#brain cancer

[reasonsforhope]

"In a first-ever human clinical trial, an mRNA cancer vaccine developed at the University of Florida successfully reprogrammed patients’ immune systems to fiercely attack glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal brain tumor.

The results in four adult patients mirrored those in 10 pet dog patients suffering from brain tumors whose owners approved of their participation.

The discovery represents a potential new way to recruit the immune system to fight treatment-resistant cancers using an iteration of mRNA technology and lipid nanoparticles, similar to COVID-19 vaccines, but with two key differences: use of a patient’s own tumor cells to create a personalized vaccine, and a newly engineered complex delivery mechanism within the vaccine.

“Instead of us injecting single particles, we’re injecting clusters of particles that are wrapping around each other like onions,” said senior author Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., a UF Health pediatric oncologist who pioneered the new vaccine, which like other immunotherapies attempts to “educate” the immune system that a tumor is foreign.

“These clusters alert the immune system in a much more profound way than single particles would.”

Among the most impressive findings was how quickly the new method spurred a vigorous immune-system response to reject the tumor, said Sayour, principal investigator at the University’s RNA Engineering Laboratory and McKnight Brain Institute investigator who led the multi-institution research team.

“In less than 48 hours, we could see these tumors shifting from what we refer to as ‘cold’—very few immune cells, very silenced immune response—to ‘hot,’ very active immune response,” he said.

“That was very surprising given how quick this happened, and what that told us is we were able to activate the early part of the immune system very rapidly against these cancers, and that’s critical to unlock the later effects of the immune response,” he explained in a video (below).

Glioblastoma is among the most devastating diagnoses, with median survival around 15 months. Current standard of care involves surgery, radiation and some combination of chemotherapy.

The new report, published May 1 in the journal Cell, is the culmination of seven years of promising studies, starting in preclinical mouse models.

In the cohort of four patients, genetic material called RNA was extracted from each patient’s own surgically removed tumor, and then messenger RNA (mRNA)—the blueprint of what is inside every cell, including tumor cells—was amplified and wrapped in the newly designed high-tech packaging of biocompatible lipid nanoparticles, to make tumor cells “look” like a dangerous virus when reinjected into the bloodstream to prompt an immune-system response.

The vaccine was personalized to each patient with a goal of getting the most out of their unique immune system...

While too early in the trial to assess the clinical effects of the vaccine, the patients either lived disease-free longer than expected or survived longer than expected. The 10 pet dogs lived a median of 4.5 months, compared with a median survival of 30-60 days typical for dogs with the condition.

The next step, with support from the Food and Drug Administration and the CureSearch for Children’s Cancer foundation, will be an expanded Phase I clinical trial to include up to 24 adult and pediatric patients to validate the findings. Once an optimal and safe dose is confirmed, an estimated 25 children would participate in Phase 2."

-via Good News Network, May 11, 2024

-video via University of Florida Health, May 1, 2024

[mindblowingscience]

The average glioblastoma patient survives 12-18 months after diagnosis. The crux of the diagnostic is a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain cancers such as glioblastoma and found in extracellular vesicles. “Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are big—10 to 50 times bigger than a molecule—and they have a weak charge. Our technology was specifically designed for these nanoparticles, using their features to our advantage,” says Hsueh-Chia Chang, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Notre Dame and lead author of the study about the diagnostic published in Communications Biology.

Continue Reading.

[maldreathezora]

i have excellent news! after my final brain radiation, the cancer was liquified! i am now cancer free!

[angryschnauzer]

Hubby had his final clinic appointment today. I was so fucking anxious, i was sure they would have found regrowth of the brain tumour or that his bloods wouldn't be good enough for the final round of chemo, but i was proven wrong thankfully.

No regrowth. Blood platelets high enough for his final round of chemo. He's been given the all clear to fly so we can look at going on holiday in October to Malta.

Going forwards he will have MRI scans every two to three months for the rest of his life, and there is a 95% chance the cancer will come back at some point in the next five years. But for now, we are in the clear.

I'm not celebrating just yet, but my anxiety has dropped considerably.

[worldwide-blackfolk]

[lilactidalwave]

Hey oomfs. I don't post much but i wanted to ask if people could repost and share this fundraiser. Its for the kid of a family friend. Thanks guys.

[html-yellowhammer]

Bluestar and Yellowfang in the blue void

[michaelbrous]

I just wanted to show my appreciation for Taylor Swift. I’ve never talked about this publicly and I would really like to make an impact and show my appreciation. Although she may not see this, thank you. For backstory, I was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022. Because it had been there for so long, doctors were unable to remove the complete tumor for my brain because it wasn’t safe.

