Breast cancer

After two decades of preclinical research the first phase of human trials are set to begin testing a unique preventative breast cancer vaccine that is designed to target a protein commonly expressed by triple-negative breast cancers.

Scientists at Australia's La Trobe University have been developing a new microscope slide that presents cancer cells in color without the need for stains and dyes, and used it to detect breast cancer as part of an early trial.

New research has identified one of the ways cholesterol can enhance the ability of cancer cells to metastasize. The study focused particularly on breast cancer, shedding light on prior observational work linking statin use to higher survival rates.

A study is offering the most detailed investigation to date into the relationship between breast cancer survival and statins – common cholesterol-lowering drugs. The study saw a 58 percent greater survival rate in breast cancer patients taking statins.

Immunotherapy is a promising avenue for cancer treatment, but it has trouble against solid tumors without triggering major side effects. Now, researchers have developed a new form of the treatment that supercharges a different type of immune cell.

A simple home test for breast cancer and a UV energy-harvesting window made of recycled materials are the big winners of this year’s James Dyson Awards. The annual competition encourages university students to develop innovative solutions to problems.

Researchers in Germany have developed a new drug that can act like a shredder for proteins implicated in causing cancer. In tests on lab-grown cancer cells, the drug worked to kill the tumors, suggesting a new pathway to a treatment for the disease.

A groundbreaking discovery made by scientists in Australia has demonstrated how an ingredient in honeybee venom can be used as an “extremely potent” weapon against breast cancer, with a synthetic version found to be similarly effective.

The long-term results of a massive international trial, spanning almost two decades, has shown a single session of a novel form of radiotherapy is as effective in treating most breast cancers as a conventional radiotherapy plan lasting several weeks.

“Synthetic lethality” is where genetic mutations that normally don’t harm a cell become deadly when paired up. Now, scientists have found a way to use this to selectively kill off cancer caused by genetic mutations, without harming healthy cells.

University of Pennsylvania scientists have demonstrated how a glowing dye can be used to light up cancer cells in tumors and the lymph nodes of dogs, which they say offers hope for improved surgical outcomes in humans.

Adding to the burgeoning potential of ultrasound to treat cancer is a new study that combines the technology with microbubbles, which can be blasted apart like a “targeted warhead” to destroy the majority of tumor cells in breast cancer models.