A new study has found that a combination of two drugs could enhance the immune system to treat one of the most common types of cancer in the world, bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, despite its widespread presence, the treatment options for this condition are limited. What the study specifically found was that this procedure could shrink the tumours caused by this condition by around 60%.

What Are The Drugs Involved

The trial involved the use of two immunotherapy drugs, botancilimab and balstilumab. It is a monoclonal antibody that works to stimulate the body's immune system to attack cancer. The study is a rather significant find, as it’s the first time that a consistent and durable response to immunotherapy has been reported in patients with solid MSS mCRC tumours.

The study was divided into several phases for more than 6 months. In the US trial, around around 101 patients with microsatile stable metastatic colorectal (MSS-mCRC) tumours showed a decrease . Around 61% of the patients experienced tumour shrinkage or stabilization after combined treatment with votancilumab and balstilumab. When it comes to downsides, diarrhea and fatigue were found to be the most common side effects or side effects of this drug.

These results are interesting and open to exploration. To date, immunotherapy has not been effective in patients with CNS-mCRC tumors. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of botenlimab and balstilimab in the treatment of CNS mCRC, providing new hope for people diagnosed with colon cancer.

What Could This Mean For Bowel Cancer Treatment In The Future

The study is currently in the final stages of clinical trials, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to quickly gain approval for its use because of the importance of this area that affects many people. The efficiency shown demonstrates the potential of botansilimab to contribute to broad antitumor immunity.

All in all, the combination of botensilimab and balstilimab represents a promising new direction in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This breakthrough could improve conditions for many patients worldwide and lights a new hope in the fight against this common disease. The results of this study show the effectiveness of immunotherapy in this field and how its potential to transform cancer treatment can only grow in the years to come.

Endometriosis is usually characterised by painful periods, chronic pelvic pain and fertility issues. But a new study suggests the condition may also be linked to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that women with endometriosis had a 46% higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with women without the condition.

The findings come from one of the largest studies to examine the relationship between the two conditions, adding a new dimension to the adverse effects of endometriosis.

What Did The Study Find?

Also read: 'My Periods Are Painful' Is Not Always Normal: When Could It Be A Sign of Endometriosis?

Researchers studied health records from nearly 3 million women in the Utah Population Database, covering the period from 1996 to 2021. Almost 100,000 women were diagnosed with endometriosis.

After accounting for factors including age, race and body mass index, women with endometriosis were found to have a 46% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women without the condition. The researchers also found that the association differed depending on the type of endometriosis.

Additionally, the risk of type 2 diabetes was higher across several subtypes, including superficial peritoneal, ovarian and deep infiltrating endometriosis.

The strongest association was seen in women with endometriosis outside the usual pelvic sites, where the risk was about twice as high. Adenomyosis was also associated with an increased risk.

Why Could The Two Disorders Be Connected?

Also read: Maternal Anemia: Why It’s A Major Pregnancy Risk For Indian Women And How to Prevent It

Chronic inflammation could be the reason why the two disorders could be connected. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease in which tissue resembling the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

Persistent inflammation can affect several systems in the body, while inflammation and poor insulin sensitivity could lead to type 2 diabetes.

“Previous studies largely evaluated endometriosis as a single condition and generally reported little or no overall association with type 2 diabetes,” said Fuzak Nunziato, lead author of the study. “Our findings add to a growing understanding that endometriosis may affect more than reproductive health alone.”

Despite the strong observation, it is to be noted that study found an association, meaning women with endometriosis were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It does not prove that endometriosis directly causes type 2 diabetes.

The study was also retrospective, meaning researchers looked back at archival health records rather than assigning participants to groups and studying them prospectively.

A large prospective research published in 2021 found no overall significant increase in type 2 diabetes among women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis, although it did find modestly higher risks among certain groups, including women who were not obese.

The association was particularly notable among premenopausal women and women without obesity - groups that are not normally not considered to be at the highest risk for type 2 diabetes.

If further research solidifies the the link, researchers say women with endometriosis could potentially benefit from greater awareness of metabolic health and earlier identification of diabetes risk.

A one-time gene-editing treatment has been reported to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by as much as 62% in an early clinical trial, raising hopes that high cholesterol could one day be treated without everyday pills.

The experimental treatment, VERVE-102, is designed to make a long-term genetic change in the liver. Researchers say it could eventually offer a new way of managing high cholesterol, although it is still years away from standard use. The latest results have been described as an “extremely exciting milestone” by researchers.

How Does The One-Time Treatment Work?

VERVE-102 targets a gene called PCSK9, which plays an important role in controlling how much LDL cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream.

