New immunotherapy double-crosses cancer to kill it from within

One of cancer’s crafty tricks involves manipulating the host’s immune cells to protect the tumors instead of fighting them. But now, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have turned the tables around again, transforming these cells back into cancer killers. To promote its own growth, cancer creates its own microenvironment around it to sap nutrients and weaken the immune response in the area.

One of the most devious ways it does this is by hijacking the function of immune cells called regulatory T cells (Tregs). Normally these cells play an important role in keeping the immune system from attacking the body’s own cells, which would lead to autoimmune diseases. But some types of cancer will selectively let Tregs into their microenvironment, where they then fight off other immune cells that come to kill the tumor.
So for the new study, the researchers found a way to convert those Tregs into tumor-fighting T cells, which not only helps destroy the tumors from the inside out but allows other immune cells to chip in.

The team tested the technique on mice with human glioblastoma, a hard-to-treat form of brain cancer with a low survival rate. They used an antibody called aGITR, which worked to reprogram the cancer-defending Tregs into cancer-fighting CD4 effector T cells. This was backed up with existing drugs called immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs), which help boost the action of the immune system.

And sure enough, survival times in the mice were extended. In some cases, the tumors were not only eradicated completely, but when the scientists later reintroduced cancer cells into the mice, their immune system was still primed to fight them off.

More at: https://newatlas.com/medical/immunotherapy-brain-cancer-convert-immune-cells/

Urine test detects brain tumors with high degree of accuracy

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First discovered in 1993, [microRNA] are short strands of non-coding RNA that play an important role in gene expression, and can take on unique forms when produced by cancer cells in the body. The scientists sought to exploit this by developing a novel device fitted with 100 million zinc oxide nanowires that was able extract vast amounts of microRNA from urine samples as small as a milliliter in volume. Samples were collected from patients with brain tumors and a control group of non-cancer patients, with the team's analysis revealing that many microRNAs derived from brain tumors could be found in the urine in stable condition.

More at: https://newatlas.com/medical/urine-test-detects-brain-tumor-high-accuracy/

Blood test that finds 50 types of cancer is accurate enough to be rolled out

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/...e-enough-to-be-rolled-out

Scientists Finish the Human Genome at Last

The complete genome uncovered more than 100 new genes that are probably functional, and many new variants that may be linked to diseases.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/23/science/hu...mplete.html?smid=em-share

Triple-combo of drugs targeting pancreatic cancer looks to human trials

Impressive new preclinical work from a team at MIT has found a combination of three experimental immunotherapy drugs could help shrink, or even eliminate, pancreatic tumors. Each of the three drugs have demonstrated safety in early-stage human trials and the researchers hope to begin a trial testing the novel triple combo by the end of the year.

More at: https://newatlas.com/medical/triple-combinati...py-pancreatic-cancer-mit/