radiation Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Ignored Warnings: How Regulators Failed to Act on Wireless Radiation Linked Diseases

The AHA! Team — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:50:30 +0000

Willow Tohi via Natural News – For over 50 years, the U.S. government has known about the potential health risks of wireless radiation, yet regulatory agencies have consistently failed to act, leaving the public exposed to chronic conditions ranging from autism to diabetes. A new report, released on February 6 by researchers Richard Lear and Camilla Rees, reveals how a 1971 U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute study identified 132 biological effects and 23 chronic diseases linked to electromagnetic radiation (EMR)—findings that were ignored as wireless technology proliferated. The report, shared at the American Academy of Environmental Medicine’s annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, on February 14, highlights the staggering growth of these diseases and calls for urgent regulatory action. Key Points • A 1971 U.S. Navy study reviewed 2,311 scientific studies and identified 132 biological effects and 23 chronic diseases linked to wireless radiation. • Despite these findings, U.S. regulators, including the FCC, have failed to update exposure limits since 1996, leaving the public vulnerable. • Between 1990 and 2015, 23 chronic diseases predicted by the Navy study surged, with cases reaching 549 million and adding an estimated $2 trillion in annual healthcare costs. • The report calls for immediate action to minimize wireless exposure and restore local control over cell tower placements. The Navy’s 1971 warning: a missed opportunity In 1971, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute conducted a comprehensive review of 2,311 scientific studies on the biological effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The study focused on low-intensity EMR signals in the 1 to 4 gigahertz (GHz) range—frequencies strikingly similar to those emitted by modern devices like cell phones, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The Navy’s findings were unequivocal: wireless radiation exposure was linked to 132 biological effects and 23 chronic diseases, including ADHD, autism, diabetes, and leukemia. “These types of wireless exposures are virtually identical with those from modern devices and wireless sources such as cell phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, smart meters, GPS, wearables, and wireless infrastructure,” Lear and Rees wrote in their report. Despite this groundbreaking research, the U.S. government failed to act. Regulatory agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ignored the warnings, allowing the wireless industry to expand unchecked. The explosion of chronic disease Between 1990 and 2015, the U.S. witnessed an alarming rise in chronic diseases, many of which were predicted by the Navy’s 1971 study. Autism cases skyrocketed by 2,094%, while chronic fatigue syndrome saw an 11,027% increase. Other conditions, such as ADHD (139%), anxiety (104%), and diabetes (305%), also surged. By 2015, these 23 diseases accounted for 549 million cases, placing an immense burden on the healthcare system and economy. “Of the 36 chronic diseases and conditions that more than doubled (1990-2015), the U.S. Navy study warned us of the connection between wireless radiation and twenty-three of those chronic diseases, predicting what has indeed happened to the health of Americans,” Lear and Rees wrote. The economic impact is staggering. By 2015, these 23 diseases may have added more than $2 trillion in annual healthcare costs to the U.S. economy. The authors acknowledged that other factors, such as sugar consumption and pesticide exposure, likely contributed to the crisis. However, they emphasized that wireless radiation’s role cannot be ignored. The smoking gun: peroxynitrite and chronic disease The report delves into the biological mechanisms behind wireless radiation’s harmful effects, pointing to peroxynitrite—a molecule common to all chronic diseases—as a potential “smoking gun.” Wireless radiation triggers oxidative and nitrative stress, leading to the production of peroxynitrite and other free radicals. These agents disrupt biological homeostasis and create a lethal system of seven synergistic biofactors, dubbed “P-Factor,” which includes systemic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. P-Factor is shared by all 36 of the fastest-growing diseases in the U.S. “P-Factor is shared by all 36 of the fastest-growing diseases in the U.S.,” the authors wrote. “Is P-Factor the smoking gun for the current U.S. chronic disease health crisis?” Lear and Rees are calling for immediate action to address the public health crisis caused by wireless radiation. They plan to send hard copies of their report to all U.S. Congress members and 1,000 business leaders, urging them to take responsibility for minimizing wireless exposure. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org ManhattanNeighbors.org ManhattanNeighbors.org To read the original article, click here

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A Potential New Treatment for Brain Tumors

