Latest news with #TNBC
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists discover new cause of aggressive cancer in young people... and a possible treatment
A little-known molecule in the body may be the key to treating aggressive cancer that often strikes young people, a study suggests. Researchers in New York reviewed records from 11,000 cancer patients to evaluate long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a type of RNA molecule that helps regulate gene behavior and distinguish healthy from non-healthy cells. While studying human breast tumor models, they found a specific type of lncRNA called LINC01235, which has previously been linked to stomach cancer, may be feeding breast cancer cells. The team tested their hypothesis using gene editing to 'turn off' LINC01235 in cells from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of the disease that's resistant to standard hormonal treatments. They found cancer cells without LINC01235 grew more slowly and were worse at forming tumors than those with the activated molecule. The experts, from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, believe LINC01235 activates another gene called NFIB, which has been shown to increase the risk of triple-negative breast cancer. NFIB then controls how cells grow and develop, leading to them becoming cancer cells. By turning off the molecule (LINC01235) that encourages the TNBC-linked gene (NFIB) to proliferate, researchers believe it could inhibit tumor growth and spread. Study researcher David Spector believes the findings could also lead to new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer, which accounts for 10 to 15 percent of breast cancer diagnoses and disproportionately is diagnosed in young women. He said: 'Our long-term goal is to try to find an lncRNA or multiple lncRNAs that may eventually be therapeutic targets.' Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting 316,000 per year and killing 42,000 in the US. About to 10 to 15 percent of breast cancers are triple-negative, adding up to as many as 47,000 cases and 6,300 deaths. Triple-negative means cancer cells don't have receptors that respond to the hormones estrogen and progesterone and the protein HER-2. Without these receptors, triple-negative breast cancers don't respond to treatments that target those hormones, making them harder to treat. Though the survival rate is over 90 percent if caught in earlier stages, those figures drop as low as 15 percent when the disease spreads to lymph nodes and other organs. It's most common in Black women and those under 40 and is one of the many forms of the disease on the rise, along with colon and lung cancers. In the new study, published in Molecular Cancer Research, tumor samples were taken from breast cancer patients in New York and used to make organoids, small models of tumors. They were then compared to healthy tissue samples. The researchers found breast cancer tumors had significantly higher expressions of LINC01235 than healthy tissue. LINC01235 was then deactivated with CRISPR, a type of gene editing that has mostly been tested in head, neck, gastrointestinal and brain cancers. Since tumor growth slowed when researchers deactivated LINC01235, the team suspected the molecule increases the growth of breast cancer cells. They suspected LINC01235 activates the gene NFIB, which has most often been tied to triple-negative breast cancer compared to other forms of breast cancer. It's believed NFIB suppresses the expression of p21, a protein that inhibits cell growth. With this protein suppressed, cancer cells can grow unchecked. Lead researcher Wenbo Xu, a graduate student at Stony Brook University, said: 'Our findings demonstrate that LINC01235 positively regulates NFIB transcription.' The team said the findings could be the first step in developing CRISPR technology to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
African Manager
6 days ago
- Business
- African Manager
Tunisia–Nigeria Business Council officially launched
The Tunisia–Nigeria Business Council (TNBC) was officially launched during the Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM), held from June 25 to 28, 2025, in Abuja (Nigeria), the Tunisia-Africa Business Council (TABC) announced on Wednesday. This is a strategic initiative led by TABC as part of its policy to strengthen economic ties with Sub-Saharan African markets. On this occasion, Chris Eruba was officially introduced as the president of the TNBC. The TNBC aims to become a key bilateral platform dedicated to structuring, enhancing, and promoting economic, industrial, commercial, and financial partnerships between Tunisia and Nigeria. TABC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Tunisian companies in their expansion strategies across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria, a country with over 220 million people and promising economic prospects. It also noted that Tunisian exports to Nigeria have quadrupled in one year, rising from 7 million dinars between January and April 2024 to 82 million dinars by the end of April 2025. Nigeria now ranks among the top Sub-Saharan destinations for Tunisian exports. Interested companies can register via the following link: [
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Health
- Forbes
How AI Is Transforming Breast Cancer Detection and Prevention
From underdiagnosed dense breast tissue to the risk of recurrence, breakthroughs—from DeepLook Medical's imaging AI to the Cleveland Clinic's TNBC vaccine trial—are transforming the fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and emotionally fraught diagnoses in medicine. Cases of female breast cancer look set to to rise by 38% worldwide over the next 25 years, while deaths from the disease could increase by 68%, according to an analysis by international scientists. In the U.S. alone, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease in her lifetime. Contrary to common perception, only about 10% of breast cancer cases are linked to family history. The remaining 90% are influenced by environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, and other non-hereditary factors, many of which intersect with structural inequalities in healthcare access. DeepLook CEO Marissa Fayer speaking at the The Future of MedTech Conference One of the most persistent challenges in breast cancer detection is dense breast tissue, which can obscure tumors on mammograms and delay diagnosis. Dense breasts don't correlate with body or breast size—they're a function of tissue composition, with more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat. The CDC estimates that around 50% of women over 40 have dense breasts, but experts believe that number may be much higher. 