Glioblastoma almost always returns, usually months after the patient’s initial brain tumour is surgically removed. It is like the toughest weed. As a result, just 25% of people with this malignancy survive one year after diagnosis, and only 5% do so after five years.

One of the challenges in treating this sickness is that surgeons can’t always completely remove all of the tumour or glioma stem cells that may still be in the brain.

“In glioblastoma, the aggressiveness of the tumour cells causes them to invade the tissues around. As a result, it is difficult for the surgeon to distinguish between the tumour and normal tissue, and because all of the brain’s tissues are crucial, it is impossible to remove as much as possible,” according to Quanyin Hu, an assistant professor in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. Because of this, the likelihood that the tumour will return after treatment is complete dramatically decreases.

As a result, there is a significantly reduced chance that the tumour will come back when therapy is finished.

A strong postoperative immune booster, however, developed by Hu’s Cell-Inspired Personalized Therapeutic (CIPT) Lab may improve the prognosis for glioblastoma patients. Regarding the use of the treatment in mice models of human glioblastoma, Hu and his coworkers published their findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine this month.

According to Hu, “it offers hope for avoiding glioblastoma relapse.” “We demonstrate that it is capable of eliminating these glioma stem cells, ultimately preventing the recurrence of the glioblastoma. We can greatly increase survival.

A hydrogel that can be injected into the brain cavity left behind by the removed tumour was created by Hu’s lab. According to Hu, the hydrogel delivery method is effective because it completely fills the brain cavity, gradually releases the medication into the surrounding tissue, and stimulates the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

The hydrogel is loaded with nanoparticles made to enter and rewire specific immune cell types known as macrophages. In the tumour environment, these immune cells can transform into a form that instead suppresses the immune system and aids in the development of cancer. Normally, these immune cells clear the body of infectious invaders. These rogue macrophages also congregate at the surgical site as a result of the inflammation caused by surgery, which may encourage cancer relapse.

“We want to take advantage of these macrophages and turn them from enemy to ally,” Hu said.

To do this, the nanoparticles can instruct the macrophages to target the glycoprotein cancer stem cell marker CD133. In order to aid macrophages in detecting the cancer cells, Hu’s team also added an antibody called CD47 that suppresses a “don’t eat me” signal. Preclinical studies in mice models showed that the hydrogel treatment successfully generated chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) macrophages that were selective for glioma stem cells. This successfully altered the neighbourhood immune system to locate and get rid of any leftover glioma stem cells.

If successful in people, the hydrogel treatment could do away with the need for postoperative radiation or chemotherapy, minimising harmful side effects while also improving patient outcomes.

The hydrogel will be tested in larger animal models in Hu’s upcoming research, and he will also keep an eye on its long-term efficacy and toxicity beyond the four to six months he previously examined.

Hu says, “We feel confident that this is a very promising approach for bringing new hope to patients with glioblastoma so they can recover after surgery.”

However, there is still much work to be done before it could possibly be translated into the clinic. “We hope we can complete our tasks so that this technology can be advanced to the clinic.”

Also Read: In previous 24 hours, India recorded 12,751 new COVID instances

Although Hu’s team is initially concentrating on glioblastoma, he points out that the therapeutic strategy could also be used to treat other aggressive solid tumours, such as breast cancer. “Our strategy is to locally engineer these macrophages and to take advantage of the macrophages in the postsurgical areas,” he claims. “We are confident that the majority of solid tumours with high invasive characteristics will fall under this scenario.”

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Experts have cautioned that there is a considerable danger of catching and transmitting diseases before to the holiday season as COVID-19 instances continue to rise across the nation. The federal government has instructed Delhi and six states to guarantee sufficient testing, encourage COVID-appropriate behaviour, and speed up vaccination to manage the surge in coronavirus infections that have been reported in various regions of the country.

In a letter to Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said upcoming festivals and mass congregations in different parts of the country may potentially facilitate transmission of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

According to Dr Sushila Kataria, senior Director of Internal Medicine at Medanta Hospital, he said, “During the monsoon season and the upcoming festival season, there is a high risk of contracting and spreading infections. Food and water-borne infections, as well as respiratory tract infections, are highly possible.”