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 07:00:11 +0000

University of Cincinnati via Newswise – A research question posed in Pankaj Desai’s lab has led to a decade of research, a clinical trial and major national funding to further investigate a potential new treatment for the most deadly form of brain tumors. Desai, PhD, and his team at the University of Cincinnati recently received a $1.19 million grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to continue research into the use of a drug called letrozole to treat glioblastomas (GBM). Research Progression GBMs are aggressive brain tumors that patients often are unaware of until symptoms emerge and the tumor is substantial. Current treatments include immediate surgery to safely remove as much tumor as possible, radiation and chemotherapy, but the tumor often recurs or becomes resistant to treatments. The average patient survives no more than 15 months after diagnosis. The medication letrozole was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for postmenopausal women with breast cancer in 2001. The drug works by targeting an enzyme called aromatase that is present in breast cancer cells and helps the cancer grow. In the fall of 2012, Desai and a doctoral student in his lab, Nimita Dave (now a senior pharmacologist at a biotech company in Boston), asked a question: Does aromatase play a similar role in GBM tumors, and if so, will letrozole work as an effective treatment? Early research in the lab found the enzyme was present in brain tumor cell lines, and further testing found a very high amount of aromatase at protein and mRNA levels in brain tumor samples from UC’s tumor bank. However, that did not guarantee that letrozole would be similarly effective in brain tumors like it is in breast cancer tumors. Desai explained a defense system called the blood-brain barrier only allows certain compounds into the brain based on their physical and chemical properties. “Otherwise any compound could come into the brain and cause havoc and neurotoxicity,” said Desai, professor and chair of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division in UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy and a University of Cincinnati Cancer Center member. “There are other compounds similar to letrozole, but we went with letrozole because we figured that based on its properties, this compound actually has the best chance of getting through into the brain from the blood circulation.” Studies in animal models showed that letrozole was effective, and Desai’s research group moved to test the compound in cells derived from human brain tumor tissues. In this phase of work, key contributions were made by current doctoral student Aniruddha Karve who will continue to work with Desai as a postdoctoral fellow on the new NIH grant. “What we saw in the patient-derived cells is that letrozole is very effective in killing the tumor cells in cell culture models,” Desai said. With funding support from the Cancer Center and the UC Brain Tumor Center, Desai’s team launched a phase 0/1 clinical trial testing what dosage of letrozole is appropriate to treat glioblastomas. This trial was led by Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, an expert in phase 1 oncology trials with contributions from several other neuro-oncologists and neurosurgeons. The trial is set to be completed soon, but Desai said early results have shown the drug is “unequivocally” reaching its target of the brain tumor tissue safely. Preliminary results also show that doses of letrozole higher than those needed for breast cancer treatment can be safely achieved in GBM patients. New Research While the body of research results has been encouraging so far, Desai said GBMs remain a complicated, aggressive form of brain cancer. As promising as letrozole is, it is still unlikely that the drug will be a singular cure for the disease. “We hope that would work, but it’s not necessarily rooted in reality. It’s going to be a combination of drugs,” Desai said. Supported by the new NIH/NINDS funding, Desai and his team will research the preclinical effectiveness of combining letrozole with other chemotherapy compounds. The three-year grant began Aug. 1. “It’s really exciting to get this sort of reassurance from a peer reviewed grant application,” Desai said. “And it’s an exciting time. I think finding a cure for a disease like GBM is like finding a needle in a haystack, and we hope that it’s going to really work, and that’s what we are all striving for.” Desai said the research has been and continues to be a collaborative effort between UC colleagues from the College of Pharmacy, Cancer Center and Brain Tumor Center. “It’s really a beautiful collaboration, and I’m most grateful for that,” Desai said. “This is a disease where an urgent breakthrough is absolutely needed, and our team along with others in the field are really striving to make a difference.” David Plas, PhD, professor and Anna and Harold W. Huffman endowed chair in glioblastoma experimental therapeutics in the Department of Cancer Biology in UC’s College of Medicine and a Cancer Center member, and his research group are joining the team as the new project launches. Plas said his lab has focused on tumors deficient in a tumor-suppressing protein called PTEN, and the new research may reveal how letrozole in combination with other therapies may lead to a suitable treatment for PTEN-deficient glioblastomas. “This new collaboration will combine my group’s experience in glioblastoma experimental therapeutics with Dr. Desai’s experience in GBM therapeutics and pharmacokinetics,” Plas said. “By investigating possible combinations with letrozole for GBM therapy, this new project has the potential for faster translation to clinical trial. It is exciting to work with Desai on this new project.” To read the original article click here.

