Latest news with #CancerGrandChallenges
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Science
- Forbes
The Prototype: This AI Model Could Make It Faster To Find New Medicines
In this week's edition of The Prototype, we look at a new AI model that could speed up drug discovery, how the Trump/Musk blowup could impact NASA, a new class of electronics and more. You can sign up to get The Prototype in your inbox here. getty The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded in part to Deepmind's Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for the development of AlphaFold–an AI model that predicts the structure of proteins, the complex chemicals essential to making our bodies work. Since its inception, this model and others like it have been put to use in laboratories around the world, enabling new biological discoveries. Now a team from MIT and pharmaceutical company Recursion, with support from Cancer Grand Challenges, have developed a tool that takes these principles further–and may help researchers find new medicines more quickly. Called Boltz-2, this open-source generative AI model can not only predict the structure of proteins, it can also predict its binding affinity–that is, how well a potential drug is able to interact with that protein. This is crucial in the early stages of developing a new medicine. Until now, scientists could only find binding affinity in one of two ways: they could actually conduct an experiment to determine it, or they could use a complicated computer simulation process called FEP. In a paper published today, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, the team demonstrated that it could produce similar results to an FEP–but significantly faster. 'Boltz-2, in just 20 seconds, can match the performance of FEP, which usually takes from 6-12 hours,' said researcher Gabriele Corso. 'Pretty much changing the game.' Getty Images SpaceX has been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing feud between Donald Trump and company founder Elon Musk. The two men have been sharing barbs over the President's proposed budget bill, with Musk criticizing it for including too much spending and increasing the deficit. On Thursday afternoon, the President posted on Truth Social that '[t]he easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' If Trump were to follow through on cancelling contracts, the biggest price may well be paid by NASA. Although the space agency played a crucial role in getting the company off the ground, SpaceX doesn't need it anymore. According to Musk, the company is currently bringing in around $15.5 billion a year in revenue. Forbes estimates that about 80% of this comes from its internet business, Starlink. And while SpaceX still gets plenty of government business, it also launches dozens of commercial spacecraft every year. The reverse, however, isn't true. NASA relies heavily on SpaceX for its operations–the company's rockets launched more than half of the agency's space missions last year. And while NASA has other partners in aerospace, such as Boeing, many are years behind SpaceX in terms of development. Read the whole story here. A team of researchers at Virginia Tech invented a new kind of circuit board that is both more durable and easier to recycle than conventional electronics. It's composed of a soft plastic that's embedded with a liquid, conductive metal to carry electricity. The resulting electronics work even if they're bent out of shape and can even self-repair some damage. For recycling, they can be chemically deconstructed with a simple process that makes it easy to re-form into a new product. Japanese space startup Ispace's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon failed this week. According to the company, the laser rangefinder that its spacecraft used to measure the distance to the surface experienced communications difficulties. Because it didn't know its altitude, it didn't slow down enough for a safe landing, causing it to crash. In my other newsletter, InnovationRx, Amy Feldman and I looked at the impact of Trump's proposed budget cuts on biomedical research and global health, news from the ASCO cancer meeting and a biotech company making drug products through fermentation. Solar panels provide an unexpected environmental benefit–when they're placed in drought-prone grasslands, they boost soil moisture levels and increase plant growth by 20% compared to open fields, because of both the shade they provide and water that collects on them. A new compound, called infuzide, showed antibacterial activity against strains that are resistant to antibiotics, which may provide a new weapon for doctors against infectious diseases. Amazon is reportedly testing humanoid robots to see if they can be used to deliver packages. The retail giant has already been putting similar technology to work in its warehouses. Researchers found that diatoms, a kind of algae with silica in its cell walls, could be introduced to the Moon's soil to make it capable of growing crops. If you're in midlife and wondering if you should abandon your morning coffee, think twice–at least, if you're a woman. That's because a new analysis, which followed nearly 50,000 women for over 30 years, found that those who drank coffee (the good stuff, with caffeine) were more likely to age in a healthy way, maintaining both their physical and cognitive health across a wide variety of parameters, than those who drank tea or decaf. As a middle-aged dad, two things I greatly enjoy are hard rock music and military history. Swedish metal band Sabaton scratches both of those itches at the same time by singing heavy ballads about historic battles and the people who fought them. Some of my favorite tracks of theirs include 'Night Witches' (about an all-female Soviet bomber regiment in World War II), 'The Last Stand' (about the Swiss Guards who defended Rome in battle in 1527), "Blood of Bannockburn" (about a major victory in the War of Scottish Independence) and 'To Hell And Back' (about American World War II hero Audie Murphy). They're like Schoolhouse Rock but with much better guitar solos.
