasts) left behind from a baby’s development in the womb. Up to 100 children in the UK are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year. Current treatment for children with an aggressive type of neuroblastoma includes surgical removal, chemotherapy with stem-cell transplant, radiotherapy and antibody therapy. Despite this intensive treatment long-term survival is between 50-60 per cent. In CAR T-cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy, T-cells are engineered to contain a molecule called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on their surface which can specifically recognise cancerous cells. For this study the patients’ own T-cells were modified with a CAR to target the GD2 surface protein, which is highly abundant on almost all neuroblastoma cells, but found at very low levels in healthy cells. Researchers found that when using a sufficient dose* of the modified CAR T-cells, this treatment induced rapid reduction in tumour size in some of the patients treated. These effects were transient. Importantly, in all patients the CAR T-cells did not cause any harmful side effects in healthy tissues that express the GD2 molecule. Lead author, Dr Karin Straathof, Research group leader at UCL GOS ICH and Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust said: “It’s encouraging to see the anti-tumour activity induced by these modified T-cells in some of the patients on this study. “While the anti-tumour activity seen was only transient, it provides an important proof-of-principle that CAR T-cells directed at the GD2 molecule could be used against solid cancers in children. “New treatments are needed for high-risk neuroblastoma and with more research we hope to develop this further into a treatment that results in lasting responses and increases the number of patients that can be cured.” Senior author, Dr Martin Pule (UCL Cancer Institute) said: “Targeting of solid cancers by CAR T-cells is dependent on their infiltration and expansion within the tumour microenvironment, and thus far fewer clinical responses have been reported. “The rapid regression in neuroblastoma cells is promising, particularly as this activity was observed in the absence of neurotoxicity which occurs with antibody-based approaches that target GD2.” Dr Pule added: “Targeting neuroblastoma with GD2 CAR T-cells appears to be a valid and safe strategy but requires further modification to promote CAR T-cell longevity.” Dr Sue Brook, medical advisor at Cancer Research UK, said: “Children who have hard to treat cancers like neuroblastoma have limited treatment options open to them, especially when the cancer returns. “The early results for the GD2 CAR-T treatment look promising, especially due to the initial safety data. However more work is needed on making the response last longer, and we are looking forward to seeing the next steps in its development.” The research team are preparing for their next clinical study in collaboration with Autolus, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation, programmed T-cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. This study will evaluate AUTO6NG, which builds on this approach utilising the same GD2 CAR alongside additional programming modules designed to enhance efficacy and persistence. To read the original article click here.

The post New Immunotherapy Shows Promise Against Rare Childhood Cancer appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Dozens of Pesticides Linked with Mammary Gland Tumors in Animal Studies

AHA Publisher — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 07:00:21 +0000

Silent Spring Institute via EurekAlert – In an analysis of how regulators review pesticides for their potential to cause cancer, researchers at Silent Spring Institute identified more than two dozen registered pesticides that were linked with mammary gland tumors in animal studies. The new findings raise concerns about how the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves pesticides for use and the role of certain pesticides in the development of breast cancer. Several years ago, a resident on Cape Cod in Massachusetts contacted researchers at Silent Spring looking for information on an herbicide called triclopyr. Utility companies were looking to spray the chemical below power lines on the Cape to control vegetation. “We know pesticides like DDT increase breast cancer risk, so we decided to look into it,” says co-author Ruthann Rudel, an environmental toxicologist and director of research at Silent Spring. “After examining pesticide registration documents from EPA, we found two separate studies in which rodents developed mammary gland tumors after being exposed to triclopyr, yet for some reason regulators dismissed the information in their decision not to treat it as a carcinogen.” When manufacturers apply to register a pesticide, EPA reviews existing studies and based on those studies assigns the chemical a cancer classification–for instance, how likely or unlikely the chemical is to cause cancer. After reviewing triclopyr, Silent Spring researchers wondered if evidence of mammary tumors was being ignored for other pesticides as well. Reporting in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Rudel and Silent Spring scientist Bethsaida Cardona reviewed more than 400 EPA pesticide documents summarizing the health effects of each registered pesticide. They found a total of 28 pesticides linked with mammary gland tumors, yet EPA acknowledged only nine of them as causing mammary tumors and dismissed the evidence entirely for the remaining 19. Rudel and Cardona also found that many of the pesticides in their analysis behaved like endocrine disruptors, for instance, by interfering with estrogen and progesterone. “Breast cancer is highly influenced by reproductive hormones, which stimulate the proliferation of cells within the breast, making it more susceptible to tumors,” says Rudel. “So, it’s important that regulators consider this kind of evidence. If they don’t, they risk exposing people to pesticides that are breast carcinogens.” Traditionally, toxicologists focus on whether a chemical causes DNA damage when determining its potential to cause cancer. But recent findings in cancer biology show there are many ways chemicals can trigger the development of cancer. For example, chemicals can suppress the immune system, cause chronic inflammation, or disrupt the body’s system of hormones, all of which can lead to the growth of breast tumors and other types of tumors as well. “In light of our findings, we hope EPA updates its guidelines for assessing mammary gland tumors by considering evidence that more completely captures the biology of breast cancer, such as the effects of endocrine disruptors,” says Cardona. Rudel and Cardona recommend that EPA re-evaluate five pesticides in particular–IPBC, triclopyr, malathion, atrazine and propylene oxide–due to their widespread use and the evidence uncovered in the new analysis. IPBC is a preservative in cosmetics; triclopyr is an agricultural herbicide that is also used to control vegetation growth along rights-of-way; malathion is a common residential and agricultural pesticide and is used in some lice treatments; atrazine is one of the most commonly-used herbicides in agriculture; and propylene oxide is used to preserve food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, and has many similarities with ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen. The project is part of Silent Spring Institute’s Safer Chemicals Program which is developing new cost-effective ways of screening chemicals for their effects on the breast. Knowledge generated by this effort will help government agencies regulate chemicals more effectively and assist companies in developing safer products. To read the original article click here.

The post Dozens of Pesticides Linked with Mammary Gland Tumors in Animal Studies appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.