Obviously, this changed my life. I was only 13 and scared. I didn’t understand whether I would live or not. Ever since then, I have appointments almost weekly due to the cancer and other health problems.

I found Taylor Swift’s discography around late 2022/early 2023. I deeply connected to her words and her experiences, which helped me get through my own. My favorite song, seven, helped me process my childhood, having me realize that my parents not being around still affects me to this day. I also deeply connected to the song Ronan. He had a very similar connection to what I had, and I was so so happy that Taylor had made a song about him and had so much sympathy for his family.

Taylor Swift has been there through the hard, rough parts of my life, and her words make me feel as though she is singing about my life. I’m not sure I would’ve gotten out of 2023 without her, after going through a whole separate mental health journey and connecting with her even more deeply.

Thank you Taylor Swift for the music you make. Millions of people worldwide can connect so deeply and it truly does improve everyone’s life. I am so grateful we have amazing women like you in the industry. We love you ❤️

If there are any other people who can relate in any way to this, I would love to hear and know about it. I hope to make updates to my health here so everybody has a chance and a community to speak to about problems like this.

[primarygoines]

My 11 year old nephew was diagnosed with brain cancer in January. After MONTHS of doctors saying there was nothing wrong every time we took him to hospital for his painful headaches. It took him passing out at school for doctors to finally get a brain scan. He had a huge tumor on his frontal lobe. Fortunately, they were able to get it all. It was a Grade 3 ependymoma & has a 50% chance of recurrence. He just got his scans back a couple days ago after several rounds of proton radiation & they are clear!!

He's so happy. It's so good to see b/c he was very upset about his hair falling out. Broke my heart. He's ready to go back to school & ready for his birthday. Oh but most of all the holiday season. October-December is his jam. He didn't get to enjoy last year because of the tumor.

[headcanons-blog]

Hello, everyone. I know it's been awhile since I've written anything on this blog.

But if you've seen my recent reblogs from my main account, you'll know that I've just had brain surgery (specifically a craniotomy) a few weeks ago, because there was a cancerous tumor in my right temporal lobe.

I have only just found out recently that the tumor was cancerous (on a technicality, because of a genetic mutation that automatically makes it a grade 4 according to the WHO). And I didn't even know about the tumor until days before my surgery, because I was originally diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, but then I got an MRI which confirmed there was a pretty big mass in my brain.

The tumor was, thankfully, completely removed during the operation. However, there are still cancer cells in my brain around where the tumor was. Which means I'll be starting radiation and chemotherapy within a week or two.

The whole point of this long post was to get across that I won't be writing for the foreseeable future, if ever again. It really depends on how my treatment goes. I'll be on radiation therapy for 6 weeks and chemo cycles until the end of the year, so I'll be too fatigued to do much of anything anyway.

After my treatment, I'll just be closely monitored to see if the cancer recurs, by getting an MRI every few months. So maybe by then, I'll feel up to writing again. Anyway, I'm really sorry to anyone who is disappointed by this news. Believe me when I say that I'm just as disappointed.

[mindblowingscience]

A personalized vaccine for glioblastoma – the most aggressive and fatal type of brain cancer – has extended the survival of four humans in the first clinical trial of its kind. The newly fashioned medicine works by supplying the immune system with a way to 'recognize' the tumor and an 'instruction manual' for its entire transcriptome. This reveals where each and every gene in the tumor can be turned on or off. Equipped with such vital information, the immune system can reprogram the cancer's defenses and launch a more successful attack.

Continue Reading.

[maldreathezora]

Thank you all so much for your love, your encouragement, your readership, and your friendship.

[sunlitsymposium]

I’ve got a pretty small reach here, but something is better than nothing.

I’ve organized this gofundme for one of my dearest friends, born Roxy, known by close loved ones as Francis.

Francis is losing their battle with brain cancer and we are trying to raise enough money so they can afford the end of life care they need.

If you can share the link, spread this far, it would mean the world. They are one of the most genuine incredible people I know.

Please help, if you can.

[ricisidro]

Restin in Peace

🕊️

Mount Mutombo 🙏

Dikembe Mutombo, an NBA Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in the league's history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday from brain cancer, the NBA announced. He was 58.

[uvmagazine]

Dikembe Mutombo, NBA legend and Hall of Famer, has died after a battle with brain cancer. Dikembe was just 58 years old.

Photo Credit: Doha Stadium Plus Qatar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#DikembeMutombo #unheardvoicesmag