She further said people should follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and avoid large gatherings. “COVID-19 cases have recently increased as well. As a result, it is advised that people act responsibly while celebrating the festivals. People should avoid large gatherings and celebrate with their families. Even if someone is having a gathering, there should be enough space for everyone to maintain social distance, and the room should be ventilated or else the celebrations should be held outdoors.”

“In addition, those invited for celebrations should be immunised against COVID-19. Those who have not yet taken their booster dose should do so. Since monsoon season is going on, the chances of getting a viral infection like cold, cough etc is higher. Keeping that in mind, people should maintain hygiene, make sure that their food is freshly cooked and not left out for an extended period of time. People, particularly children, should avoid eating junk food and street food,” she said.

She added, “Furthermore, maintaining hand hygiene is critical, as is keeping a safe distance between people, avoiding overcrowded areas, and wearing a mask when going outside.”

Dr Rajiv Dang, a senior Director and Head of the Department (HOD) – Internal Medicine and Medical Director, Max hospital, Gurugram also expressed his concerns.

“It’s a time for all of us to celebrate festivals, which does bring the best out from all of us. But let us not forget that amongst this festivity, the health component should not get affected. We are not out of the COVID-19 pandemic yet. We are seeing patients almost on a daily basis, but they are certainly much milder in severity. They are not requiring medication, but they do require isolation,” said Dr Rajiv Dang.

Also Read: New injectable gel holds promise for tough-to-treat brain tumours

Dr Dang further said all precautions should be taken to enjoy the season. He said, “All the precautions that we require to help ourselves in the family should include acts of avoiding crowded places, taking precaution in the form of maintaining proper hand hygiene, proper distance maintenance, and proper use of mask trying to avoid mass lunches and dinners and such kind of activities. It is suggested that we should avoid all that and we save and enjoy the season with its best spirits.”

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Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the University of Lisbon worked together to find and synthesise a tiny chemical that may replace an antibody that is now used to treat a range of tumours in a more practical and efficient way.

Scientists on Cancer

A global team of scientists, led by Prof. Ronit Sachi-Fainaro, Head of the Center for Cancer Biology Research and the Laboratory for Cancer Research and Nanomedicine at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, as well as Prof. Helena Florindo and Prof. Rita Guedes from the Research Institute for Medicines at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, is responsible for the ground-breaking discovery. The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer reported the study’s findings.

“In 2018, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to James Allison and Tasuku Honjo for their contribution to the study of immunotherapy, the treatment of cancer through activation of the immune system,” says Prof. Satchi-Fainaro, a 2020 Kadar Family Award recipient. “Honjo discovered that immune cells called T cells express the protein PD-1 that disables the T-cells’ own activity when it binds to the protein PD-L1 expressed in cancer cells. In fact, the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1 allows cancer cells to paralyze the T cells, preventing them from attacking the cancer cells. Honjo developed antibodies that neutralize either PD-1 or PD-L1, thereby releasing the T cells to fight cancer effectively.”

The antibodies against PD-1/PD-L1 proteins are already approved for clinical use and are considered the great promise in the fight against cancer. This immunotherapy can significantly improve patient outcome, without the severe side effects that accompany treatments such as chemotherapy. But the antibodies are expensive to produce, hence not available to all patients. Moreover, the treatment does not affect all parts of the solid tumours because the antibodies are too large to penetrate and reach less accessible and less exposed areas of the tumour. Now, researchers at Tel Aviv University and the University of Lisbon have used bioinformatic and data analysis tools to find a smaller, smarter alternative to these antibodies.

“Post-doctoral researcher Dr. Rita Acurcio started with thousands of molecular structures, and by using computer-aided drug design (CADD) models and databases, we narrowed down the list of candidates until we reached the best structure,” says Prof. Satchi-Fainaro. “In the second stage, we confirmed that the small molecule controls tumour growth as effectively as the antibodies – it inhibits PD-L1 in animals engineered to have human T cells. In other words, we have developed a molecule that can inhibit PD-1/PD-L1 binding and remind the immune system that it needs to attack the cancer. Moreover, the new molecule has some major advantages over the antibody treatment.

