Men assessed as healthy after a pathologist analyses their tissue sample may still have an early form of prostate cancer. Using AI, researchers at Uppsala University have been able to find subtle tissue changes that allow the cancer to be detected long before it becomes visible to the human eye.

Researchers at the University of Navarra have developed FLIP-HEDOS, a pioneering model that measures radiation exposure in circulating blood during cancer treatment. The study, led by Dr. Marina García-Cardosa in collaboration with the University’s Cancer Center, highlights a long-overlooked factor in radiotherapy: protecting blood as an “organ at risk.” By integrating patient anatomy, blood flow, and treatment plans, FLIP-HEDOS predicts cumulative radiation doses and their impact on the immune system. The findings open new paths for safer, more precise oncology care, from reducing side effects to improving outcomes in patients receiving radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

A study in Nucleic Acids Research shows a new way translocations promote cancer. The translocation most typically found in mantle cell lymphoma drags a powerful regulatory element into a new area of the human genome, where its new position allows it to boost the activity of not just one but 50 genes at once. The discovery of this genome rewiring mechanism shows the traditional focus on the handful of genes at chromosomal breakpoints is too narrow. The study also greatly expands the list of potential drug targets for mantle cell lymphoma, for which there is no known cure.

At school, it’s often presented as a tidy double helix but scientists are revealing the varied and intricate shapes of DNA molecules.  

DNA is a molecule found in just about every living cell. Because the molecule is long, it ends up twisting on itself and getting tangled. Enzymes in the body try to regulate this process but when that fails, normal activity in the cell can be disrupted, which triggers ill health and could be a factor in diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

To find cures for major illnesses, scientists need to understand the complex shape of DNA tangles. Existing lab techniques enable them to plot the shape and structure of DNA tangles but it is laborious and time consuming. 

An international scientific team led by the University of Sheffield in the UK has now automated the process. Using what is known as an atomic force microscope, advanced computer software and AI - they are able to visualise the DNA molecules, trace their paths and measure them.

The global incidence of autoimmune diseases among children has increased over the past few decades. A study published August 21^st in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Ju-Young Shin at Sungkyunkwan University, Republic of Korea, and colleagues suggests that early life antibiotic exposure is not associated with an increased risk of autoimmune diseases in children.

A topical fluorescent molecular contrast agent, PARPi-FL, can detect basal cell carcinoma through intact skin in as little as five minutes in ex vivo human tissues, according to new preclinical research published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Data confirmed that PARPi-FL is non-toxic to the skin and does not cause systemic side effects, making it a potential one-stop-shop for diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma.