Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, but not all patients respond equally. Now, researchers from Japan have explored why two anti-PD-L1 antibodies, which target the same immune pathway, produce vastly different therapeutic outcomes in a mouse cancer model. They found that an immune mechanism known as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity can inadvertently destroy antitumor immune cells. These findings underscore the importance of selecting antibody drugs that minimize off-target effects to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting can severely impact patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence. In a major clinical trial, researchers from Japan tested whether a low, 5 mg dose of olanzapine taken at home after chemotherapy could reduce these side effects without causing heavy sedation. The study found that this approach significantly improved outcomes compared to placebo, offering a safer, more affordable strategy that could reshape supportive cancer care, especially in outpatient and resource-limited settings.

Singapore-led study shows specialised support cells in the gut form direct, neuron-like connections to deliver precise instructions to stem cells; 

Overturns long-held beliefs about how gut cells communicate; 

Opens new paths for treating colon cancer and IBD

An international team of researchers have significantly expanded the catalogue of known human genetic variation. The resulting datasets, shared in two back-to-back publications in the journal Nature, constitute what may be the most complete overview of the human genome to date. In tests, the new reference set reduces the list of suspect mutations from tens of thousands to just a few hundred, accelerating the path to the diagnosis of rare genetic syndromes and other types of diseases like cancer. The two papers provide a roadmap that makes assembling a complete human pangenome more practical rather than aspirational.