Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Morphological changes in tennis elbow after PRP injection: A novel MRI-based assessment in a randomized controlled study.
Walecka J, et al
Researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections improve tendon healing in lateral epicondylar tendinopathy, commonly known as tennis elbow, using high-resolution MRI as an objective measurement tool. Seventy-one patients with chronic tennis elbow received either leukocyte-rich PRP (LR-PRP), leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP), or saline injections, with MRI scans performed before and six months after treatment using a 3T scanner in a specialized imaging position. The MRI protocol proved highly reliable, and all treatment groups — including the saline control — showed statistically significant improvements in tendon structure and muscle swelling, suggesting a notable placebo or natural recovery effect. LR-PRP demonstrated a specific advantage in reducing partial tendon tear size and soft tissue swelling, while LP-PRP showed more modest and inconsistent morphological benefits, and neither PRP formulation proved universally superior to saline overall. The study also highlighted that tennis elbow encompasses a broader spectrum of joint pathologies than tendinopathy alone, including ligament abnormalities, synovitis, joint effusion, and subchondral cysts. These findings provide clinicians with a reproducible MRI-based framework for monitoring tendon changes and suggest that the added value of PRP injections over placebo may be limited and parameter-specific rather than broadly superior.
Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery
Source →What shapes satisfaction with daily life participation? Insights into functional outcomes after pediatric bone sarcoma treatment.
Tigelaar LG, et al
A new study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation examined functional outcomes and satisfaction with daily life participation in 122 young patients treated for pediatric bone sarcoma of the pelvis or lower limbs, assessed at a median of nearly six years after treatment. Researchers used a comprehensive battery of standardized tests covering fatigue, pain, physical functioning, mobility, and participation, organized according to the International Classification of Functioning framework. Patients showed significantly worse results than healthy peers in areas such as fatigue, walking speed, walking endurance, and physical functioning, although pain interference scores were similar to reference values despite more than half of patients reporting some level of pain. Critically, satisfaction with participation in daily life was most strongly linked to perceived restrictions and fatigue, rather than to the type of surgical approach used for tumors around the knee. These findings suggest that the choice of surgery alone does not determine a patient's quality of life, and that personal and psychosocial factors play an equally important role in long-term well-being. The authors conclude that follow-up care for pediatric bone sarcoma survivors should be patient-centered and specifically address fatigue and participation barriers to improve long-term outcomes.
Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
Source →Site-Specific Disparities and Treatment Strategies in Bowel Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Population-Based SEER Analysis.
Kahana N, et al
A new population-based study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery analyzed over 5,700 patients with bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) — rare but serious tumors of the digestive tract — to determine whether the tumor's location in the body affects patient outcomes and treatment choices. Using the large U.S. SEER database spanning 2000 to 2022, researchers compared patients with GISTs in the small intestine, colon, and rectum, finding that these three locations harbor distinct patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and survival rates. Rectal GISTs showed the best five-year cancer-specific survival at 86.5%, compared to 81.0% for small intestinal GISTs and only 67.2% for colonic GISTs, though after adjusting for other factors, rectal location independently predicted better survival while colonic location did not independently predict worse outcomes. Notably, patients with rectal GISTs achieved strong survival even when treated with systemic (drug) therapy alone, without surgery, suggesting high responsiveness to targeted treatments. The study also found that Black patients were disproportionately represented among colonic GIST cases, pointing to important demographic disparities that warrant further investigation. The authors conclude that treating all bowel GISTs as a single disease category is misleading, and that location-specific risk assessment should guide clinical decision-making to improve patient care.
Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
Source →The Nox2 NADPH oxidase regulates neutrophilic inflammation in the oral cavity.
Jin S, et al
Researchers investigated why patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) — a rare inherited immune disorder caused by mutations in the NOX2 gene — frequently suffer from painful oral inflammation, including ulcers, gingivitis, and stomatitis. Using mice lacking the Nox2 enzyme (CybbKO mice), the team discovered that the severe oral tissue destruction observed in these animals was not due to unchecked bacterial infections, but rather to a cell-intrinsic dysregulation of neutrophils, the frontline immune cells that normally fight infection and then stand down. Profiling of oral tissues revealed an exaggerated neutrophil response accompanied by elevated levels of bone-destroying and tissue-degrading inflammatory molecules, alongside reduced activity of a protective gene-regulating protein called Nrf2. Crucially, the researchers demonstrated that restoring Nrf2 activity with a synthetic drug compound was sufficient to dampen the hyperinflammatory response, pointing to a potential therapeutic strategy. These findings clarify that Nox2-derived reactive oxygen species are essential not just for killing microbes but for keeping neutrophil-driven inflammation in the mouth properly balanced through an Nrf2-dependent pathway. For CGD patients and clinicians, this work opens a new avenue for treating oral inflammatory complications using Nrf2-activating therapies rather than relying solely on antimicrobial approaches.
Mucosal immunology
Source →Harnessing the anti-inflammatory, skin-protective, and antioxidant potential of Epilobium dodonaei extracts using in vitro and in silico approaches.
Kurt-Celep I, et al
Researchers investigated the therapeutic potential of extracts from Epilobium dodonaei, a plant traditionally used for wound healing and prostate cancer treatment, focusing on its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-protective properties. Using methanol, ethyl acetate, and water-based extractions, the team found that the methanol extract contained the highest levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, and demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity across multiple assays. Chemical profiling identified oenothein B, pedunculagin, galloyl glucose, and ellagic acid as the dominant bioactive compounds. In laboratory experiments using human dermal fibroblasts stimulated with lipopolysaccharide to mimic inflammation, the extracts reduced key inflammatory markers including NF-κB, AP-1, IL-6, IL-11, and IFN-γ, while also suppressing the activity of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9, which are enzymes involved in tissue breakdown. These findings suggest that E. dodonaei extracts act through multiple biological pathways to combat inflammation and oxidative stress, positioning them as promising candidates for plant-based therapies aimed at promoting dermal wound healing.
RSC advances
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