(Press-News.org) ABSTRACTS: CT012, CT132, CT265
CHICAGO, APRIL 25, 2025 ― Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present promising results from clinical trials in three minisymposia abstracts at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025. Findings include a personalized vaccine combination therapy for colorectal cancer, the use of radiotherapy to avoid the toxicities of systemic treatments for kidney cancer, and engineered exosomes to silence mutant KRAS in pancreatic cancer.
In addition to these trials, forthcoming press releases will feature notable oral and plenary session abstracts. More information on all MD Anderson AACR Annual Meeting content can be found at MDAnderson.org/AACR.
Personalized vaccine with or without immunotherapy is safe for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer subtype (Abstract CT012)
Patients with microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer (MSS mCRC) have poor outcomes and limited treatment options after failure of standard chemotherapy, in part because of an immunologically “cold” tumor microenvironment. Researchers led by Saurav Daniel Haldar, M.D., and Michael Overman, M.D., developed a personalized vaccine platform called NeoAg-VAX that uses bioinformatics and sequencing tools to deliver up to 10 tumor-derived proteins targeted to each patient’s specific combination of mutations. In this Phase I feasibility study, the researchers combined the personalized vaccine with and without pembrolizumab immunotherapy in 28 patients with MSS mCRC. The personalized vaccine was safe and feasible to administer, leading to strong immune responses in most patients vaccinated on this study. The researchers also characterized immune cell composition within patients' tumors, providing molecular insights into the immune microenvironment that could inform future therapeutic approaches. Haldar will present the results April 27.
Metastasis-directed radiation therapy avoids toxicities of systemic therapy in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (Abstract CT132)
Systemic therapies used for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), such as immunotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are associated with high toxicity rates. Metastasis-directed radiation therapy may limit side effects, but there are no established biomarkers to identify patients most likely to respond. Therefore, researchers led by Chad Tang, M.D., and Pavlos Msaouel, M.D., Ph.D., conducted a Phase II prospective trial investigating metastasis-directed therapy without systemic therapy in 121 patients with oligometastatic ccRCC. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 18 months, with a median of 34 months systemic therapy-free survival (STFS). Importantly, overall survival (OS) was not compromised, with OS rates of 94% and 87% at two and three years, respectively. The researchers also tested a novel tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay to detect molecular residual disease (MRD). Patients who were MRD- versus MRD+ at baseline had median STFS of 54 months compared to 27 months. These findings show that metastasis-directed radiation therapy can help patients avoid systemic therapies without compromising outcomes and that the ctDNA assay is a useful personalized prognostic biomarker for response. Tang will present the results April 28.
Exosomes deliver gene silencers for KRAS G12D pancreatic cancer (Abstract CT265)
KRAS G12D mutations occur in over 40% of pancreatic cancer cases, but KRAS inhibitors have not yielded durable responses for patients, partly due to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that can be engineered to carry small interfering RNA (siRNA), which silence specific genes, into cancer cells. In a first-in-human Phase I dose escalation trial, researchers led by Valerie LeBleu, M.D., Ph.D., Shubham Pant, M.D., Elizabeth Shpall, M.D., and Brandon Smaglo, M.D., examined the use of engineered exosomes derived from bone marrow cells to silence KRAS G12D in 12 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Six of the 12 patients receiving all exosome doses had stable disease in target lesions, and there were no dose-limiting toxicities. The researchers noted a reduction in KRAS G12D circulating DNA post-treatment. Further in vivo analysis revealed that these exosomes would work well with immune checkpoint blockade to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and overcome treatment resistance, highlighting the combination as a potential therapeutic strategy being investigated in an upcoming Phase II trial. LeBleu will present the results April 29.
In addition, Abstract CT267 features early clinical trial data from the ATR kinase inhibitor, ART0380, in advanced solid tumors. This targeted therapy was initially discovered and developed by MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division and licensed to Artios Pharma. Preclinical and translational studies led by investigators at MD Anderson, published in Clinical Cancer Research, demonstrated potent antitumor activity and established an innovative approach to optimize patient selection based on molecular tumor features.
