Targeting microRNAs could unmask hidden vulnerability in breast cancer stem cells

Researchers in Italy have identified a pair of microRNA molecules that help maintain a population of cancerous stem cells that drive the growth of breast cancers and initiate tumor relapse after treatment. The study, which will be published April 2 in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), reveals that targeting these microRNAs makes cancer stem cells more susceptible to some chemotherapies and could potentially improve the prognosis of patients with aggressive forms of breast cancer.

Regular Exercise May Protect Cardiovascular Cells during Chemotherapy

Marie Mclaughlin, MSc, from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, will present research on human endothelial cells treated with FEC-T, a chemotherapy regimen that combines four drugs (5 fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and docetaxel). The researchers found that preconditioning the endothelial cells with serum (blood) from people who habitually exercise caused less cell death than samples that were treated with untrained serum (people who exercised less than 75 minutes per week). “Exercise preconditioning can provide protection against these detrimental effects in vitro,” Mclaughlin explained.

Exercise May Improve Effects of Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death around the world after heart disease. This week, researchers exploring the effects of exercise as a natural preventive tool and noninvasive treatment for cancer will present their work at the American Physiological Society (APS) Integrative Physiology of Exercise conference.

Accelerating Access to Breakthrough Cancer Therapies Leads Morristown Medical Center to Expand Infusion Center

Atlantic Health System has announced the opening of Morristown Medical Center’s new state-of-the-art, patient-centered Infusion Center located in the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. The first of three phases of expansion of New Jersey’s pre-eminent cancer center, the new unit was funded in large part by donations made by community members in support of the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center’s Growing Forward Campaign.

Chemotherapy Drug More Effective When Combined With Microbubbles

Hepatocellular carcinoma is usually treated by blocking the flow of blood to the tumor to induce cancer cell death, but the common treatment, transarterial chemoembolization, is invasive and too imprecise to be a local drug delivery method. Aiming to increase the precision, researchers at Tulane University created a treatment that involves vaporizing tiny droplets of perfluorocarbon, a common organic material composed of carbon and fluorine. The method of gas embolization is published in APL Bioengineering.

Structure of a Complex Enzyme That Protects Cells From DNA Damage Is Uncovered by Mount Sinai Researchers

A research team from Mount Sinai has unraveled for the first time the three-dimensional structure and mechanism of a complex enzyme that protects cells from constant DNA damage, opening the door to discovery of new therapeutics for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant cancers.

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Urologist Leads Collaborative Study on Fertility Counseling Prior to Chemotherapy

For younger cancer patients, fertility counseling at the time of cancer diagnosis is important for making family planning decisions. Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., a clinician and researcher at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was the lead author of a new collaborative study, “Evaluation of Reported Fertility Preservation Counseling Before Chemotherapy Using the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Survey,” published JAMA Network Open.

Breaking Research News from Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center thoracic cancer and cancer genomics experts reported promising new findings and studies in mesothelioma, lung cancer and melanoma at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the world’s leading professional organization for physicians and oncology professionals caring for cancer patients.

MSK: Cancer Isn’t Sheltering in Place

As the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City and the Tri-State area begins to subside, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center oncologists are urging patients to schedule cancer screenings and treatments now – as the long-term toll of missed diagnoses and delayed treatments could be devastating for patients and their loved ones across the region and the country.

Combination of Chemo and Immunotherapy Is Shown to Work Against Metastatic Bladder Cancer

A clinical trial led by Mount Sinai researchers has showed for the first time that combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy can slow down metastatic bladder cancer. The trial also showed that immunotherapy alone may be an option for a subset of patients with metastatic bladder cancer if their tumor expresses a high level of a protein called PD-L1 according to the study, published in The Lancet in May.

Immunotherapy Treatment Immediately After Chemotherapy Significantly Slows Metastatic Bladder Cancer Progression

Using immunotherapy immediately after chemotherapy treatment in patients with metastatic bladder cancer significantly slowed the progression of the cancer, according to results of a clinical trial led by Mount Sinai researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in April.

Maintaining Full Doses of Chemotherapy Can Be Key for Breast Cancer Survival, According to New Research in JNCCN

Study in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, finds early dose reduction of adjuvant FEC-D chemotherapy negatively impacts overall survival rates for women with intermediate- or high-risk breast cancer.