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The Cognitive Side Effects of Radiation Treatment

AHA Publisher — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 07:00:52 +0000

Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. via News-Medical – Although radiation treatment is one of the primary methods to treat both brain tumors and brain metastases, it can be associated with several adverse effects that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. Introduction Many different types of cancer will often be treated with therapeutic ionizing irradiation. When used to treat benign and malignant conditions in the brain, cranial radiation therapy (CRT) is often used for both curative and palliative purposes. Regardless of where the radiation treatment is localized, nervous system injury can occur through several mechanisms. For example, irradiation treatment that damages blood vessels that supply the brain or endocrine organs with oxygen can cause secondary neurological effects. Similarly, CRT can directly damage normal neurological structures adjacent to the benign or malignant tissue of interest. Several factors can determine the damage caused by radiation treatment to the nervous system. These include the total radiation dose and dose per fraction delivered to the nervous system, the total volume of the nervous system that was irradiated, if any, the amount of time that has passed since the radiation was completed, and whether the patient has any comorbidities that might increase the intensity of radiation side effects, such as diabetes or hypertension. Acute and Early Delayed Damage Several different types of radiation can be used in the clinical setting, including photons, electrons, protons, and other particle-based radiation. Typically, CRT will be delivered in either X-rays or gamma rays, both photons, through external sources like teletherapy or directly into the tissue of interest through implanted or injectable radioisotopes. Primary neurologic damage that is caused by radiation can be classified according to the time between after the radiation treatment was administered and when the patient began to experience symptoms related to this damage. Acute neurologic damage after radiation, which typically arises within minutes to days after the radiation treatment, is often associated with a rise in intracranial pressure, likely due to acute vasogenic edema. These patients can experience a wide range of symptoms, including nausea, headache, vomiting, somnolence, fever, and worsening neurologic symptoms. However, acute encephalopathy due to radiation treatment will rarely cause cerebral herniation or death. Comparatively, early delayed neurologic damage after CRT, which typically takes several weeks to months for symptoms to develop, is often due to demyelination of surrounding structures. Some possible symptoms of this type of neurologic damage can include headache, lethargy, and worsening of lateralizing signs. Late Delayed Damage The third type of neurologic damage that can occur following CRT is referred to as late delayed damage, which may not cause symptoms to appear for several months or even years after the radiation treatment. Late delayed neurologic damage to the brain can include radiation necrosis (RN), stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy (SMART syndrome), and cerebral atrophy. RN is estimated to occur between 5% and 25% of CRT patients; however, the true incidence of this condition has not been fully established. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed to be responsible for RN. These include disruption to the blood-brain barrier that increases brain permeability, or the CRT directly damages glial cells. Some common symptoms that patients with RN may experience include headaches, nausea, cognitive impairment, seizures, or focal deficits related to the location of their irradiated tumor. SMART syndrome is considered a rare complication of CRT that can occur between one and ten years after treatment. Some characteristic symptoms of SMART syndrome include migraine-like headaches associated with transient neurologic signs that may or may not be accompanied by seizures. Cerebral atrophy typically only arises after whole-brain irradiation, rather than more localized CRT treatments like gamma-knife. Although patients with cerebral atrophy may not report any symptoms at all, others may experience memory loss that can be severe in some cases. References Kaley, T. J., & Deangelis, L. M. (2021). Chapter 28 – Neurologic Complications of Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy. In: Aminoff’s Neurology and General Medicine; 521-537. https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/book/3-s2.0-B9780128193068000289. Tanguturi, S. K., & Alexander, B. M. (2018). Neurologic Complications of Radiation Therapy. Neurologic Clinics 36(3); 599-625. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2018.04.012. Vellayappan, B., Tan, C. L., Yong, C., et al. (2018). Diagnosis and Management of Radiation Necrosis in Patients With Brain Metastases. Frontiers in Oncology 8(395). doi:10.3389/fonc.2018.00395. To read the original article click here.