The treatment uses base editing, a form of gene editing, to switch off the PCSK9 gene in liver cells. PCSK9 reduces the liver’s ability to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood.

By permanently disabling the gene, researchers hope to reproduce the effect seen in people who naturally have PCSK9 variants that keep their cholesterol low and their risk of coronary heart disease reduced.

The treatment is delivered through a single intravenous infusion containing the gene-editing machinery packaged inside a lipid nanoparticle.

Also read: How To Read Your Blood Test Results: A Simple Guide To What Your Numbers Mean

What Did The Trial Find?

The Phase 1b Heart-2 trial involved 35 adults with either heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, an inherited condition that leads to high cholesterol, or premature coronary artery disease. Participants received a single infusion at different doses.

At the highest dose tested, LDL cholesterol fell by an average of 62%, while PCSK9 levels fell by as much as 88%. The reductions sustained during follow-up, with some being observed for up to 18 months.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, making the findings particularly notable because they provide the first clinical evidence that this type of in-body gene editing can produce a substantial and potentially durable cholesterol reduction.

Also read: Stopping Statins After 75 May Not Raise Death Risk In Low-Risk Adults: The Lancet Study

Could It Replace Statins?

The clinical trial was small and still early-stage. It was designed to examine safety and whether the treatment produces the expected biological effect, not to prove that VERVE-102 prevents heart attacks or strokes by lowering cholesterol. Researchers also need to understand the consequences of permanently altering PCSK9 over many years.

The trial did not report any serious adverse events related to the treatment or dose-limiting toxicities, although some participants experienced fatigue and other reactions.

Dr Riyaz Patel, a cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust and professor at University College London, said the early results provide encouraging evidence that PCSK9 base editing could eventually offer “substantial and durable” LDL reduction with a one-time treatment.

Statins and other cholesterol-reducing medicines generally require regular, continued treatment. VERVE-102 is attempting to change the liver’s system of regulating cholesterol.

That could be particularly useful for people who struggle to take medication consistently or whose cholesterol remains dangerously high despite existing treatments.

Despite the promising results, calling VERVE-102 a 'cure' for high cholesterol would be premature. Eli Lilly plans to begin a Phase 2 trial by the end of 2026, which should provide more information about the treatment’s safety, effectiveness and durability.

Men in the UK could face limited access to prostate cancer testing under updated guidance that gives GPs authority to decide if some men without symptoms should receive a PSA blood test.

The development comes after the UK Government rejected calls for routine prostate cancer screening for all men. It instead backed a targeted approach in which those at highest genetic risk would be considered first.

Why Is The UK Changing Prostate Cancer Testing Guidance?

Under existing NHS guidance, men aged 50 and over can request a PSA test after discussing the benefits and limitations with their GP.

The new guidance states that the decision to authorise PSA testing ultimately rests with the doctor. Recent reports suggested that the policy has sparked criticism from cancer charities and campaigners.

Regardless, a PSA test can find prostate cancer, but it cannot reliably tell doctors which cancers are dangerous and which may be manageable with treatment.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) concluded in May that routine screening of the whole male population could do more harm than good.

It said that for every 1,000 men aged 50 to 60 screened using PSA, up to two lives could be saved, but as many as 20 men could experience overdiagnosis.

Also read: Prostate Cancer: NHS England's New Precision Radiotherapy Offers Hope In Just 5 Sessions

Who Will Be Eligible For Regular Screening?

The UK NSC has recommended targeted screening every two years for a much smaller group who are more likely to get prostate cancer. It includes men in the age group of 45 to 61 who have a BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer.

Importantly, the committee did not recommend targeted screening for other groups at higher risk, including Black men or men with a family history but no BRCA2 variant. It said that more evidence is needed to take a call on those matters.

What Is A PSA Test?

PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, is a protein produced by prostate cells. Higher levels can be associated with prostate cancer. But they can also increase because of non-cancerous prostate enlargement or inflammation.

This means screening can produce false alarms and lead to biopsies or treatment that some men may never need. Cancer Research UK says PSA testing may also fail to detect some prostate cancers.

Also read: Testicular Cancer Warning: Be Vigilant About These Unnoticeable Signs, Doctor Warns

Why Are Black Men Ineligible Despite Being In Higher Risk Group?

Black men have a substantially higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer, but the UK NSC said there is currently insufficient evidence to establish whether routine screening of Black men would help.

At the same time, the UK Government has expanded access for Black men to the TRANSFORM prostate cancer screening trial, which is designed to find a better way of detecting clinically significant prostate cancer.

The change does not mean PSA testing is being banned. Men with symptoms or particular risk factors can still be assessed by their GP, and doctors can request testing when it is clinically appropriate.