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LOS ANGELES — It’s no secret that our waistlines often expand in middle-age, but the problem isn’t strictly cosmetic. Belly fat accelerates aging and slows down metabolism, increasing our risk for developing diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases. Exactly how age transforms a six pack into a softer stomach, however, is murky.
Now preclinical research by City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, has uncovered the cellular culprit behind age-related abdominal fat, providing new insights into why ...
Researchers from SYSU and IHEP have developed a unique muon veto detector system for TAO, a satellite experiment of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). This system features a top veto tracker system with remarkable characteristics such as high light yield, distinct signal-background differentiation and high detection efficiency even at high thresholds, provides the TAO experiment with a robust capability to suppress cosmic muon induced fast neutron and radioisotope events which are significant correlated backgrounds for the neutrino signal. This scalable solution establishes a transferable ...
Using a 3D printer to create organic tissue models that function like living organs may sound like science fiction — but engineers at the University of Pittsburgh are making it reality.
Central to their breakthrough is a simple yet powerful idea: when provided with the right environment, cells instinctively know how to organize and function. The key lies in designing scaffolds that mimic the body’s natural structures, giving cells the cues they need to grow, interact, and form tissues.
Daniel Shiwarski, assistant professor of bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering with a joint appointment at the School of Medicine’s Vascular ...
Background and objectives
Atypical trigeminal neuralgia (ATN) is a chronic pain condition characterized by persistent facial pain that does not respond well to conventional medical treatments, often leading to significant impairment in quality of life. This study examined the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing in patients with ATN.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective analysis of surgical techniques, clinical data, and treatment outcomes in 40 patients from January 2009 to January 2018. Pain levels ...
Many products in the modern world are in some way fabricated using computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which use computers to automate machine operations in manufacturing. While simple in concept, the ways to instruct these machines is in reality often complex. A team of researchers including those from the University of Tokyo devised a system to demonstrate how to mitigate some of this complexity. Draw2Cut allows users to draw desired designs directly onto material to be cut or milled. In this case, color-coded lines drawn with standard marker pens instruct the Draw2Cut system to mill designs into wood without any prior knowledge of CNC machines or ...
A rare cell type in the lungs is essential to survival from the COVID-19 virus, a new study shows.
Experiments in mice infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus revealed that the immune cell class in question, called nerve and airway-associated interstitial macrophages, or NAMs, may keep the human immune system’s initial counterattack on the virus (lung inflammation) from spiraling out of control to endanger patients. Macrophages are known to be the first responders to infection, as large immune cells capable of devouring invading viruses and the cells they infect.
Led by researchers at NYU Langone ...
About The Study: This economic evaluation estimates that expanded Medicare coverage for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) would increase access and reduce obesity-related comorbidities but impose substantial costs over 10 years. Even with a moderate scenario (5% uptake, 20% adherence, and 30% additional price discount), net spending was still projected to reach $8 billion over a decade, underscoring the need for further price reductions, lower-cost strategies to prevent weight regain, and reductions in spending ...
About The Study: The findings of these repeated cross-sectional surveys suggest that the difference in cigarette smoking prevalence between historically high vs low prevalence states will shrink by 2035, primarily from much faster declines among young adults in the traditionally highest prevalence states. Slower prevalence declines among older adults are likely to slow the decline in health consequences in these states.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, John P. Pierce, PhD, email jppierce@health.ucsd.edu.
To access the embargoed study: Visit ...
Researchers at University of California San Diego found that cigarette smoking continues to decline across the United States, largely driven by young adults. Their study, published in JAMA Network Open on April 25, 2025, reveals that the states with historically high smoking rates have seen the most dramatic declines. However, smoking cessation progress among adults over 50 has been much slower, which could prolong the public health burden of smoking-related diseases and death.
“The rapid decline in smoking among young adults is clear evidence that the smoking epidemic will come to an end in our lifetime,” said Matthew ...
NFCR Congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on Receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Rockville, MD — The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) proudly congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr., a pioneering cancer scientist, and NFCR-supported investigator from 2001 to 2018, on being named the 2025 recipient of the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research.
Presented by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), ...