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Novel Hyperthermic Treatment Offers Hope for Stage 4 Metastatic Cancer

AHA Publisher — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:25:28 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – It’s one of the most heart wrenching moments in medicine and in life. The doctor informs a patient that his or her stage 4 cancer has metastasized all over the body and nothing more can be done except to write a referral for hospice care. But what if there was a way to shrink those stage 4 tumors by half? It wouldn’t make the cancer go away, but would transform it from a likely death sentence to a “chronic illness” with treatments required every few months. That’s what Petah Tikva-based New Phase hopes to do by applying electromagnetic hyperthermia to treat inoperable tumors. Hyperthermia is when the body is heated up. It’s been known for some time that cancerous cells don’t like heat. They die when the temperature hits about 45 degrees Celsius (114 Fahrenheit). Non-cancerous cells on the other hand, can survive temperatures up to 55C/131F. That’s because tumor cells have a disorganized vascular structure which, unlike normal cells, has difficulty dissipating heat. New Phase injects specially created iron oxide nanoparticles by IV. The nanoparticles are embedded within a phase change material (which releases or absorbs energy to provide heat or cooling) and coated with polyethylene glycol (a compound derived from petroleum). They locate the tumors through a process known as EPR – “enhanced permeability and retention,” explains Ofer Shalev, who cofounded New Phase with Dr. Rafi Hof. “Tumor cells feed off of blood capillaries, where there is a lot of leakage,” Shalev tells ISRAEL21c. “We use this to ‘leak’ into the cancer cells. This is the permeability of EPR.” Selective destruction Four hours after receiving the nanoparticle injection, the patient lies on a bed inside an RF machine that uses an electromagnetic induction system to generate non-ionizing radiation. This radiation heats the nanoparticles to a maximum of 50 degrees Celsius by changing the polarity of their iron oxide core. Patients undergoing New Phase treatment wear a special blanket to cool themselves down. Stage 4 metastasized cancer is particularly insidious because many of the “micro-metastases” cannot be identified even microscopically. That makes it impossible to surgically remove these kinds of tumors. But New Phase’s nanoparticles can find them. And even if not all the tumors are destroyed, the treatment turns a stage 4 cancer into something more akin to stage 2 – for which many more treatment options are available. “Even reducing a cancerous mass by 30% to 50% is a huge achievement,” Shalev points out. If some nanoparticles find their way into healthy cells, those cells can survive. “This is how we selectively destroy only the cancer cells,” Shalev says. When there’s nothing else to offer Why not use New Phase’s technology for earlier stages of cancer? “We can,” Shalev says, “but we wanted to start with Stage 4 cancers, where there’s nothing else to offer. In Israel, 11,000 patients die every year from cancer. In the US, it’s more than 600,000 – and the number is increasing by 5,000 people a year. So even dealing with just that subset of patients is a lot of work.” Shalev and his partner previously worked together at ReDent-Nova, which develops dental devices and instruments to treat root canals. They named New Phase’s technology “Sarah” after Hof’s mother, who passed way from lung cancer. “We want patients to survive until [a ripe old] age and to die from reasons other than cancer,” Shalev says. New Phase has so far been tested with mice, pigs and rabbits and with “a few human patients” at a hospital in Nahariya in northern Israel. These Phase I clinical studies started with a fairly low dose. “With every cohort, we will add more and more doses,” Shalev says. Efficacy results are not in yet. “But we know from MRI scans that the nanoparticles reached their targets,” Shalev says. Systemic approach The nanoparticles are developed by New Phase in a “clean room” near Karmiel. The lab is run by three female Druze chemists from a nearby village. New Phase is not the only company that is using hyperthermia to kill cancer cells. “But we are the only ones using it for systemic treatment,” Shalev tells ISRAEL21c. “Others inject nanoparticles into a specific tumor to treat it locally. We don’t care where the micro-metastases are located. They will retain our nanoparticles and, later on, will be destroyed by the hyperthermia.” Another Israeli startup, AlphaTau, is using alpha radiation to kill tumors. This approach, too, is highly local, targeting specific tumors. New Phase’s nanoparticle treatment won’t be available until at least late 2024 or early 2025. That’s how long it takes to conduct all the clinical studies. But the good news is that the approval process will be faster than if it was a drug, because the US Food and Drug Administration has agreed to categorize New Phase’s treatment as a class 3 medical device. Multicultural team New Phase’s scientific advisory board includes Prof. Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University; Dr. Glenwood Goss, chair of the Thoracic Oncology Site Committee and a professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa; and Dr. Arnold Cyjon, former deputy head of oncology at Shamir Medical Center in Israel. In late 2021, the company added Prof. Zeev Rotstein, the former head of Hadassah and Sheba Medical Centers in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, respectively. Rotstein is an active adviser and has good relationships with American hospitals, Shalev notes. Founded in 2013, New Phase has raised $25 million to date (much of it from the family office of serial entrepreneur Aharon Lukach) and employs a multidisciplinary team of 30 engineers, biologists and chemists. Shalev is proud that the company has a 50-50 mix of men and women. Starting off in the NextGen Technologies incubator in Nazareth has also meant the company employs both Jewish and Arab Israelis. New Phase’s technology will, in part, “catch up” patients suffering from solid tumor cancers with their blood cancer counterparts, where immunotherapy has already transformed many conditions, such as lymphoma, into “chronic cancers.” For more information about New Phase, click here To read the original article click here.