First of all, the cost: since the antibody is a biological rather than a synthetic molecule, it requires a complex infrastructure and considerable funds to produce, costing about $200,000 per year per patient. In contrast, we have already synthesized the small molecule with simple equipment, in a short time and at a fraction of the cost. Another advantage of the small molecule is that patients will probably be able to take it at home, orally, without the need for IV administration in the hospital.”

In addition to accessibility issues, our tests demonstrate that the tiny molecule enhances immune cell activation within the solid tumour mass.

Also Read: Experts warn about high risk of COVID-19 transmission during festivals

“The surface area of a solid tumour is heterogeneous,” explains Prof. Satchi-Fainaro. “If there are fewer blood vessels in a particular area of the tumour, the antibody will not be able to get inside. The small molecule, on the other hand, diffuses, and is therefore not entirely dependent on the tumour’s blood vessels or on its hyperpermeability. I believe that in the future, the small molecule will be commercially available and will make immunotherapy affordable for cancer patients.”

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Men are more likely than women to get most malignancies, for unknown reasons. A recent study showed that rather than behavioural differences pertaining to smoking, drinking, eating, and other things, the explanation may be underlying biological sex differences.

Wiley in Cancer, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society, published the study’s findings online. The causes of sex-related disparities in cancer risk may be better understood, which may help with prevention and therapy.

To investigate, Sarah S. Jackson, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and her colleagues, assessed differences in cancer risk for each of 21 cancer sites among 171,274 male and 122,826 female adults aged 50-71 years who were participating in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study from 1995-2011.

Cancer Cases by Number

During that time, 17,951 new cancers arose in men and 8,742 in women. Incidence was lower in men than women only for thyroid and gallbladder cancers, and risks were 1.3- to 10.8-times higher in men than women at other anatomic sites. The greatest increased risks in men were seen for esophageal cancer (a 10.8-times higher risk), larynx (a 3.5-times higher risk), gastric cardia (a 3.5-times higher risk), and bladder cancer (a 3.3-times higher risk).

Even after accounting for a wide variety of risk factors and carcinogenic exposures, men still had a higher chance of developing most malignancies. Indeed, the male predominance of most malignancies was only partially explained by variations in risk behaviours and carcinogenic exposures between the sexes (ranging from 11 percent for esophageal cancer to 50 percent for lung cancer).

The results imply that biological variations between the sexes, including those related to physiology, immunity, genetics, and other factors, have a significant influence in the susceptibility of men vs women to cancer.

“Our results show that there are differences in cancer incidence that are not explained by environmental exposures alone. This suggests that there are intrinsic biological differences between men and women that affect susceptibility to cancer,” said Dr. Jackson.

An accompanying editorial discusses the study’s findings and notes that a multifaceted approach needs to be in place to address sex disparities in cancer. “Strategically including sex as a biological variable should be enforced along the whole cancer continuum from risk prediction and cancer primary prevention, cancer screening and secondary prevention, to cancer treatment and patient management,” the authors wrote.

Also Read: Education with goal-oriented activities increases pupils to choose fruits and vegetables: Study

“Examining and addressing sex disparities in cancer and other diseases is an ongoing quest. Bench to bedside translational studies which effectively transform the existing research findings into clinical practice is a scalable means within easy reach to achieve precision medicine and will mitigate–and may ultimately eradicate–sex disparities in cancer.”

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According to data from the National Lung Screening Trial, the incidence of second primary lung cancer varied from 4% in the total cohort of lung cancer patients to 8% in those receiving surgery for stage IA disease.

The work was presented today at the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2022 in Vienna. Second primary lung cancer incidence, timing, and survival are poorly known, particularly in people with lung tumours diagnosed by lung cancer screening. Ms Alexandra Potter of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and colleagues used data from the National Lung Screening Trial to investigate second primary lung tumours.

Primary Lung Cancer

Second primary lung cancer is a new primary lung cancer that arises after the first primary lung cancer has been treated or when two lung tumours with distinct histologies are discovered at the time of diagnosis.

Patients diagnosed with first-line lung cancer in the NLST were divided into two groups based on whether they were diagnosed with second-line lung cancer less than six months after the first (synchronous) or more than six months after the first (asynchronous) (metachronous).