'The true number is likely closer to 65–70% of all women,' says Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical. 'Most of our global data comes from women with access to mammograms—but millions of women simply aren't screened.' Indeed, dense breast tissue is severely underreported. Millions of women globally—especially in Africa, India, and rural Asia—lack access to regular mammographic screening. Even in developed countries, many go undiagnosed due to gaps in insurance coverage and access to advanced imaging technology. Jewish, Black, and Asian women are disproportionately predisposed to dense breasts, adding complexity to early detection and equity in care. While survival rates have improved over the past two decades, major gaps remain. But a new generation of tools is shifting the breast cancer paradigm—from better detection to early intervention, and from recurrence management to long-term prevention. One of the most promising advances in breast cancer AI detection comes from DeepLook Medical, a Phoenix-based health tech company tackling dense breast detection with DL Precise, an FDA-cleared visual enhancement tool. DeepLook Imaging Unlike traditional computer-aided detection systems that flag anomalies for secondary review, DL Precise enhances the mammogram image itself—supporting radiologists on the first read. It integrates directly into existing 2D and 3D mammography systems and software, requiring no new equipment or imaging protocols. And it's already in use. DL Precise is currently installed at around 300 hospitals, including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, AdventHealth, Geisinger, and Penn Medicine. The clinical impact is measurable: DL Precise has demonstrated a 12% reduction in recall rates, improving diagnostic accuracy while reducing unnecessary callbacks and emotional distress for patients. 'By enhancing clarity and streamlining interpretation, DL Precise empowers radiologists with greater accuracy in recognizing and distinguishing subtle findings while optimizing workflow,' said Dr. Anjali Malik, a breast imaging radiologist at Washington Radiology Associates. 'For patients, this translates to earlier diagnoses, more informed treatment decisions and ultimately, better outcomes. I believe DL Precise represents a pivotal advancement in medical imaging that will redefine the standard of precision in radiology.' DeepLook recently closed the first tranche of its Series A, backed by Xcellerant Ventures and OKG Capital, and is targeting a final close in summer 2025. The company has partnered with Barco, a global leader in medical imaging displays, and Blackford Analysis, owned by Bayer, to enable cloud-native deployment of DL Precise across large systems and OEM platforms. 'AVC is proud to invest in DeepLook Medical, a health tech company revolutionizing how physicians detect and visualize breast cancer in dense breast tissue,' said Aaron Favreau of AZ Venture Capital. 'With their disruptive AI and imaging technology, they are set to dramatically enhance the speed, accuracy and accessibility of medical imaging.' A key differentiator is DeepLook's SaaS-based distribution model. DL Precise is already embedded within hospital imaging systems via channel partners—radiologists simply need to activate it. This model has enabled fast, seamless adoption at scale. As Forbes previously reported, DeepLook is launching a three-phase awareness campaign: In an industry where life-saving technologies often take years to scale, DeepLook Medical is moving faster—and helping radiologists do the same. Detection is improving—but recurrence prevention remains a critical challenge, especially for women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive subtype that lacks the hormonal receptors targeted by most therapies. That's why the Cleveland Clinic's TNBC vaccine trial, developed in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, is gaining national attention. Now in Phase 1 trials, the vaccine is being tested in women previously treated for TNBC who are currently cancer-free. It targets α-lactalbumin, a protein present in most TNBC tumors but not in healthy post-lactation breast tissue—training the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells before they return. 'If the vaccine is successful, it has the potential to become a cancer prevention vaccine—similar to the HPV vaccine,' said Dr. Amit Kumar, Chairman and CEO of Anixa Biosciences. While some headlines suggest the vaccine could lead to broader breast cancer prevention within a decade, researchers urge caution. For now, it's only available to women with prior TNBC, and widespread preventive use is likely 10 to 20 years away, pending trial results and regulatory approvals. Cleveland Clinic researchers are also making progress on the molecular front. A recent study identified a new family of molecules linked to breast cancer growth and recurrence—potential targets for future therapies and immunizations. As Medical Xpress reports, the discovery offers critical insights into how aggressive cancers evolve and reinforces the importance of preventative research. Together, these efforts represent a new frontier in oncology—where recurrence might be preventable, and breast cancer risk could be intercepted before diagnosis ever occurs. Today's breakthroughs in breast cancer care go beyond treatment—they aim to close gaps in detection, recurrence prevention, and equitable access. OpenAI CMO Kate Rouch's X's post about her breast cancer diagnosis. With tools like DL Precise, radiologists are already improving outcomes for women with dense breast tissue—a group historically underserved. And with vaccine trials like Cleveland Clinic's TNBC study, the future of care is shifting toward proactive prevention, not just reactive treatment. The next era of oncology won't be shaped by a single breakthrough. It will be defined by how detection, prevention, and access converge to serve patients more personally—and more powerfully. For some, that convergence is already deeply personal. Kate Rouch, Chief Marketing Officer at OpenAI, recently shared her own breast cancer diagnosis—and how ChatGPT supported her through it. The tool helped explain cancer to her children, manage chemotherapy side effects and even generate personalized meditations. She wrote on X: Stories like Rouch's underscore the growing role of human-centered AI in medicine—not just for clinicians, but for patients navigating complexity, fear and healing. The future of breast cancer AI detection lies not only in identifying tumors more accurately—but in doing so earlier, for more people, with more personalized outcomes. As technologies like DeepLook and AI-powered support tools become embedded in patient journeys, breast cancer care is becoming not just smarter—but more human.