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NEW VIDEO: Beat Cancer By Balancing Your Autonomic Nervous System

AHA Publisher — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:00:13 +0000

Edit Lang via NaturalHealth365 – For the past eighteen months, an invisible virus – COVID-19 – has gotten all the spotlight. It is as if the top chronic diseases that claim the most lives in America – including heart disease and cancer – were put on the back burner. But tragically, one in six people dies from cancer each year, with one in three developing the disease in their lifetime. Upon diagnosis, most people are told the only way to “fight” cancer is by using some combination of Western medicine’s invasive or toxic cancer treatment modalities – chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. However, no one tells these newly diagnosed patients that conventional cancer treatments may be more deadly than the disease itself. Few are aware that one of the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation is the formation of new cancers! Thankfully, there are alternatives to the all-allopathic route. In a captivating new video, Jonathan Landsman of NaturalHealth365 interviews Mary Beth Gonzalez, wife of Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, offering hope to everyone battling cancer and anyone wanting to prevent it. Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez: Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System Can Help Fight Off Cancer Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez was a classically trained immunologist. Many years ago, when he worked at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the research lab as a medical student, he learned about the pioneering work of Dr. William Donald Kelly. He was so inspired by what he saw that he dedicated years of his life researching how Dr. Kelly’s tailored and unique nutritional program can balance one’s autonomic nervous system to fight off disease. (Listen carefully to the video below to learn more.) Restore Your Autonomic Balance With the Foods You Eat Science has long established that the autonomic nervous system runs our bodies with its two branches, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Dr. Gonzalez believed that we could affect the autonomic balance for better or worse with the foods we eat. As a result, our food choices profoundly impact whether we develop the diseases people fear the most, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. And for anyone wanting to heal from severe chronic diseases, it is crucial to follow the right diet. The tricky part is knowing which diet is the best one for you. Dr. Gonzalez did not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to diet and nutrition and a single best way of eating to help people heal from cancer. Instead, his protocol includes a tailored diet plan that is specific to each patient’s needs. Discover the Gonzalez Roadmap to Wellness and Help Your Body Heal Dr. Gonzalez developed two different paths to wellness to help his patients heal. The first one, the Gonzalez Metabolic Type Test – which patients can take online – focuses on nourishing the body with the right foods to heal itself. The protocol empowers patients to take charge of their health instead of relying on doctors to “fix” their problems. The purpose of this online test is to provide a roadmap by identifying patients’ metabolic types to help them get started on their healing journey. The second path to wellness, Gonzalez Guardians, is for those who experience symptoms that require a doctor’s care. Regardless of where you are on your healing journey, it is critical to do your research and have an open mind. Conventional treatment modalities are by far not the only way to restore your health. Giving your body the fuel it needs may just speed up your healing. Sources for this article include: TheGonzalezProtocol.com Rumble.com To read the original article click here.

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New Drug Candidate Could Boost Potential of Immunotherapy

