Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Selective resection of the medial wall of the cavernous sinus in acromegaly: patient series.
Vergeer RA, et al
Researchers at a large tertiary pituitary referral center investigated whether selectively removing the medial wall of the cavernous sinus during transsphenoidal surgery could improve endocrine remission rates in patients with acromegaly, a hormonal disorder caused by a growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumor. The study prospectively enrolled 12 patients treated between January 2023 and January 2025, and tumor invasion of the medial wall was confirmed in over 90% of cases, including patients with lower Knosp grades traditionally considered less invasive. Among the nine patients undergoing primary surgery, 88.9% achieved endocrine remission, and overall disease control was reached in 91.7% of all patients across a median follow-up of 19 months. Importantly, no carotid artery injuries or permanent neurological deficits occurred, indicating that the technique can be executed safely in experienced hands. These findings suggest that routinely incorporating medial wall resection into transsphenoidal surgery may meaningfully raise cure rates in acromegaly, particularly for patients undergoing their first operation.
Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons
Source →Screening for prostate cancer.
Bestwick JP, et al
A review published in the Journal of Medical Screening examines the evidence for and against population-based prostate cancer screening in the United Kingdom, where the disease causes more than 64,000 new diagnoses and 12,000 deaths each year. The UK National Screening Committee has advised against routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening due to concerns about overdiagnosis and harm, but emerging data suggest a more targeted, risk-based approach could substantially shift this balance. A risk-based PSA algorithm that adjusts antigen levels relative to age-specific medians achieved a 90% cancer detection rate at only a 2% false-positive rate, and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer demonstrated a 16% reduction in prostate cancer mortality with PSA screening, comparable to gains from bowel cancer programmes. Adding pre-biopsy multi-parametric MRI to the screening pathway further reduces unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis while preserving the detection of clinically significant cancers. Modelling estimates that combining risk-based PSA testing with MRI could prevent approximately 13 prostate cancer deaths per 1,000 men screened every five years starting at age 55, with nine deaths averted for every man who undergoes unnecessary treatment. These findings provide a compelling evidence base for reconsidering national screening policy in favour of a refined, harm-minimising approach.
Journal of medical screening
Source →PD-1 high expression in T lymphocytes correlates with decreased survival in childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Andrade CD, et al
Researchers studied the role of PD-1, an immune checkpoint protein that can suppress T-cell activity, on bone marrow T lymphocytes from pediatric patients newly diagnosed with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), the most common childhood cancer. Using flow cytometry, the team identified two distinct T-cell populations based on PD-1 surface density — a low-density group (PD-1LD) and a high-density group (PD-1HD) — both of which were significantly elevated in leukemia patients compared to non-leukemic controls. Survival analysis showed that children with higher proportions of PD-1HD CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at diagnosis had significantly worse overall survival, while higher levels of PD-1LD CD4+ T cells were associated with better outcomes. These findings suggest that measuring PD-1 expression density on T cells at the time of diagnosis could serve as a practical prognostic biomarker to stratify high-risk patients. Furthermore, the results indicate that the PD-1 pathway may be a viable therapeutic target, raising the possibility that checkpoint inhibitor therapies could be used to restore immune function and improve survival in children with BCP-ALL.
Human immunology
Source →A Retrospective Cohort Analysis Evaluating the Utility of the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) in Screening for Spinal Instability and Vertebral Compression Fracture Risk in Plasma Cell Neoplasm and Lymphoma Lesions.
Golubovsky JL, et al
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 240 patients to evaluate whether the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS), a widely used clinical tool for assessing the need for surgical stabilization in spinal tumors, accurately reflects true instability risk in patients with plasma cell neoplasms (such as multiple myeloma) and lymphoma. Because these cancers are highly radiosensitive and can re-ossify following radiation therapy, there was concern that SINS might systematically overestimate instability in this population and trigger unnecessary surgical referrals. Contrary to those concerns, higher SINS scores were significantly associated with both the development of spinal instability at three months (odds ratio 1.38, p<0.001) and new or progressive vertebral compression fractures (odds ratio 1.45, p<0.001), indicating the score retains meaningful predictive validity even in these radiosensitive histologies. Additional factors linked to instability included younger age and higher radiation biologically effective dose, while older age independently predicted vertebral compression fracture progression. These findings support the continued clinical use of SINS screening in patients with plasma cell neoplasms and lymphoma, while also highlighting that radiation therapy plays an important role in stabilizing spinal lesions and should be factored into overall treatment planning.
The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
Source →Engineering of genetically encoded programmable calcium channel inhibitory binders.
Liu X, et al
Researchers have engineered a novel class of genetically encoded peptide inhibitors, called CRABs (CRAC channel inhibitory binders), that selectively block store-operated calcium channels composed of STIM and ORAI proteins, which are essential regulators of immune cell activation and development. Using deep mutational scanning to guide optimization, the team developed a membrane-anchored CRAB variant that potently suppresses calcium influx and NFAT-driven gene expression, and successfully rescued thrombocytopenia-like defects in a zebrafish model of Stormorken syndrome, a rare inherited channelopathy. To enable precise, tunable control, the researchers further designed light-activated (Opto-CRAB) and chemically activated (Chemo-CRAB) variants that allow real-time and dose-dependent regulation of calcium channel activity in living cells. The Chemo-CRAB variant also suppressed calcium signaling downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases, G-protein-coupled receptors, and CAR-T cell activation pathways, demonstrating broad applicability across diverse physiological and therapeutic contexts. These programmable inhibitors represent a versatile molecular platform for dissecting calcium signaling biology and hold strong promise as potential therapeutics for autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, and cancers driven by dysregulated CRAC channel hyperactivity.
Nature communications
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