Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Risk Factors for Metastasis and Prognosis in Non-Curative Resection After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Undifferentiated-Type Early Gastric Cancer in a Nationwide Cohort in Japan.
Shiotsuki K, et al
A large nationwide study from Japan examined whether the eCura risk stratification system, previously validated for differentiated-type early gastric cancer, can also guide clinical decisions after non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer. Researchers analyzed 1,049 patients treated between 2011 and 2019, dividing them into those who underwent additional surgery and those managed with follow-up alone. Among patients who had additional surgery, 6% were found to have lymph node metastasis, with tumor size greater than 30 mm and lymphatic invasion identified as independent risk factors. The eCura scoring system demonstrated strong predictive accuracy for lymph node metastasis, comparable to a newly developed exploratory scoring model, and successfully stratified patients in the follow-up group by risk level. Five-year cancer-specific survival rates differed dramatically across risk categories: 99.6% for low-risk, 96.9% for intermediate-risk, and only 60.6% for high-risk patients. These findings support applying the eCura system to undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer after non-curative ESD, helping clinicians identify which patients urgently require additional surgery versus those who may be safely monitored.
Digestive endoscopy : official journal of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society
Source →Carvedilol Upregulates Inflammatory Factors to Enhance Paclitaxel Sensitivity in Paclitaxel-Resistant Gastric Cancer AGS Cells: Influences on β-Arrestin-2/cGAS-STING Axis.
Salati Momeni H, et al
Researchers investigated how combining carvedilol, a common heart medication, with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel can overcome drug resistance in gastric cancer cells. In laboratory experiments using paclitaxel-resistant gastric cancer AGS cells, the combination treatment significantly increased levels of inflammatory signaling molecules including IL-1β, TNF-α, NF-κB p65, and NLRP3 compared to either drug alone. The study also revealed that carvedilol appears to work by recruiting a protein called β-arrestin-2 to beta-adrenergic receptors, which in turn activates the cGAS-STING immune signaling pathway and promotes an inflammatory response that helps sensitize resistant cancer cells to chemotherapy. These findings suggest that repurposing carvedilol alongside paclitaxel could be a promising strategy to restore chemotherapy effectiveness in patients whose gastric cancer has become resistant to standard treatment. This research opens the door to affordable combination therapy options, since carvedilol is an already-approved and widely available drug, potentially accelerating its path to clinical application.
Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology
Source →Safety, Distribution, and Pharmacokinetics of Biodegradable P(AAm-co-MAA) Nanogels Following Systemic Administration in Mice.
Ajeeb R, et al
Researchers investigated the safety, biodistribution, and pharmacokinetics of biodegradable poly(acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) (P(AAm-co-MAA)) nanogels after intravenous or intraperitoneal injection in mice, aiming to better understand how these drug-delivery particles behave inside a living body. The nanogels cleared rapidly from the bloodstream and distributed primarily to the kidneys, liver, and small intestine, with uptake in the liver occurring mainly in endothelial cells and resident macrophages. Importantly, organs with high blood flow showed clearance patterns that mirrored plasma levels, while the kidneys and small intestine retained the nanogels for longer periods. A single injection of these nanogels did not trigger any systemic immune response or cause organ-specific toxicity, suggesting a favorable safety profile for future medical use. These findings offer a clearer picture of how redox-responsive, disulfide-crosslinked nanogels behave in vivo and provide a scientific foundation for designing safer and more effective nanogel-based drug delivery systems for cancer and other diseases.
Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
Source →Integrated optimization of needle paths and dwell time for individualized template-guided interstitial brachytherapy.
Yao Q, et al
Researchers developed and validated an automated method to optimize needle placement and radiation dwell times for 3D-printed individualized template-guided interstitial brachytherapy, a radiation treatment used for locally recurrent cervical cancer. The system uses a two-layer optimization strategy — simulated annealing for needle path selection and a secondary algorithm for dwell time tuning — to replace time-consuming manual planning that depends heavily on operator expertise. Tested on 219 treatment fractions from 40 patients, the automated approach generated clinically acceptable plans in under two minutes on average. Compared to manually designed clinical plans, the automated plans significantly reduced radiation doses to critical organs including the rectum, bladder, colon, small intestine, and urethra, while maintaining equivalent tumor coverage. These findings suggest that automated integrated planning can improve treatment consistency, reduce patient risk from unnecessary needle insertions, and protect healthy tissue more effectively than current manual methods.
Medical physics
Source →Lab-grown oesophagus restores pigs' ability to swallow.
Fieldhouse R
Researchers have successfully grown functional oesophageal tissue in the laboratory and implanted it into pigs, restoring the animals' ability to swallow normally. The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, represents a landmark advance in tissue engineering applied to the digestive tract. Scientists used bioengineering techniques to construct an oesophagus capable of integrating with the surrounding tissue and performing its mechanical function of moving food from the mouth to the stomach. This breakthrough is particularly significant for patients suffering from oesophageal cancer, severe injury, or congenital defects, for whom current surgical options are limited and often associated with serious complications. If the approach can be translated to human medicine, it could one day offer a life-changing alternative to existing reconstructive procedures, dramatically improving quality of life for thousands of patients each year.
Nature
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