AHA Publisher — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 07:00:24 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – One of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer treatment today is immunotherapy. Rather than flooding the body with toxic chemicals and radiation, this method recruits the patient’s own system to fight the cancer. While the immune system’s job is to detect and destroy intruders, cancer cells have various ways to disable it. Immunotherapy, therefore, aims to help immune cells recover their natural function. Although a powerful class of immunotherapy drugs, PD-1 inhibitors, was approved by the FDA in 2014, only 20-30 percent of cancer patients respond well to them. Even among those who initially respond, often the therapy stops working once cancer cells learn how to evade PD-1 inhibitors. “The reason seems to be that like cars in a traffic jam, the cancer cells find an alternative route to bypass the treatment, engage the immune cell [and shut it down],” explains Dr. Gavin Samuels, executive director of Jerusalem-based Nectin Therapeutics. The company is named after the nectin family of proteins, whose pathways are a common alternate route for cancer cells to evade immunotherapy. Established in 2017 based on a collaboration between scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Rijeka, Croatia, Nectin Therapeutics’ drugs set up a roadblock in the nectin pathways. Used alone or in conjunction with PD-1 inhibitors, this treatment could be a strong contender in the quest to boost the success of immunotherapy for cancer patients. Like a Key in a Lock “There are probably many cells in our bodies that are constantly moving on a spectrum from normal cells to cancer cells, and an active immune system constantly surveys the situation,” explains Samuels, a physician. “As soon as the immune system detects these abnormal cells, it attacks them.” To protect themselves and take root as tumors, cancer cells develop anchors to reach specific receptors on the immune cell, fit into it like a key in a lock, switch it off and inactivate it. By breaking that locking mechanism, immuno-oncology drugs reactivate the immune response and provide a safer treatment with fewer side effects than traditional chemo or radiation therapy. “You have horrific side effects with chemotherapy because it’s essentially a poison that is more toxic to cancer cells — because they are rapidly dividing — than to normal cells,” Samuels explains. “We’ve developed a series of monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates – an antibody with a toxin attached, sent directly to the cancer cell.” Nectin Therapeutics’ drugs have been shown in preclinical studies to effectively restore the function of immune cells when used alone, and even more when combined with a PD-1 drug, he says. The company’s lead candidate is expected to go into human clinical trials early next year. Other Nectin Therapeutics drugs could get to clinical trials about a year later, depending on FDA consideration, based on preclinical studies taking place in the US, Israel and Europe. Unique to Nectin Therapeutics Keren Paz, Nectin’s chief development officer, based in New York, explains that many research groups have sought alternative pathways to PD-1. Most have been unsuccessful. “We’re trying to find a common denominator among a lot of patients who did not respond well enough or long enough to that first family of immunotherapy drugs,” she says. “We see tumors that express the nectin proteins from the beginning and others that become dependent on these proteins only when the patient’s immune cells are already exhausted following treatment.” Nectin’s drugs use several different mechanisms of action to help restore the power of the immune system and shrink existing tumors. Immunology researcher Pini Tsukerman, Nectin Therapeutics’ cofounder and chief scientific officer, says the company has gained an in-depth understanding of the evasion mechanisms of cancerous cells from the immune system. “This comprehensive understanding, together with our track record in drug discovery and development, allowed us to select unique molecules as a target for the antibodies we develop,” says Tsukerman. Paz emphasizes that the antibodies demonstrated a favorable safety profile in preclinical studies and are expected to be effective in patients with many different types of cancer and at different stages of the disease. “Even targeted therapy has some side effects, but we’re not expecting any. We’re simply turning on an existing mechanism of the human body that was turned off,” Paz tells ISRAEL21c. Raising Funds Nectin Therapeutics’ investors include Integra Holdings, an investment company focused on life-science innovations emerging from the Hebrew University; aMoon Velocity, the early-stage fund of Israel’s largest health-tech and life-sciences venture fund aMoon; and Peregrine Ventures. The company closed a Series B round that raised about $15 million in May. “We believe that new immune checkpoint inhibitors will significantly enrich the toolbox of immunotherapy treatments and enable a more effective fight against cancer, whether as an independent treatment or in combination with existing approved drugs,” said Yaron Daniely, partner and head of aMoon Alpha. For more information, click here To read the original article click here.

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Groundbreaking Study Optimizes Patient’s Own Immune System to Fight Tumors