Scoop
18-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
17,096 Kiwis Call For Urgent Action To Fund Keytruda For New Zealand's 'deadliest Breast Cancer'
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is proud to support Auckland woman, Catherine Cooke, as she presents her petition to MP Hon. Mark Mitchell, urging the Government to fund the cancer drug Keytruda for early stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Catherine is presenting the petition at Breast Cancer Foundation NZ office in Parnell on 27 June at 2pm. The level of support for this petition is significant and shows New Zealanders are fed up with falling behind the rest of the world in terms of access to life-saving treatment. Catherine was diagnosed with early TNBC, an aggressive form of breast cancer in November last year after her yearly mammogram. She was told Keytruda with chemotherapy would give her the best chance of survival – but the drug would only be funded if her cancer was advanced. Instead, Catherine has had to put most of her work on hold and sell her family home to fund the treatment - which is costing around $85,000. Around 350 women are diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer every year, which is approximately 10% of all breast cancer diagnoses. It is also more common in younger women with nearly 15% of diagnoses in women under the age of 45 being triple negative. For one in three women with early triple negative breast cancer, it will return and become incurable within five years. It is the deadliest form of breast cancer and is harder to treat. Unlike most other breast cancers, triple negative breast cancer doesn't respond to hormone-blocking treatments and targeted drugs. Keytruda is an immunotherapy drug, and it is the only targeted treatment that works to fight triple negative breast cancer and is given to patients alongside chemotherapy. It's fully funded in 40 other countries including Australia, Canada and Britain. New international research was published last year and showed that Keytruda can stop women dying from triple negative breast cancer because it's highly effective at preventing cancer coming back. Patients with early triple negative breast cancer receiving Keytruda in a clinical trial were 34% less likely to die and 32% less likely to have their cancer spread beyond the breast. It is widely accepted by the medical community internationally as the best drug to treat early triple negative breast cancer and New Zealanders deserve access to this treatment. Breast Cancer Foundation NZ Chief Executive, Ah-Leen Rayner said 'women like Catherine are having to go through drastic lengths to be able to pay for Keytruda. It's atrocious that New Zealanders are selling their homes, asking for help from their parents or complete strangers to find hundreds of thousands of dollars, or potentially simply going without treatment that could save their lives. 'We are so grateful to Catherine for working tirelessly for better drug access for New Zealanders in the future, but she shouldn't have to. We're urging the government to ensure Pharmac has the budget it needs to fund these essential medicines that are standard of care around the world.'
Vogue
12-06-2025
- Health
- Vogue
Everything You Need to Know About the New Breast Cancer Vaccine
In the search for a cure for breast cancer, a major breakthrough has finally come. Biotechnology company Anixa Biosciences, Inc. announced earlier this month that its breast cancer vaccine, which is being designed with the help of the Cleveland Clinic, has completed phase 1 of its clinical testing. It will be moving forward to the next stages of development, and if all goes to plan, doctors may soon be able to stop cancerous tumors from forming. 'The vaccine is designed to mobilize the patient's immune system to find, recognize, and destroy breast cancer cells for primary prevention,' Amit Kumar, Ph.D, CEO of Anixa Biosciences, Inc., tells Vogue. 'If a patient is vaccinated and [their] immune system is trained to destroy the cancer cells when the cancer appears, the vaccinated immune system will destroy the cells before they can grow into a cell tumor.' The vaccine, which comes in a set of three shots given to patients two weeks apart, specifically targets alpha-lactalbumin, a milk protein that is produced during lactation. It is typically not found after lactation in normal breast tissue, but scientists have found that the protein is expressed in about 70% of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases. The hope, Rima Patel, MD, oncologist and assistant professor in the division of hematology and medical oncology at Mount Sinai, explains, is that the vaccine can train people's immune system to recognize the protein as harmful and attack it before it turns into cancer. 'It is designed to alert the immune system to attack a breast tumor, before it can develop or recur, and prevent it from growing,' says Dr. Patel. 'It has been studied in an early phase 1 clinical trial in 35 women who had a history of early-stage TNBC and are at high risk of recurrence, and in patients without a history of cancer but are at high risk of developing breast cancer due to a genetic predisposition or other factors. The study thus far showed that the vaccine is overall well tolerated and resulted in an immune response in most patients.' Research in mice shows that the vaccine has been successful in activating the immune system against alpha-lactalbumin and preventing breast tumors in these small creatures. While the vaccine shows promise in humans, Dr. Kumar says they have to test larger numbers and with control groups in the next phases to show its efficacy and safety.