Daily Record
24-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
'Striking' discovery that may shed light on bowel cancer spike in young people
Scientists have made a breakthrough discovery that a food bug may be behind the spike in bowel cancer cases in young people. E. coli produces a toxin in the body which may be increasing cases of the cancer around the world, especially in the UK. Colibactin is a bacterial toxin caused by a strain of which is capable of altering DNA. Researchers, including some from the UK backed by Cancer Research UK, found that exposure to colibactin in early childhood can change the DNA of bowel cells, which may then increase the risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 50. Data provided by Cancer Research UK up to 2019 suggests that bowel cancer has seen a 52 per cent increase in incidence rates for adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s, reported The Mirror. There are around 2,600 new bowel cancer cases in people aged 25-49 in the UK every year and around 44,100 new cases among all ages. Experts believe that factors such as poor diet, eating more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise are playing a role in this increase. But in this latest study, led by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and published in the journal Nature, researchers have uncovered another possible explanation. Experts examined 981 colorectal (bowel) cancer genomes from patients with both early and late-onset disease in 11 different countries. They found colibactin can leave behind specific patterns of DNA mutations that are 3.3 times more common in early-onset bowel cancer cases (in the study this was adults under 40) than in those diagnosed after the age of 70. These mutation patterns were also particularly common in countries with a higher rate of early-onset bowel cancer. Senior author, Ludmil Alexandrov, a professor at UCSD, said: 'These mutation patterns are a kind of historical record in the genome, and they point to early-life exposure to colibactin as a driving force behind early-onset disease .' Study first author Marcos Diaz-Gay, a former postdoctoral researcher, said: 'When we started this project, we weren't planning to focus on early-onset colorectal cancer. Our original goal was to examine global patterns of colorectal cancer to understand why some countries have much higher rates than others. "But as we dug into the data, one of the most interesting and striking findings was how frequently colibactin-related mutations appeared in the early-onset cases.' The study also found that colibactin-related mutations account for around 15 per cent of what are known as APC driver mutations – some of the earliest genetic alterations that directly promote cancer development – in bowel cancer. Professor Alexandrov said: 'If someone acquires one of these driver mutations by the time they're 10 years old, they could be decades ahead of schedule for developing colorectal cancer , getting it at age 40 instead of 60." The work is part of Cancer Grand Challenges team Mutographs, funded by Cancer Research UK. Researchers are now developing early detection tests that analyse stool samples for colibactin-related mutations. The director of Cancer Grand Challenges, Dr David Scott, said: 'Globally and in the UK, we're witnessing an alarming increase in some types of cancer in people under the age of 50. 'This study adds an important piece to the puzzle of early-onset cancers, but it isn't conclusive, and more research will be needed to establish a definitive link between colibactin and an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer." Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Mutographs team lead and senior group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: 'We know that diet and lifestyle choices drive the risk of developing colorectal cancer, but this study has opened up a new and exciting route we can take when researching how to lower the rate of early-onset colorectal cancer.'
