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Many new drugs inhibit the processes that cancer cells need to divide rapidly. So as to inhibit the cancer as a whole. But cancer cells have all sorts of workarounds to get around that effect. As a result, the tumour becomes unresponsive to treatment. That’s why researcher Matheus dos Santos Dias, from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, is taking a completely different approach. He had to convince some colleagues before he could start working on this quite surprising idea. After all, [...]

A protein that has been widely studied owing to its association with neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is also linked to medulloblastoma, a type of central nervous system cancer. Medulloblastoma is one of the most common and aggressive brain tumours in children, arising from undifferentiated cells during early neural development. A study led by a group of Brazilian scientists has shown in vitro and in vivo that the gene VAPB is linked to cell [...]

Preclinical trials have shown that zika virus can inhibit the spread of prostate cancer, suggesting its potential use in treating the disease. However, a new study by researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo State, Brazil, shows that zika can trigger a persistent inflammatory process in healthy epithelial cells and damage the male reproductive system. The researchers analysed the effects of the virus on tumour cells and healthy cells, reporting their [...]

A combination of chemotherapy and drugs that stimulate the immune system to combat cancer is increasingly used to control progression of the disease in patients. On the other hand, clinical studies show that the combination has adverse side effects, such as peripheral neuropathy characterised by pain, numbness, tingling, sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet, and sometimes in the arms and legs. These problems can lead to suspension of the treatment. A group of Brazilian researchers [...]

Melanopsin (OPN4) is a light-sensing protein found in skin and retina cells. A new study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil suggests that OPN4 can also participate in the development and progression of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer. In experiments with animals and genetically modified cells at the Comparative Physiology of Pigmentation Laboratory belonging to the Institute of Biosciences (IB-USP), the researchers showed that the disease [...]

A drug carrier able to reach the brain, bind to an aggressive type of tumour called glioblastoma multiforme, and release a chemotherapeutic agent has been tested for the first time by Brazilian researchers. According to an article published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, the potential treatment was shown to be effective in isolated cells and animal models thanks to a combination of nanotechnology, chemotherapy and a monoclonal antibody. Glioblastoma multiforme accounts for [...]

Researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), USA, have discovered a set of biomarkers that can be used to predict which patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, may have tumours that are more resistant to radiation therapy. The discovery, published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, can help doctors choose the treatment that should enable patients to live longer. Gliomas are graded on a scale of one to four. Grade four gliomas are the most [...]

Regular muscle strengthening exercises associated with aerobic activities can reduce cancer mortality, according to a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Workouts with squats, rowing, planks, weight training and so on can reduce the probability of dying from cancer by 14%. When these exercises are combined with aerobic activities, the benefit is even greater, potentially reducing mortality by 28%. “Physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of several types of [...]

An in vitro study conducted by a group of researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Araraquara, Brazil, shows how fungi and bacteria can activate genes associated with head and neck tumours, as the metabolism of biofilms (communities in which these microorganisms self-organise in a structured and coordinated manner) stimulate tumour cells by favouring the cell signalling pathways required for tumour development and resistance to treatment. The findings include entirely novel [...]