Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
[Current Data from the National Registry for Urothelial Cancer (UroNAT) by d-uo].
Eichenauer R, et al
The German Association of Uro-Oncologists (d-uo) launched UroNAT in October 2021, a nationwide prospective registry designed to document and analyze real-world treatment of urothelial carcinoma across all stages in outpatient settings across Germany. The registry has enrolled 2,024 patients to date, with data from 1,531 available for analysis, revealing that 69% of patients first presented with symptoms such as gross or microscopic hematuria. The vast majority of tumors were located in the urinary bladder (94.5%), with non-invasive stages predominating — 57% at stage Ta and 20% at T1 — while 23% had more invasive T2-T4 disease, and half of all tumors were classified as high-grade (G3). Approximately 90% of patients underwent transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB or re-TURB), while cystectomy was performed in only 5.1% of cases. This registry provides an important foundation for quality assurance and evidence-based improvement of outpatient uro-oncological care in Germany, helping clinicians understand how urothelial cancer is managed in everyday clinical practice rather than controlled trial settings.
Aktuelle Urologie
Source →IPSS-M downstaging before transplantation does not improve the prognosis of patients with myelodysplastic neoplasms.
Richardson T, et al
Researchers investigated whether cytoreductive pretreatment and molecular risk 'downstaging' using the IPSS-M scoring system before allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) improves outcomes for patients with myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS). In a retrospective study of 128 adults, patients who proceeded directly to transplantation without prior cytoreduction showed significantly better overall survival, relapse-free survival, and graft-versus-host disease-free survival compared to those who received pretransplant treatment. Although IPSS-M scores modestly improved in about one-third of pretreated patients, this molecular downstaging did not translate into better post-transplant outcomes, and non-relapse mortality was significantly higher in the pretreated group. Importantly, when outcomes were measured from the time of transplantation rather than from diagnosis, the survival advantage of frontline transplantation was no longer statistically significant, suggesting the benefit relates to earlier transplantation rather than treatment approach. These findings support a strategy of early donor identification and prompt transplantation guided by molecular risk, rather than attempting to improve IPSS-M scores through pretreatment. Clinicians should prioritize timely referral for transplantation in eligible MDS patients rather than delaying with cytoreductive therapy aimed at downstaging.
Bone marrow transplantation
Source →Venetoclax-Integrated Conditioning Strategies Prior to Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Myeloid Neoplasms: A Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence.
Abdulgayoom M, et al
Researchers conducted a scoping review to map the emerging clinical evidence on venetoclax, a targeted BCL-2 inhibitor drug, when used as part of conditioning regimens before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with high-risk myeloid blood cancers. Allo-HSCT is currently the only potentially curative option for many such patients, but outcomes are frequently limited by disease relapse and serious treatment-related complications. The review identified 18 studies covering 20 reports, including nine published patient cohorts totaling 238 patients and 11 ongoing clinical trials, revealing a highly varied landscape of treatment approaches ranging from reduced-intensity to full myeloablative conditioning. Early results suggested that engraftment rates and graft-versus-host disease outcomes were broadly in line with established benchmarks, though the data are preliminary and come from non-randomized settings. The authors emphasize that this review is intended to chart the current evidence landscape and active trials rather than to guide clinical decision-making, and that well-designed randomized studies are needed before venetoclax-containing conditioning can be considered a standard approach.
European journal of haematology
Source →Dual targeting of GPX4 and TXNRD1 triggers eradication of AML cells through induction of apoptosis and ferroptosis.
Favreau C, et al
Researchers investigated two novel compounds, HA344 and #231, as potential new treatments for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), diseases with limited current therapeutic options. The study found that both compounds simultaneously trigger two distinct cell death pathways—ferroptosis and apoptosis—effectively killing MDS/AML cell lines as well as cancer cells taken directly from patients. Using advanced techniques including RNA sequencing and chemical biology mass spectrometry, the team identified glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) as the primary molecular targets, with both compounds binding covalently and with higher affinity to the selenium-containing form of GPX4. These findings are significant because simultaneously disrupting two antioxidant defense systems in leukemia cells may overcome resistance mechanisms that limit existing therapies, offering a new dual-target therapeutic strategy for patients with MDS and AML.
Experimental hematology & oncology
Source →5-Azacytidine incorporation into mRNAs disrupts translation and induces ribosome collisions.
Roberson AB, et al
Researchers investigated the molecular mechanisms by which 5-Azacytidine (5-AzaC), a drug widely used to treat blood cancers such as myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, exerts its effects on cells. While 5-AzaC has long been thought to work mainly by altering DNA methylation patterns, this study reveals that the drug is rapidly incorporated into messenger RNAs within just two hours of treatment, causing widespread disruption of the protein-making machinery known as ribosomes. Using advanced sequencing techniques, the researchers showed that 5-AzaC-modified mRNAs cause ribosomes to stall and collide with one another, triggering stress response pathways including the integrated stress response and the ribotoxic stress response. The study also found that loss of a quality-control protein called ZNF598 makes cells significantly more sensitive to 5-AzaC, pointing to this pathway as a potential vulnerability that could be exploited therapeutically. These findings establish that translation disruption is an important and previously unrecognized mechanism of action for 5-AzaC, which could inform the development of more effective treatment strategies for leukemia and related blood cancers.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
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