This review examines the clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA assays for detecting minimal residual disease in patients with early-stage breast cancer.
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Millions of breast cancer patients could avoid chemotherapy with new genome test
Those who received a high score (above 60) were given chemotherapy and hormone therapy, while those with a low score (less than or equal to 60) were treated with hormone therapy alone.
Of the low-scoring group who did not receive chemotherapy, results showed that outcomes were very similar whether chemotherapy was given or not. Five years after treatment, 94.8 per cent of those who received chemotherapy alongside hormone therapy were alive and free from breast cancer recurrence, and 93.6 per cent of those treated with hormone therapy alone were also alive and recurrence-free.
Doctors said the results show that people aged 40 or older with hormone‑sensitive breast cancer and a low Prosigna score can safely avoid chemotherapy.
Stanford quantum computing breakthrough uses twisted light to work without extreme cooling
A new room-temperature quantum device uses twisted light to entangle photons and electrons, overcoming one of the biggest hurdles in quantum technology. The breakthrough could pave the way for smaller, cheaper quantum systems with applications ranging from secure communications to future AI and computing platforms.
Longevity-linked APOE2 gene variant helps neurons repair DNA and resist aging
People who carry the APOE2 version of the apolipoprotein E gene are more likely to live to advanced age and are partly protected against Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists have struggled to explain why. A new study from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, now published in Aging Cell, offers a mechanistic answer: APOE2 helps human neurons keep their DNA intact and resist becoming senescent, a damaged, dysfunctional state that accumulates with age and contributes to neurodegeneration.
The findings shift attention away from APOE’s well-known role in cholesterol transport and toward a previously underappreciated function of the gene: shaping how brain cells maintain the integrity of their genome as they age.
“We’ve known for years that APOE2 carriers tend to live longer and have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s, but the protective mechanism has been a black box,” says senior author Lisa M. Ellerby, Ph.D., professor at the Buck Institute. “Our work shows that APOE2 neurons are better at preventing and repairing DNA damage, and they resist the cellular aging program that drives so much of late-life decline. Our findings point to entirely new therapeutic directions.”
Researchers 3D print key components for a point-of-care mass spectrometer
Year 2024
Caption :
MIT researchers have 3D printed a miniature ionizer, which is a key component of a mass spectrometer. The new miniature ionizer could someday enable an affordable, in-home mass spectrometer for health monitoring. Pictured are parts of the new device, including a green printed circuit board (PCB) with orange casing on top. Under the casing is a black rectangle where the electrospray emitter is located.
New MRI sensors detect target molecules in the brain and body with high sensitivity
When doctors and scientists want to see inside a body, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool. MRI can noninvasively capture detailed images of the body’s muscles, organs, and bones. It can monitor blood flow to generate a map of brain activity. And with new sensors developed by bioengineers at MIT, MRI can track the kinds of molecules that make our brains and bodies work.
In the May 13 issue of the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team led by Alan Jasanoff, the Eugene McDermott Professor in the Brain Sciences and Human Behavior at MIT, reports on their new sensors, which can brighten or dim MRI signals in response to specific molecular targets. The probes are designed to amplify the effect that each target molecule has on MRI signal, dramatically improving sensitivity over previous small-molecule sensors.
Jasanoff, who is also an associate investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, says the approach his team used should enable the development of MRI sensors that detect neurotransmitters and other important molecules in the brain.
