Samuel Hume, Scientist at University of Oxford, posted on X:
“Biggest medical discoveries of the week
A twice-yearly prophylactic injection – Lenacapavir – is >95% effective to prevent HIV (in men – it’s already proven in women!) It’s even more effective than daily pills (F/TDF), due to better adherence.
Molecular mechanisms for disease include mutation, expression changes, mislocalisation – and now ‘proteolethargy’ In (models of) chronic disease, like type 2 diabetes, some proteins move less This was prevented by the antioxidant, NAC
The 2-year progression-free survival in mismatch repair deficient, metastatic colorectal cancer is ~14% with chemotherapy This phase 3 trial, for immunotherapy with PD1/CTLA4 inhibitors, improved this to 72% – with fewer severe adverse events
The first new treatment for acute asthma in >50 years A single dose of IL-5Rα monoclonal antibody – which depletes eosinophils – was more effective than a course of prednisolone for long-term control of eosinophilic asthma, following an attack.
The first-in-human use of IL15-armoured CAR-T cells, in GPC3-positive solid cancers. Adding IL15 makes the CAR Ts persist longer, expand more, and control tumors better. The risk of cytokine release syndrome was increased, too – but was treatable.
Deaths from cervical cancer are plummeting. This is for two reasons: the screening program, and the HPV vaccine.
A dynamic map of aging (in mice!). Based on single cell transcriptomics, >200 cell types fluctuate with age. In early life, cells from adipose and muscle lineages are depleted. In later life, certain immune lineages are expanded – ‘inflammaging’.
The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can persist in the skull and brain, long after initial Covid infection Detected in both mice and patients, this may explain some long Covid symptoms.”