cancerfighting

Neutron experiments helped reveal the one-carbon enzymatic mechanism that synthesizes vital food sources for cancer cells that depend on vitamin B6, providing key insights into designing novel drugs to slow the spread of aggressive cancers. Credit: Jill Hemman/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of EnergyScientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are advancing cancer treatment research by designing drugs that target the metabolic pathways cancer cells rely on for growth. By mapping the structure of a key enzyme with neutrons and X-rays,…

Traditionally, the humble bean doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to its impact on the gut. However, study with colorectal cancer survivors showed that certain legumes could offer a swift, significant benefit to gut health, modulating markers linked to disease and obesity.The MD Anderson Cancer Center study followed 48 men and women who met the prerequisites of obesity and bowel lesions, with a history of colorectal cancer (CRC) or precancerous polyps, for 16 weeks as they incorporated a cup of dry navy beans…

Scientists in China are hoping to turn Escherichia coli bacteria into a cancer-fighting ally. In a new study, they describetheir creation of genetically engineered E. coli strains that can kill different types of tumors in mice. More studies will be needed, but the authors believe that bacterial therapy for cancer can become a reality.Won’t Virtual Reality Make Me Sick?The idea of cancer-fighting bacteria has been around for decades. Some bacteria are known to naturally infect or kill cancer cells very well. Their small…

The news: There are trillions of microbes living in and on our bodies—and we might be able to modify them to help us treat diseases. Scientists have altered the genomes of some of these bacteria, essentially engineering microbes that can prevent or treat cancer. How they did it: The team chose a microbe that’s commonly found on human skin and modified it by inserting a new gene that codes for a protein that sits on the surface of some cancer cells. They applied it to heads of mice injected with skin cancer cells, and…

(Scutellaria barbata) known in China as banzhilian. Credit: Phil RobinsonUK and Chinese researchers have unlocked the evolutionary secrets behind the medicinal herb barbed skullcap’s ability to produce cancer-fighting compounds.The CEPMAS collaboration utilized <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>DNA</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule composed of two long strands of nucleotides…

CELMoDs, or covalent epitope-linked molecules of degradation, are a type of protein degrader that works by targeting specific proteins for degradation in the body. These drugs have the potential to be used in the treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, by selectively eliminating proteins that are involved in the progression of these conditions.A key property needed for the effectiveness of CELMoD drugs, a type of protein degrader, has been discovered.Scripps Research Institute…

The researchers were able to successfully synthesize the cancer-fighting compound EBC-46.A new and improved way to produce an acclaimed cancer-fighting compound.Researchers at Stanford University have found a rapid and sustainable approach to synthesizing a promising cancer-fighting compound right in the lab. Because there is only one plant species that produces the substance naturally, and that species only grows in a tiny region of Northeastern Australia’s rainforest, the compound’s availability has been restricted.The…

Scientists have delved into the makeup of a fungus species and discovered a novel compound with some promising cancer-fighting qualities. The anti-tumor effects were demonstrated in laboratory experiments but the team is optimistic about the path to clinical use, while the work has also serendipitously unearthed a new crimson dye with good food preservation potential.The fungus species at the center of the research is called Aspergillus cavernicola. The authors of this new study found that an extract of the fungus…

A illustration of a herpes simplex virus. Illustration: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)Scientists may be able to turn a long-time germ foe into a cancer-fighting ally, new research this week suggests. In preliminary data from a Phase I trial, a genetically modified version of the herpes virus has shown promise in treating difficult-to-eradicate tumors, with one patient having experienced a complete remission for 15 months so far. Much more research will be needed to confirm the treatment’s early success, however.The viral…

Getting cancer drugs to the right place in the right quantities is a perpetual problem for medical scientists, but a group from University of California, Los Angeles has put forward a promising new technology in this space. The team has demonstrated a new type of nanoparticle system that securely carries one type of cancer-fighting drug inside a hollow glass core, while a second drug can be woven through its exterior to deliver a potent one-two punch.At the heart of the team’s new drug delivery system are tiny silica…