Ms. Potter and her colleagues then analysed the histology of second and first primary lung tumours. The researchers also computed the incidence rate of metachronous primary lung cancer per 100 person-years, as well as the five-year survival rates for individuals with synchronous and metachronous secondary primary lung malignancies.

Of the 2,053 individuals who satisfied the study’s inclusion criteria, 85 (4.14%) had second primary lung cancer, with 48 (56%) being synchronous and 37 (44%) being metachronous. The incidence of second primary lung cancer varied according to treatment method and stage, reaching as high as 8% in individuals receiving surgery for stage IA illness.

The median period from cancer diagnosis to diagnostic date for metachronous primary lung cancer was 32.0 months (IQR: 17.5- 50.5). The incidence of metachronous primary lung cancer rose with increasing time from the diagnostic date of the first lung cancer in patients with early-stage first primary lung cancer.

The histology of second primary lung tumours revealed that 46% were adenocarcinoma, 25% were squamous cell lung cancer, 8% were lepidic adenocarcinoma, and 6% were small-cell lung cancer. Approximately 44% (n=37) of patients were diagnosed with a second primary lung carcinoma of the same histologic subtype as the first.

Patients with synchronous and metachronous lung malignancies had a five-year survival rate of 45.6 percent (95 percent CI: 29.9-60.1) and 80.3 percent (95 percent CI: 63.0-90.1), respectively, from the date of first primary lung cancer diagnosis.

“We discovered that the incidence of second primary lung cancer in the NLST was around 1-2 percent per year over the total lung cancer patient cohort.”

The risk of second primary lung cancer rose with time following the initial primary lung cancer diagnosis among individuals who received surgery for stage IA illness.”

Also Read: According to study, fatigue and headache most prevalent long-term side effects of COVID-19

Ms Potter provided information. “Even five years after the date of the initial primary lung cancer diagnosis, the incidence.

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Following the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Sanya, Hainan Province, four additional cities in the province were obliged to apply “static management” in an attempt to disrupt the quick transmission chain, as the province recorded over 1,140 COVID-19 cases in less than a week.

It means that area people must remain indoors, and public transit has been halted, according to the Global Times. Sanya, also known as “Hawaii of China,” declared the activation of interim static management beginning Saturday morning in order to control the spread of COVID-19.

Following Sanya’s lead, the other four cities of Wanning, Danzhou, Qionghai, and Lingshui implemented static management on Sunday.

Wanning reported 10 COVID-19 instances, Danzhou 51 cases, Qionghai 6 cases, and Lingshui 36 cases as of press time on Sunday, according to Global Times.

Between August 1 and Sunday, the province recorded 1,140 COVID-19 cases, 971 of which were in Sanya and the rest in 10 other cities or counties around the province.

According to Hainan provincial health authorities, the number of daily cases in the province peaked on Saturday, with 297 verified cases and 186 asymptomatic cases.

The province recorded another 182 instances in the first 12 hours of Sunday, according to Global Times.

According to officials, the virus strain has been identified as the Omicron BA5.1.3 variation, which has been reported for the first time in the United States with concealed and powerful transmission.

The health officials in Hainan voiced alarm about the newest variant’s spreading pattern and stated that current cycle of the COVID-19 pandemic is in its early stages. It has spread throughout towns and has reached a particular size.

Authorities stated that the proportion of newly sick persons subject to limitations is constantly growing.

“The recent COVID-19 surge in the province may indicate that before the first case was found on August 1, the virus had been spreading among communities for some time, and due to crowds of tourists, the virus then rapidly multiplied,” a Beijing-based medical expert said.

Meanwhile, health officials have cautioned that there are still some cases that need to be quarantined and that instances will continue to climb in the province for some time before declining.

In order to strengthen COVID-19 control efforts, Sanya city implemented static management, stranding nearly 80,000 tourists.

Because of the latest outbreak, the railway authorities have halted all ticket sales in Sanya, and people are unable to leave the city by train.

The cost of flying out of Sanya has risen. Economy class tickets from Sanya to Shanghai cost over 3,000 yuan (USD 443), while business class tickets cost around USD 15,000.

According to Yicai.com, all planes departing Sanya were cancelled on Saturday, and all flights reaching Sanya were diverted on way.

Passengers stuck at Sanya Airport were relocated to hotels in the city for further arrangements, according to the Global Times.

According to statistics from information provider VariFlight, the bulk of flights, or 164, were cancelled at Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Saturday.

This year, Sanya is the third tourist destination in China to have its peak season affected by epidemics.

According to health experts, the main issue for Hainan in reducing the illnesses is that the true scope of the pandemic is yet unknown, and the province may need to do numerous rounds of regular mass testing to decrease the danger, as reported by Global Times.

Also Read: In previous 24 hours, India recorded 16,167 new COVID cases

The province, which has a population of more than 10 million people, began province-wide bulk nucleic acid testing on Sunday, as the pandemic spread across the island.

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The number of COVID-19 cases in India fell somewhat on Monday, with as many as 16,167 new infections reported, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India detected 18,738 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. India presently has 1,35,510 active cases, accounting for 0.31 percent of all cases.

The current recovery rate is 98.50 percent. In the previous 24 hours, 15,549 people recovered from the virus, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 4,34,99,659.

According to government figures, India’s COVID-19 death toll has risen to 5,26,730.

The daily positivity rate is 6.14 percent, while the weekly positivity rate is 4.64 percent.

So far, about 206.56 crore total vaccine doses have been delivered under the countrywide immunisation programme for COVID-19.

According to the Union Health Ministry, India has now delivered over 100 million precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed and said in a tweet, “This has been accomplished via teamwork. Over 10 crores (100 million) prophylactic dosages have been delivered in India. Ten crore individuals now have an added degree of security. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji, the ‘Covid vaccine Amrit Mahotsav’ is in full swing, providing free prophylactic doses to all adults.”

Also Read: Tamil Nadu: 33rd mega immunisation programme is ongoing to combat COVID outbreak

This comes after the government began offering free preventive vaccinations to all people between the ages of 18 and 75 at government COVID immunisation centres as part of the Central Government’s 75-day booster push.

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The Tamil Nadu government undertook the 33rd mega immunisation push today in response to growing COVID-19 infections in the state.

According to State Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, the massive vaccination camp is being organised in around 50,000 sites across Tamil Nadu. Until midday, 3,73,016 vaccine doses have been provided in this mega push, with 19,195 administered as the first dose and 1,15,207 administered as the second dose. There have also been 2,38,614 cautionary dosages registered.

“To boost the vaccine push, we are holding a Mega Vaccination Camp. People are hesitant to be vaccinated, but immunisation is the only way to reduce COVID instances, and we are holding vaccination camps under the order of the Chief Minister “Ma. Subramanian said during a news conference.

According to the Health Minister, the state’s first dose coverage of COVID 19 vaccinations is 95.6 percent, while the second dosage coverage is about 88.69 percent.

“With the advent of monsoon, the health department will engage with local bodies to keep illnesses like malaria and dengue at bay,” Ma Subramanian added. All health department employees will hold a health camp in flood-affected communities on August 16.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported 19,406 new COVID-19 cases in India in the previous 24 hours on Saturday.

The total number of COVID-19 instances is currently 4,41,45,732, including 1,34,933 active cases. Active cases make up 0.31 percent of all cases. The current recovery rate is 98.50 percent. In the previous 24 hours, 18,558 recoveries from the virus were recorded, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 4,34,84,110. According to preliminary data, India had reached 206.21 billion in vaccine coverage with 2,73,73,255 sessions as of 7 a.m. on Sunday.

COVID immunisation for children aged 12 to 14 years old began on March 16, 2022. Similarly, COVID-19 cautionary dosage administration for the age range 18-59 years began on April 10, 2022.

More than 3.94 Cr (3,94,89,966) adolescents have received the first dose of the COVID vaccination, and 2,23,36,175 have received the second dose.

Also Reads: Different adolescent groups have different social media effects on wellness, research reveals

In the 15-18 year age range, 6,13,52,619 doses were provided as the first dosage and 51,469,424 doses as the second dose.

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