Georgia O'Connor dead at 25: Female British boxer dies just two weeks after she got married following battle with 'incurable' cancer
O'Connor was diagnosed with an 'rare and aggressive' form of cancer in October 2024 that was deemed 'incurable' by doctors.
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The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Warning issued for common artificial sweetener that can interfere with cancer treatments
A popular sugar substitute may interfere with certain cancer treatments, according to new research. The University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center have released new research suggesting that using sucralose — a popular sugar replacement used by those trying to lose weight or manage their blood sugar levels — may make it harder to the body to respond to certain cancer treatments. According to the research, patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer who consumed high levels of sucralose responded worse to immunotherapy and had worse survival rates than individuals whose diets had low levels of the artificial sweetener. The research also revealed a potential pathway for counteracting the potential negative effects of sucralose. The researchers found supplements that boost the levels of amino acid arginine actually counteracted the negative effects of the sweetener on immunotherapy treatments in mice. That approach could be pursed in further clinical trials to see if it can be used in humans. Doctor Abby Overacre, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsbugh and UPMC Hillman said in a statement that finding ways around forcing dietary changes is a worthwhile course of action, especially for cancer patients who are already dealing with the burden of the disease. 'It's easy to say, 'Stop drinking diet soda,' but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically alter their diet may not be realistic,' she said. 'We need to meet patients where they are. That's why it's so exciting that arginine supplementation could be a simple approach to counteract the negative effects of sucralose on immunotherapy.' The study, which used testing on mice, found the negative effects were potentially caused by disruption to gut bacteria by the artificial sweetener. It found that sucralose caused a shift in the composition of the gut bacteria in mice which allowed for an increase in bacteria that degrade arginine. The increased arginine resulted in reduced levels of the amino acid in blood, tumor fluid, and stool. 'When arginine levels were depleted due to sucralose-driven shifts in the microbiome, T cells couldn't function properly,' Overacre said. 'As a result, immunotherapy wasn't as effective in mice that were fed sucralose.' Diwakar Davar, associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a medical oncologist and hematologist at UPMC Hillman, was a collaborator on the study and noted that the negative effects of sucralose was consistent across a range of treatments for a variety of cancer types and stages. He said that prebiotic supplements could theoretically be developed specifically for cancer patients with high levels of sucralose in their blood to help mitigate the negative effects. The researchers hope to pursue a clinical trial to determine whether or not boosting arginine through supplements will counteract the effects of the sucralose. They also plan to expand their research to look at the effects of other artificial sweeteners — such as aspartame, saccharin, xylitol, and stevia — on the immune system and on cancer treatments.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Louis Rees-Zammit has had ‘unbelievable' interest from rugby union teams
Former Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit says he has had 'unbelievable' interest from clubs following his decision to return to rugby union. Rees-Zammit, 24, spent 18 months in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not feature for either franchise in a regular-season game. The former Gloucester wing, who made 32 appearances for Wales and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, said he hopes to rekindle his international career. Rees-Zammit told Sky Sports News: 'I can't name teams, but I've had a load of interest, which is unbelievable. I'm very grateful for that. 'The season starts pretty soon. So it's about finding the right team for me in terms of location, in terms of how quick I've got to get into camp, and because the season's right around the corner, so all of these things that are going to happen, are going to happen pretty sharpish. 'Me and my brother are going through negotiations and seeing teams interested, which is amazing. We should find out in the next week or so.' Rees-Zammit quit rugby union in January 2024 in order to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL via its International Player Pathway Program. He signed an active roster deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2025 season after being part of their practice squad for the previous campaign and travelled to London for the games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots in October. Following his decision to return to the 15-man game, Rees-Zammit has targeted a return for Wales, who he helped to their last Six Nations triumph in 2021. He added: 'Playing for my country is the pinnacle and it's one that I absolutely love doing. 'I managed to play 32 times for my country in three, four years. I need to find a team. Once we find a team, get into good form and hopefully come Autumn Internationals, see where selection is. 'It's something that I'm really looking forward to and I really want to play for my country again.' Rees-Zammit's ambition will come as a welcome boost to recently-appointed Wales head coach Steve Tandy, who takes over a side that only ended an 18-match losing streak that lasted almost two years with a hard-fought win over Japan last month.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Why Lucas Paqueta must wait to learn if he can sue the FA - after being cleared of spot-fixing following two-year investigation
Lucas Paqueta faces another frustrating wait to discover if he has grounds to appeal against verdicts that he failed to comply with the FA's spot-fixing probe that could have ended his career. The Brazilian was cleared on Thursday of deliberately picking up four yellow cards to influence betting markets, almost two years after Mail Sport broke the news that the West Ham midfielder was under investigation. An independent commission found Paqueta guilty on two charges of failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA's investigation — he denied both — for which he is likely to be fined. Paqueta must now wait for the written judgment from the trial to be published, which Mail Sport understands could take two to three weeks, before deciding whether to launch an appeal. 'They are charges we take seriously — we do need to go through the process with them with the FA and the commission,' Alastair Campbell, head of Paqueta's legal team at London firm Level, told Mail Sport. 'We need to pay that due respect. We are obviously of the view that Lucas did co-operate with the investigation so we have to look at the reasons when they are available to advise him on that.' Mail Sport revealed on Friday that Paqueta would consider taking legal action against the FA for loss of earnings once the written reasons were published. The 27-year-old was on the verge of an £85million move to Manchester City when news of the investigation caused the deal to collapse. 'In terms of whether there might be any action against the FA, it's certainly something we'll look at when we get the reasons and advise Lucas on his options,' added Campbell. West Ham are unlikely to take legal action against the FA, with club insiders suggesting it would not be a good look for football to sue the game's custodians. The FA could launch their own appeal against Paqueta's acquittal over the spot-fixing charges when the judgment is published. They face the prospect of picking up the fee for Paqueta's legal bills, understood to be around £1.5m.
