Highlights this week

1. Predicting Liver Cancer through Biomarkers

Early diagnosis possesses the potential to revolutionize cancer care, particularly for late-stage diseases like liver cancer, which present limited curative options. A recent study spearheaded by researchers from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center indicates that blood-detectable proteins might enhance prognostic accuracy regarding liver cancer risk several years ahead of typical diagnosis. Published in JNCI, the research underscores the urgency of early liver cancer detection, highlighting its potential for curative interventions like surgery or transplantation before metastasis occurs. Despite being the third leading cause of cancer worldwide and the second in cancer-related deaths, liver cancer often eludes early detection, with current methods lacking precision, accessibility, or cost-effectiveness. Leveraging proteomics through the SomaScan Assay Kit, the team identified promising protein biomarkers, offering hope for improved diagnostic tools and insights into liver cancer's biological mechanisms. Further validation and exploration in diverse patient cohorts are necessary, yet these findings herald a promising avenue for early liver cancer detection and intervention. (Read More) 

2. Tissue-resident T cells’ gene signatures to act as a predictive tool for melanoma patients

A comprehensive analysis conducted at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has uncovered a link between improved survival rates in melanoma patients and higher levels of tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). This data not only fuels the development of a predictive model for melanoma prognosis based on TRM but also sheds light on TRM cells' role within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), potentially informing more personalized anti-tumor immunotherapy. TRM cells, unique immune cells residing in peripheral tissues, have garnered attention for their potential in cancer immunotherapy due to their presence and functions within the TIME. However, previous studies on TRM cells and patient survival in melanoma yielded conflicting results. Leveraging single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology, the TIBI team identified 11 gene signatures strongly associated with TRM abundance in melanoma patients, correlating with improved survival outcomes. Further investigation unveiled positive associations between TRM abundance, anti-tumor immune cells, immune pathways, and patient outcomes, culminating in the development of a precise TRM-derived risk-scoring system to categorize melanoma patients for prognosis. (Read More)

3. New target for potential leukemia therapy

A Dana-Farber Cancer Institute team unearthed a subset of myeloid and lymphoid leukemias reliant on PI3Kgamma molecular complex for survival, suggesting rapid initiation of clinical trials. Principal investigator Andrew Lane, MD, PhD, aims to test eganelisib, an inhibitor of PI3Kgamma, alone and combined with cytarabine, a common AML chemotherapy. Published in Nature, the study bypasses mutation-focused therapy, instead identifying PI3KR5 gene dependence via genome-wide CRISPR interference. Animal models treated with eganelisib showed reduced leukemia growth and prolonged survival. Data analysis suggests eganelisib could benefit AML patients with high PI3KR5 expression. Combination therapy with eganelisib and cytarabine demonstrated enhanced efficacy, potentially targeting AML relapse drivers. Clinical trials are in the pipeline, marking a significant leap from molecular discovery to patient-centric application at Dana-Farber. (Read More)

4. Scientists track 'doubling' in origin of cancer cells

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have delineated a molecular pathway observed in human breast and lung cells, elucidating a mechanism that propels cells toward excessive genome duplication, a hallmark of cancer. Published in Science, the study dissects the dysregulation within the "cell cycle," crucial for cell proliferation. It unveils potential targets for therapeutic intervention to halt cancer growth by interrupting glitches in the cell cycle. By analyzing cells' division dynamics, the team revealed insights into how environmental stressors trigger abnormal genome duplication. Understanding these mechanisms could inform novel treatment strategies, potentially mitigating cancer progression and drug resistance. Funding was provided by various institutions including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. (Read More)

5. Globaldata Report: HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer annual toll to grow by 2033

In a report published by Globaldata, incident cases of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer annual toll of cases to grow from 59,598 in 2023 to 68,846 cases by 2033.