Perth Now
24-04-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Bacterial toxin theory for bowel cancer rise in youth
A toxin produced by may be driving rates of bowel cancer in young people, scientists have discovered. Experts believe the finding could help explain why rates of bowel cancer are rising among young people across the globe. The bacterial toxin - called colibactin - is capable of altering DNA and is produced by a strain of though not the strain linked to infection such as diarrhoea in some people. Researchers, including from the UK and backed by Cancer Research UK, found exposure to colibactin in early childhood imprints a genetic signature on the DNA of bowel cells, which may then increase the risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 50. Work has been ongoing to discover why more younger people are developing bowel cancer, with experts believing poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise are playing a role. Now in the latest study, led by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and published in the journal Nature, researchers have uncovered another possible culprit. Experts examined 981 colorectal (bowel) cancer genomes from patients with both early and late-onset disease in 11 different countries. They found colibactin can leave behind specific patterns of DNA mutations that are 3.3 times more common in early-onset bowel cancer cases (in the study this was adults under 40) than in those diagnosed after the age of 70. These mutation patterns were also particularly common in countries with a higher rate of early-onset bowel cancer. Senior author Ludmil Alexandrov, a professor at UCSD, said: "These mutation patterns are a kind of historical record in the genome, and they point to early-life exposure to colibactin as a driving force behind early-onset disease." The study also found that colibactin-related mutations account for around 15 per cent of what are known as APC driver mutations, some of the earliest genetic alterations that directly promote cancer development, in bowel cancer. "If someone acquires one of these driver mutations by the time they're 10 years old, they could be decades ahead of schedule for developing colorectal cancer, getting it at age 40 instead of 60," Professor Alexandrov said. The work is part of Cancer Grand Challenges team Mutographs, funded by Cancer Research UK. Researchers are now developing early detection tests that analyse stool samples for colibactin-related mutations. Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Mutographs team lead and senior group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said preventative measures can be explored if this turns out to be correct. "We know that diet and lifestyle choices drive the risk of developing colorectal cancer, but this study has opened up a new and exciting route we can take when researching how to lower the rate of early-onset colorectal cancer."
Metro
23-04-2025
- Health
- Metro
Toxin caused by common stomach bug could be driving up rates of bowel cancer
A toxin produced by E. coli – the troublesome bug that causes vomiting and fevers – could be behind rising bowel cancer rates. The disease, also called colorectal cancer, predominantly impacts people over 50 though for the last two decades has begun to impact more young people worldwide. Many of these countries are richer nations in the west – including England – with poor diet, obesity and eating too much meat among the risk factors. But exposure to a toxin produced by the bacteria E. coli could also be a factor, researchers revealed today. Exposure to colibactin as a child can mess up the genetic signature on the DNA of bowel cells, which may increase the chance of developing bowel cancer when younger than 50, a study published today found. This changes people's digestive tracks and raises the risk of tumours forming, the researches said, with traces of colibactin found lurking in tumours from patients under 40. A study in December of 50 countries between 2007 and 2017 found 27 had seen a sharp rise in bowel cancer cases among young people. In England, those aged 25 to 49 saw a 3.6% increase every year in the decade up to 2017. But data provided by Cancer Research UK up to 2019 suggests this increase has been happening for a lot while longer. Bowel cancer has seen a 52% increase in incidence rates for adults aged 25 to 49 since the early 1990s.. There are around 2,600 new bowel cancer cases in people aged 25-49 every year and around 44,100 new cases among all ages. The research, led by the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and published in the journal Nature, saw experts examine 981 bowel cancer genomes from patients with both early and late-onset disease in 11 different countries. Colibactin's specific pattern of DNA mutations were 3.3 more common in early-onset bowel cancer cases (in adults under 40) than in those diagnosed after the age of 70. 'These mutation patterns are a kind of historical record in the genome, and they point to early-life exposure to colibactin as a driving force behind early-onset disease,' said senior author, Ludmil Alexandrov, a professor at UCSD. They also found that colibactin-related mutations account for around 15% of APC driver mutations, one of the first genes to go haywire in bowel cancer. First author Marcos Diaz-Gay, a former postdoctoral researcher, said: 'If someone acquires one of these driver mutations by the time they're 10 years old, they could be decades ahead of schedule for developing colorectal cancer, getting it at age 40 instead of 60.' The work is part of Cancer Grand Challenges team Mutographs, funded by Cancer Research UK. The director of Cancer Grand Challenges, Dr David Scott, said the colibactin that seems to be affecting bowel cancer is only produced by some strains of E. Coli. There are many kinds of E. coli, the bulk harmless to humans and are part of a smooth-running intestinal tract. One strain, known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, can be found wriggling in the insentiences of cows and find themselves in faeces, containing farm soil. The strain that coughs out colibactin is not linked to infection such as diarrhoea in some people, the study said. 