Potential treatment to bypass resistance in deadly childhood cancer
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Dec-2025 21:11 ET (1-Jan-2026 02:11 GMT/UTC)
A discovery from Australian researchers could lead to better treatment for children with neuroblastoma, a cancer that currently claims 9 out of 10 young patients who experience recurrence. The team at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney found a drug combination that can bypass the cellular defences these tumours develop that lead to relapse.
Discover how St. Jude research uncovered an unknown cell death pathway triggered by innate immune activation and nutrient scarcity that may help treat cancer.
Some blood pressure medications can make the skin extra prone to sunburn. A registry study from Lund University in Sweden shows a possible increased risk of basal cell carcinoma with certain blood pressure medications. The risk increase is relatively low—at most nine percent. “Blood pressure treatment should not be discontinued. But it’s good if doctors inform patients that extra sun protection may be needed,” says researcher Johan Kappelin.
Inside cells, RNAs and proteins form tiny, liquid-like droplets called biomolecular condensates. These droplets are essential for organizing cellular life, yet why some RNAs cluster more readily than others has remained unclear. Disruptions in condensate formation are linked to developmental defects, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now identified a new class of RNA called smOOPs and gained a better understanding of how biomolecular condensates form. The findings were published in the journal Cell Genomics. (DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101065)
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with NUP98 fusions (NUP98-r) is an aggressive form of blood cancer. It is caused by a chromosomal rearrangement that abnormally fuses the NUP98 gene with other genes, resulting in the formation of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins. Until now, there have been no therapeutic strategies to directly inactivate NUP98 fusion oncoproteins. Researchers from the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute have achieved a breakthrough: they identified the protein SPOP as a direct regulator of the stability of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins, providing a potential target for new therapies. The study was published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Reports (DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116602).
A bold plan to supercharge immune cell ‘spies’ to better seek out and kill cancer cells has received a $17 million funding boost from the Australian Government.
In preclinical studies, researchers found that priming the immune system with a Treg-expanding therapy before stem cell transplant boosted survival, protected vital organs, and promoted a balanced gut microbiome—offering hope for safer, more effective treatment of blood cancers. The study is highlighted on the cover of the Nov. 27, 2025, issue of the journal, Blood.
Electrotherapy using injectable nanoparticles delivered directly into the tumour could pave the way for new treatment options for glioblastoma, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden.