Latest news with #JohnsHopkins
Medscape
11 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Key Highlights in Ovarian Cancer From ASCO 2025
Novel drug combinations that improve outcomes, outstanding questions about treatment sequence, and encouraging results in chemotherapy resistant disease are among the ovarian cancer highlights presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Stephanie Gaillard, from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, begins with the ROSELLA trial of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel vs nab-paclitaxel alone in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The results showed improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in this difficult-to-treat population. Next, she discusses the TRUST trial in advanced ovarian cancer, comparing radical upfront surgical therapy followed by chemotherapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery, followed by further chemotherapy. Although PFS was improved by upfront surgery, OS was not, leaving the treatment sequence open to question. Dr Gaillard then reports on an updated survival analysis from the OVATION-2 study of intraperitoneal IMNN-001 plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy in newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. The approach achieved impressive OS, alongside the previously reported PFS benefit. Finally, she reports on a phase 2 study of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in recurrent or persistent clear cell ovarian carcinoma. The combination showed encouraging response rates and PFS in a population known to be highly resistant to chemotherapy.
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Health
- First Post
How new blood test could reveal cancer long before symptoms appear
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in the US have developed a new blood test that can detect signs of cancer up to three years before symptoms appear. When cancer is present, tumours release small fragments of genetic material into the bloodstream. Researchers found that these fragments can be identified in blood samples long before symptoms emerge. This could allow doctors to detect cancer much earlier than current screening methods, improving the chances of timely treatment read more This could let doctors find cancer much earlier than current screening methods. Pixabay/Representational Image Has a new way to detect cancer early been found? Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in the US have created a new blood test that can pick up signs of cancer up to three years before any symptoms appear. Why is this important? This could let doctors find cancer much earlier than current screening methods, giving people a better chance of getting treated in time. ALSO READ | British tourist dies after being 'scratched' by a pup in Morocco: How common are rabies deaths today? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The study was published in Cancer Discovery and carried out by teams from different Johns Hopkins centres. It was partly supported by the US National Institutes of Health. So, what is this new test? And what did the researchers discover from the study? Let's take a look: What the researchers found The study showed that small traces of cancer can be found in a person's blood as early as three years before they are formally diagnosed. This raises the possibility that doctors could one day spot cancer much sooner, when it is easier to treat or even cure. When someone has cancer, tumours release tiny fragments of genetic material into the bloodstream. The researchers found that this material can be detected in blood samples well before any symptoms show up. The study was carried out by teams from different Johns Hopkins centres. Pixabay/Representational Image Dr Yuxuan Wang, one of the study's authors, said, 'We were surprised to find cancer signals in the blood so early. Finding cancer three years earlier gives us a chance to treat it before it spreads.' To conduct the research, scientists used plasma samples from a major Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which looks at risk factors linked to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and other heart-related conditions, according to a press release. They examined blood from 26 people who were diagnosed with cancer within six months of giving the sample, and compared it with samples from 26 people who were not diagnosed with cancer. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Out of the 52 people, eight tested positive using a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) lab test and were later diagnosed with cancer within four months of their blood being drawn. Notably, MCED tests are an experimental method of screening that checks for signs of several types of cancer at the same time. According to the American Cancer Society, these tests can look for pieces of DNA, RNA or proteins from abnormal cells. In six of the eight cancer cases, the researchers went back to check earlier blood samples, taken more than three years before diagnosis. In four of those cases, cancer markers were already present. What do the results mean? Dr Bert Vogelstein, senior author and professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins, said, 'This study shows the promise of MCED tests in detecting cancers very early, and sets the benchmark sensitivities required for their success.' Dr Nickolas Papadopoulos, also a senior author and professor of oncology, added, 'Detecting cancers years before their clinical diagnosis could help provide management with a more favourable outcome. Of course, we need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers.' At present, no MCED test has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for general use. However, some are available commercially under more flexible rules as Laboratory Developed Tests. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD MCED tests are an experimental method of screening that checks for signs of several types of cancer at the same time. Pixabay/Representational Image Experts say MCED tests are not meant to replace current screening methods but could become useful tools for detecting cancers earlier, particularly those like colon cancer, which are often diagnosed at later stages. Of the eight participants whose cancers were picked up by the MCED test months before diagnosis, five later died from the disease. According to The New York Post, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, more than two million new cancer cases are expected in the US in 2025, with over 618,000 people projected to die from the illness. That means nearly 1,700 deaths every day.
CBS News
15 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland sue U.S. Department of Defense over research funding cuts
Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, College Park are fighting to protect millions of dollars in federal research funding, according to a lawsuit. The two universities, along with 10 others, are suing the department and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over an attempt to slash indirect cost rates to 15% for research funded by the department. In a memo issued on June 12, the Defense Department announced plans to cap the amount paid for indirect costs awarded on all research grants to 15%. According to the lawsuit, UMD currently has a 56% indirect costs rate, and JHU has a 55% rate. Indirect costs are resources used for operational expenses that are related to research activities. In a statement, Johns Hopkins said these costs are "necessary costs of conducting groundbreaking research that has made our nation the world's leading military superpower." How would cuts impact universities? Johns Hopkins University said the funds help offset a broad range of costs essential for its research, including equipment and electricity for labs, technical expertise and technological infrastructure, and other basic operational expenses. JHU said it has nearly 300 active Department of Defense grants totaling around $375 million across multiple years, with nearly half of that funding going to the School of Medicine and another 39% going to the Whiting School of Engineering. JHU's negotiated indirect cost rate for Department of Defense research grants was expected to remain at 55% through Fiscal Year 2026. Of the estimated $122 million in DOD funding that the university received in fiscal year 2024, nearly $90 million covered direct costs, and another $32 million accounted for the DOD's share of indirect costs. JHU co-invested to cover the remaining indirect costs. Johns Hopkins expects to receive similar amounts of DOD funding in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. However, if indirect costs are slashed, JHU said it could lose about $22 million. UMD receives approximately $125 million in DOD awards each year. The university could lose $7 million under Pete Hegseth's plan. Johns Hopkins grapples with federal funding cuts In February, Johns Hopkins University joined a federal lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after the agency announced that it would be limiting funding for indirect costs to 15%. That effort was blocked by a federal judge on June 17 after multiple states and institutions filed similar lawsuits. JHU lost more than $800 million from USAID grant terminations. Since January, 90 grants have ended, adding up to another $50 million in federal research funding. The university has been one of the top recipients of research funding from NIH. In June, the university announced it was pausing pay increases and reducing spending due to funding uncertainty.
India Today
20 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
Blood test detects cancer DNA three years before diagnosis
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that tiny traces of cancer can be found in a person's blood up to three years before they are officially means doctors might one day be able to catch cancer much earlier, when it's easier to treat or even study, published in Cancer Discovery, was led by scientists from several Johns Hopkins institutions, and partly funded by the US National Institutes of WHAT DID THE STUDY FIND?When someone has cancer, their tumors release small bits of genetic material into the bloodstream. The researchers discovered that this material can show up in blood samples long before any signs of illness appear."We were surprised to find cancer signals in the blood so early. Finding cancer three years earlier gives us a chance to treat it before it spreads,' said Dr. Yuxuan Wang, one of the study team used blood samples from a large health study called ARIC, which has tracked people's heart and health data for many looked at blood from 52 people:26 people who were later diagnosed with cancer26 people who stayed cancer-freeOut of these, 8 people showed signs of cancer in their blood using a special lab test called MCED (Multicancer Early Detection). All 8 of these people were diagnosed with cancer within four months after their blood was 6 of those cases, researchers went back and checked older blood samples from the same people, taken more than three years before the diagnosis. In 4 of those cases, cancer markers were already present even back DOES THIS MEAN?The study highlights that a simple blood test might one day be able to spot cancer early, giving doctors and patients more time to act.'This kind of early detection could improve treatment and save lives," said Dr. Nickolas Papadopoulos, one of the senior the researchers stated that they need to determine the appropriate clinical follow-up after a positive test for such cancers.
Medscape
21 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
One Psilocybin Dose Eases Cancer Depression Over Long Term
A single dose of psilocybin combined with psychological support can provide lasting relief from depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. In a phase 2 clinical trial, more than half of patients reported sustained reductions in depression, and nearly half reported significant reductions in anxiety 2 years after treatment. Psilocybin is a 'potentially paradigm-shifting alternative to traditional antidepressants,' wrote the investigators, led by Manish Agrawal, MD, Sunstone Therapies, Rockville, Maryland. Sandeep Nayak, MD, medical director, Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Baltimore, who wasn't involved in the study, said that the antidepressant effects of psilocybin in patients with cancer are 'consistent' with those found in larger studies of people with depression. 'If psilocybin works for major depression in general, it's likely to work for major depression in people with cancer, even though there are, of course, unique aspects of psychological suffering with cancer,' Nayak told Medscape Medical News . He cautioned, however, that more study is needed. 'Ultimately, this data is encouraging but not a game changer,' said Nayak. 'We do need bigger studies, which are coming.' Limited Success Treating Cancer Depression Depression remains common in patients with cancer, and the typical treatment approaches — antidepressants and psychotherapy — have demonstrated limited success. Agrawal and colleagues explored the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted group therapy in 30 patients (mean age, 58 years; 70% women; 80% White individuals) with major depressive disorder and curable or noncurable cancer. Participants received one-on-one and group therapy sessions before, during, and after receiving a single 25-mg psilocybin dose. No patients were taking an antidepressant or antipsychotic medications or using medical cannabis. Earlier results from this trial showed that, at 8 weeks posttreatment, 25 of 30 patients (80%) had a lasting response to psilocybin, with half demonstrating full remission of depressive symptoms by week 1, which lasted for at least 8 weeks. The latest findings explore depression after 2 years in the 28 patients available for follow-up (two patients died). The new 2-year data, published June 16 in the journal Cancer , highlight the durability of these effects. At 2 years, 15 patients (54%) demonstrated ongoing benefit, with a significant 15-point reduction in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale scores, 14 of which had full remission of depressive symptoms. Psilocybin also helped relieve anxiety. At 2 months, 22 patients (79%) had a significant 17-point reduction from baseline in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, with 13 (46%) having a sustained reduction in anxiety at 2 years (average, 13.9-point reduction from baseline). 'Impressive' Data With Caveats Nayak said the fact that 50% of patients with cancer were in remission from their depression at 2 years is 'impressive and consistent with a long-lasting antidepressant effect of psilocybin.' 'However, the study had no control group, which is a limitation in that we can't tell how much of the benefit was from the intervention vs other causes (placebo effect, depression improving on its own, social support following the trial),' he noted. 'If psilocybin receives approval for major depressive disorders, studies like this will I think spur clinical work with psilocybin and cancer,' Nayak said. So why does psilocybin relieve depression? 'There are a lot of theories,' F. Perry Wilson, MD, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, and Medscape's Impact Factor commentator, said in a recent post. Wilson noted that some researchers are using a new term — psychoplastogens — to describe drugs like psilocybin. 'The science suggests that one-time use of these agents can allow for a sudden increase in neural plasticity, allowing new neuronal connections to form where they wouldn't in other conditions, and for older connections to break down and restructure,' Wilson explained. 'If our brains are etched with the stories of our lives, if our behaviors deepen and reinforce those psychological ruts, psychoplastogens like psilocybin may loosen the soil, so to speak.' This also suggests that concomitant psychotherapy could be a critical component of psilocybin treatment for depression, he added. 'Perhaps the psilocybin shakes loose some maladaptive pathways, but putting them together in a healthy way still takes work.' Wilson said it wouldn't surprise him if this is the case, 'and it's a good reminder to those of you reading this that these drugs are not a panacea for mental health.'