'It's unclear how the exposure originates, but we suspect that a combination of factors – including diet – may intersect during a crucial phase in the development of the gut microbiome,' said Dr Scott. 'This study adds an important piece to the puzzle of early-onset cancers, but it isn't conclusive, and more research will be needed to establish a definitive link between colibactin and an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer.' Professor Sir Mike Stratton, Mutographs team lead and senior group leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: 'Our research has allowed us to generate the hypothesis that the presence of colibactin leads to an increased number of mutations in colon cells, which then causes a greater risk of colorectal cancer at an early age. 'If this turns out to be correct, we can explore preventive measures such as tests that tell us if the toxin, or the bacterium that makes it, is present, and finding ways to eliminate them from our bodies at a young age. View More » 'We know that diet and lifestyle choices drive the risk of developing colorectal cancer, but this study has opened up a new and exciting route we can take when researching how to lower the rate of early-onset colorectal cancer.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Parents handed £35,000,000 after NHS errors left baby with severe brain damage MORE: Baby was 'born twice' after extraordinary operation to save mum's life MORE: Weasel testicles used to cure heartbreaking condition by couples in medieval times
The Guardian
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Childhood toxin exposure ‘may be factor in bowel cancer rise in under-50s'
Childhood exposure to a toxin produced by bacteria in the bowel may be contributing to the rise of colorectal cancer in under-50s around the world, researchers say. Countries, including some in Europe and Oceania, have witnessed an increase in young adults with bowel cancer in recent decades, with some of the steepest increases reported in England, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and Chile. Doctors have pointed to soaring rates of obesity, widespread junk food and physical inactivity as potential drivers of the disease, but the new study finds that harmful strains of the common gut microbe E coli may be involved. Prof Ludmil Alexandrov at the University of California, San Diego, said: 'We think what we're seeing is an infection in early life that subsequently increases one's risk for developing colorectal cancer in the future.' In an effort to understand the trend, an international team led by the University of California, San Diego analysed DNA from 981 colorectal tumours from patients in 11 countries in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. The majority of tumours were from older people, but 132 were early-onset bowel cancers. The scientists found that hallmark genetic mutations caused by colibactin, a toxin secreted by some harmful strains of E coli, were more than three times as common in tumours removed from patients under the age of 40 than in those from patients over 70. The same signature mutations were also more common in countries with the highest rates of early-onset bowel cancer, according to the study, which has been published in Nature. The patterns of mutations are thought to arise when children are exposed to colibactin before the age of 10. The mutations disrupt DNA in cells in the colon and may raise the risk of developing bowel cancer before the age of 50. Global health records show bowel cancer rates increasing in adults under 50 in at least 27 countries, with incidence roughly doubling every decade for the past 20 years. If the trend continues, bowel cancer could become be the leading cause of cancer death in that age group by 2030. The study does not prove that colibactin drives early-onset bowel cancer, but if harmful strains of E coli are involved, it raises further questions about how they arose, how children are exposed and whether interventions, such as probiotics, can replace the offending microbes. In the US and the UK, about 30 to 40% of children had colibactin-producing E coli in their bowels, Alexandrov said. One possibility is that the harmful strains of E coli evolved and gained an advantage in the gut by producing colibactin. While the toxin damages the person's DNA, it may help the microbes outcompete their neighbours. 'This kind of microbial chemical warfare is quite common in evolution, where producing a toxin helps shape the niche or suppress microbial competitors,' Alexandrov said. According to Cancer Research UK, which funded the research under the Cancer Grand Challenges partnership, more than half of bowel cancers are preventable, with a quarter linked to eating too little fibre, 13% linked to eating processed meat, 11% driven by obesity and 6% cause by alcohol. A further 5% are attributed to inactivity. 'Many early-onset colorectal cancer patients appear to have been exposed to a toxin, called colibactin, produced by some strains of the bacteria E coli in early life,' said Dr David Scott, the director of Cancer Grand Challenges at Cancer Research UK. 'It's unclear how the exposure originates, but we suspect that a combination of factors, including diet, may intersect during a crucial phase in the development of the gut microbiome. 'This study adds an important piece to the puzzle of early-onset cancers, but it isn't conclusive, and more research will be needed to establish a definitive link between colibactin and an increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Other Cancer Grand Challenges teams are looking deeper into the microbiome and other environmental factors to uncover what's behind the global rise.'
