Taking a look at human history through biology
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – WCIA 3's Mitchell Rife sat down with Parkland College Professor of Biology Scott Seichen in this week's Why's Guy's.
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Taking a look at human history through biology
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – WCIA 3's Mitchell Rife sat down with Parkland College Professor of Biology Scott Seichen in this week's Why's Guy's. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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13-06-2025
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New technology at Springfield hospital detects lung cancer faster
SRPINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — More people are dying from lung cancer than any other type of cancer in the world, and one of the main reasons is lack of early detection. In the U.S. alone, one in every five cancer deaths is related to lung cancer, which is more than other common cancers such as breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Bill banning AI therapy bots in Illinois awaits signature Now, a local hospital in Central Illinois is using new advanced robotic technology to catch it faster. The HSHS St. John's hospital in Springfield acquired the Machine-Ion Endoluminal System this past month and it's in operation. The hospital is the second to have the cutting edge technology in the Hospital Sister Health System after St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon got the technology earlier this year. Dr. Ashish Tokhi, chief medical officer for HSHS Central Market, said most lung cancers are diagnosed late and this machine could change that and give patients more time to live. 'The five-year survival rate heavily depends on when the cancer is detected,' Tokhi said. 'So, the earlier we can detect it, the better the chances of survival and outcomes.' This machine allows doctors to reach small areas of the lung nodules which are spot on the lung and collect a tissue sample, which is then analyzed to see if there are any cancer cells. It also provides 3D images, which is an upgrade from the old process that used only 2D imaging. Proposal to ban at-home sexual assault kits in Illinois awaits Pritzker's signature Traditional methods used to diagnose lung cancer, such as CT-guided fine needle biopsies, remove small tissue for lab tests, but typical bronchoscopies are not able to reach small areas below three centimeters. The Ion system can reach much smaller nodules and access all 18 segments of the lung, including the peripheral areas. It can even turn 180 degrees — something that wasn't possible with older methods. This year, there could be about 226,650 new cases of lung cancer, with women accounting for more than men — 115,970 and 110,680 cases, respectively. However, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, men still have a higher incidence and mortality rate than women. Tokhi said the Ion system could play a crucial role in bringing those numbers down. 'A good percentage of patients, by the time they start having symptoms and are diagnosed, the disease has already spread,' Tokhi said. 'The Ion technology gives us a substantial advantage in early detection of those nodules especially when it can save lives.' The American Lung Association said that when cancer is detected early, a person has a 64% five-year survival rate, compared to just 9% if detected late. The IDPH recommends that people between the ages of 50 to 80 who smoke often should get screened for lung cancer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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U of I researchers link bacteria to prostate cancer growth
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A study 10 years in the making has helped University of Illinois researchers link urinary tract bacteria to prostate cancer. The study was led by Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) member and Associate Professor of Animal Sciences Jason Ridlon. Ridlon found that bacteria in the urinary tract can turn corticosteroids, a kind of medicine, into hormones that help prostate cancer grow. Charles Isbell one step closer to assuming role as U of I Chancellor According to the Cleveland Clinic, corticosteroids can treat many causes of inflammation in your body and are a manufactured version of cortisol, a hormone the body naturally produces. Corticosteroids are often prescribed for conditions like lupus, asthma and carpal tunnel syndrome, among other conditions. The CCIL said the researcher's work studying the link between urinary tract bacteria and prostate cancer began in 2015. Ridlon hypothesized that bacteria found in the gut and urinary tract may be related to hormone-driven cancer. 'When we obtained our first isolate that generated androgens, we thought, 'Eureka!' The hypothesis has some plausibility,' Ridlon said. In hormone therapy, also called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the number of male hormones, known as androgens, is reduced, to stop them from increasing prostate cancer cell growth. But during the study, the researchers found that bacteria converted drugs used in androgen-deprivation therapy into androgens, which stimulated cancer cell growth. Cancer survivors get together to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day During the study, the team worked to grow diverse bacteria and secure funding. They identified two bacterial genes (desF and desG) which make hormone-like compounds. And, they found that a hormone called epitestosterone, which once was largely considered to help block cancer, actually caused prostate cancer cells to grow. They also studied a bacteria called Propionimicrobium lymphophilum, linked to prostate cancer, which may help produce androgens. 'Bacteria in our bodies are an overlooked part of our hormone system,' Ridlon said. Joseph Irudayaraj, professor of bioengineering and CCIL Associate Director of Shared Resources, developed the microbial bead technology used in the experiments. UIUC researcher creates technology to detect cancers faster 'When we developed the microbial bead technology, we did not realize the broad impact of its applications,' Irudayaraj said. 'Saeed Ahmad, a bioengineering doctoral student in our team, however, was instrumental in extending the methods to encapsulate anaerobic bacteria in the beads – this formed the basis for all co-culture studies to assess the role of these class of microbes on prostate cancer proliferation.' Now, the team is building on their research. Ridlon's Sterolbiome Lab focuses on how microbes affect steroid hormones, which could help find drugs that block harmful bacterial hormones. Irujayaraj added that the work on prostate cancer can be extended to other hormonal cancers, such as breast cancer. And the researchers said that the team is mapping additional bacterial pathways that metabolize steroids. Initial funding came from the CCIL. The team also received funds from the National Cancer Institute, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the Department of Defense. Karen Sfanos, a Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University, collaborated with the team on the study. The research was published in Nature Microbiology. You can read more about it here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