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 May 2021 07:26:30 +0000

University of Minnesota via News-Medical – A groundbreaking study led by engineering and medical researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how engineered immune cells used in new cancer therapies can overcome physical barriers to allow a patient’s own immune system to fight tumors. The research could improve cancer therapies in the future for millions of people worldwide. The research is published in Nature Communications, a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Research. Instead of using chemicals or radiation, immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the patient’s immune system fight cancer. T cells are a type of white blood cell that are of key importance to the immune system. Cytotoxic T cells are like soldiers who search out and destroy the targeted invader cells. While there has been success in using immunotherapy for some types of cancer in the blood or blood-producing organs, a T cell’s job is much more difficult in solid tumors. “The tumor is sort of like an obstacle course, and the T cell has to run the gauntlet to reach the cancer cells. These T cells get into tumors, but they just can’t move around well, and they can’t go where they need to go before they run out of gas and are exhausted.” Paolo Provenzano, senior author of the study and biomedical engineering associate professor in the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering In this first-of-its-kind study, the researchers are working to engineer the T cells and develop engineering design criteria to mechanically optimize the cells or make them more “fit” to overcome the barriers. If these immune cells can recognize and get to the cancer cells, then they can destroy the tumor. In a fibrous mass of a tumor, the stiffness of the tumor causes immune cells to slow down about two-fold–almost like they are running in quicksand. “This study is our first publication where we have identified some structural and signaling elements where we can tune these T cells to make them more effective cancer fighters,” said Provenzano, a researcher in the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. “Every ‘obstacle course’ within a tumor is slightly different, but there are some similarities. After engineering these immune cells, we found that they moved through the tumor almost twice as fast no matter what obstacles were in their way.” To engineer cytotoxic T cells, the authors used advanced gene editing technologies (also called genome editing) to change the DNA of the T cells so they are better able to overcome the tumor’s barriers. The ultimate goal is to slow down the cancer cells and speed up the engineered immune cells. The researchers are working to create cells that are good at overcoming different kinds of barriers. When these cells are mixed together, the goal is for groups of immune cells to overcome all the different types of barriers to reach the cancer cells. Provenzano said the next steps are to continue studying the mechanical properties of the cells to better understand how the immune cells and cancer cells interact. The researchers are currently studying engineered immune cells in rodents and in the future are planning clinical trials in humans. While initial research has been focused on pancreatic cancer, Provenzano said the techniques they are developing could be used on many types of cancers. “Using a cell engineering approach to fight cancer is a relatively new field,” Provenzano said. “It allows for a very personalized approach with applications for a wide array of cancers. We feel we are expanding a new line of research to look at how our own bodies can fight cancer. This could have a big impact in the future.” In addition to Provenzano, the study’s authors included current and former University of Minnesota Department of Biomedical Engineering researchers Erdem D. Tabdanov (co-author), Nelson J. Rodríguez-Merced (co-author), Vikram V. Puram, Mackenzie K. Callaway, and Ethan A. Ensminger; University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center and Medical School Department of Pediatrics researchers Emily J. Pomeroy, Kenta Yamamoto, Walker S. Lahr, Beau R. Webber, Branden S. Moriarity; National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering researcher Alexander X. Cartagena-Rivera; and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute researcher Alexander S. Zhovmer, who is now at the Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research. The research was funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, which receives funding from NIH’s National Cancer Institute. Additional funding was provided by the American Cancer Society and the Randy Shaver Research and Community Fund. The University of Minnesota Imaging Center provided additional staff expertise. Some of the researchers also are part of the University of Minnesota Center for Genome Engineering and the University’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine. To read the original article click here.

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How Oxygen Radicals Protect Against Cancer

AHA Publisher — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:00:06 +0000

Goethe University Frankfurt via EurekAlert – Originally, oxygen radicals – reactive oxygen species, or ROS for short – were considered to be exclusively harmful in the body. They are produced, for example, by smoking or UV radiation. Because of their high reactivity, they can damage many important molecules in cells, including the hereditary molecule DNA. As a result, there is a risk of inflammatory reactions and the degeneration of affected cells into cancer cells. Because of their damaging effect, however, ROS are also deliberately produced by the body, for example by immune or lung epithelial cells, which destroy invading bacteria and viruses with ROS. This requires relatively high ROS concentrations. In low concentrations, on the other hand, ROS play an important role as signalling molecules. For these tasks, ROS are specifically produced by a whole group of enzymes. One representative of this group of enzymes is Nox4, which continuously produces small amounts of H2O2. Nox4 is found in almost all body cells, where its product H2O2 maintains a large number of specialised signaling functions, contributing, for example, to the inhibition of inflammatory reactions. Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, led by Professor Katrin Schröder, have now discovered that by producing H2O2, Nox4 can even prevent the development of cancer. They examined mice that were unable to produce Nox4 due to a genetic modification. When these mice were exposed to a carcinogenic environmental toxin (cancerogen), the probability that they would develop a tumour doubled. Since the mice suffered from very different types of tumours such as skin sarcomas and colon carcinomas, the researchers suspected that Nox4 has a fundamental influence on cellular health. Molecular investigations showed that the H2O2 formed by Nox4 keeps a cascade going that prevents certain important signalling proteins (phosphatases) from entering the cell nucleus. If Nox4 and consequently H2O2 are absent, those signalling proteins migrate into the cell nucleus and as a consequence, severe DNA damage is hardly recognised. Severe DNA damage – e.g. double strand breaks – occurs somewhere in the body every day. Cells react very sensitively to such DNA damage, setting a whole repertoire of repair enzymes in motion. If this does not help, the cell activates its cell death programme – a precautionary measure of the body against cancer. When such damage goes unrecognised, as occurs in the absence of Nox4, it spurs cancer formation. Prof. Katrin Schröder explains the research results: “If Nox4 is missing and there is therefore no H2O2, the cells no longer recognise DNA damage. Mutations accumulate and damaged cells continue to multiply. If an environmental toxin is added that massively damages the DNA, the damage is no longer recognised and repaired. The affected cells are not eliminated either, but multiply, sometimes very quickly and uncontrollably, which eventually leads to the development of tumours. A small amount of H2O2 thus maintains an internal balance in the cell that protects the cells from degeneration.” To read the original article click here.

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Do Cell Phones Cause Brain Tumors?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:00:34 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What does the world’s leading authority on carcinogens have to say about mobile phones? Do cell phones cause cancer? That’s a question billions of people would like to have answered and one I address in my video Cell Phone Brain Tumor Risk?. That’s why we have the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the recognized authority on determining what is and is not carcinogenic. There are five categories: Group 1 carcinogens are agents that we know with the highest level of certainty do cause cancer in human beings, Group 2A probably cause cancer, Group 2B possibly cause cancer, we’re not sure about agents categorized as Group 3, and Group 4 agents probably don’t cause cancer. In May 2011, 30 scientists from 14 countries met at the IARC to assess the carcinogenicity of the radiation emitted from cell phones and concluded that, given the limited amount of available evidence, cell phones are “‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 2B).” So they’re not classified as a Group 1 carcinogen that’s known definitively to be cancer-causing, like plutonium, or processed meat, or as probable carcinogen, like DDT, Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide, or some regular meat, but they are classified as a possible carcinogen, ranked similarly as preserved vegetables like kimchi. Now, this classification was made more than five years ago. Evidence continues to mount, and the latest two 2017 systematic reviews found a 33 percent increase in odds of brain tumors with long-term use and showed 46 percent higher odds for tumors on the phone side of your head—and the reviews included the industry-funded studies that have been accused of being biased and flawed, and underestimating the risk, as opposed to independent studies free from “financial conditioning.” How’s that for a euphemism? Given this, some scientists are pushing to have the IARC reclassify cell phones as probable carcinogens or even bump them all the way up into Group 1, at least for brain cancer and acoustic neuroma, a type of inner ear tumor. But the IARC classification for cell phones currently remains at possible carcinogen. What does that mean? What do we do with that information? Well, given the uncertainty, we could follow “the precautionary principle” and use simple personal measures to reduce our exposure, like not putting the phone directly up to our head all the time. Indeed, the “main concern about cell phones is that they are usually held close to the head,” which is considered particularly important for children. There’s no evidence of finger cancer, though, so you can keep texting away. Other potential personal recommendations include waiting a moment before putting your cell phone to your ear, if you don’t have a headset, because “when the cell phone establishes a connection, the emission is high.” And don’t fall for those anti-radiation gizmos, those “so-called protection covers,” as they may make things worse by forcing the phone to boost the signal. Not all agree, however, with this precautionary approach. Employees at two cell phone industry trade organizations emphasize “there are many aspects of human activity that are not ‘totally without adverse health effects,’—for example, transport (including aviation) and hot showers,” so they suggest we should just accept the risk as being worth it. Wait. Hot showers? As in we might scald ourselves or something? In any case, they further suggest that we shouldn’t put forth any recommendations because “such judgment should be made by parents on a personal basis for their own children,” and, if we do put out guidelines or something, people might get nervous and we all know “anxiety itself can have deleterious health consequences.” So, basically, the cell phone industry cares so much about your health that it doesn’t want you worrying your pretty little head. Nevertheless, all of this is openly discussed in the risk analysis literature. “From a public health perspective, it might be reasonable to provide cell phone users with voluntary precautionary recommendations for their cell phone handling in order to enable them to make informed decisions”—but what if the public can’t handle the truth? We don’t want to freak people out. There’s still “scientific uncertainty” and we don’t want to “foster inappropriate fears.” For example, brain cancer is rare to begin with. You only have about a 1 in 15,000 chance a year of getting a brain tumor, so even if cell phones double your risk, that would only take you up to a 1 in 7,500 chance. You may be more likely to get killed by a cell phone in the hands of a distracted driver than by cancer. So, whether health authorities want to inform the general public about precautionary possibilities really remains more of a political decision. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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