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.

Bhutan has achieved a major public health milestone that several countries, including India, are still attempting to.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Bhutan’s elimination of dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem, making it the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone.

Bhutan's achievement comes after it recorded zero human deaths from dog-induced rabies since June 2023. It also demonstrated that it has the systems needed to prevent the disease from returning.

In India, rabies continues to remain a major public health concern. Bhutan’s public health achievement, therefore, offers an important lesson for India and other countries. Eliminating rabies means tackling the disease at its source, rather than relying only on treatment after a dog bite.

How Did Bhutan Eradicate Rabies?

Bhutan’s progress towards rabies eradication was built over more than a decade through a One Health approach, bringing together human health, veterinary services, local governments and communities.

The country’s Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme focused on mass dog vaccination, population management, surveillance and community awareness.

“Bhutan has shown that eliminating dog-mediated human rabies is possible when strong national leadership, a mature One Health approach and communities come together around a shared goal,” said Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region.

Bhutan also became the first country to sterilise its entire dog population that roamed freely on the streets through a nationwide programme.

WHO said Bhutan maintained universal, free access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) across all 20 districts, while continuing mass dog vaccination and integrated human-animal surveillance. Cross-border coordination with Indian states is also being strengthened to protect the achievement.

“Bhutan's success shows that the health of humans, animals and the environment we share is inextricably linked,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

He added that the fight against rabies is won by bringing health workers, veterinarians and communities together rather than working in silos.

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What Can India Learn From Bhutan?

In terms of rabies eradication, India has made progress, but the burden remains substantial.

WHO estimates that 5,726 people die from rabies in India every year, based on an ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology study. Around 9.1 million animal bites occur annually, with more than three-quarters caused by dogs.

The Indian government’s National Rabies Control Programme also states that around 96% of rabies mortality and morbidity is associated with dog bites.

India already has systems in place that could help with elimination of rabies. The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 provide for sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs, while the National Rabies Control Programme focuses on ensuring access to PEP for people exposed to animal bites.

Bhutan’s experience shows that rabies elimination cannot depend only on giving vaccines to people after bites occur. Vaccinating dogs, controlling dog populations, strengthening surveillance, ensuring rapid access to PEP and improving community awareness have to work together.

Dr Soneet Yadav, ER Consultant, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, told HealthandMe, "Rabies keeps claiming lives mainly because people wait long for post‑exposure treatment and because we do not control Rabies in stray and free‑roaming dogs well. To get rid of rabies, India must use a coordinated "One Health" plan that brings together health workers, city officials, vets and animal‑care groups.”

He added, “The important goal is to make sure many dogs get vaccinated all the time while we also run birth‑control programmes and keep a tighter watch on animal‑bite incidents. In hospitals in rural and underserved areas, anti‑rabies shots and Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG) should always be available. I think people need to hear that every suspected Rabies exposure means they must go to a doctor fast.”

Also read: Newborn’s Nail Infection Leads Doctors To Aggressive Brain Tumour: What Are Glioblastoma's Symptoms In Babies?

What You Should Do Immediately After A Bite?

Once the virus reaches your nervous system, modern medicine will not be able to help you as there is no cure. But rabies is 100 per cent preventable if treated in time.

The moment you realise you have been licked, scratched, or bitten by an animal, especially one that is unvaccinated or unknown, Dr Yadav recommends the following things:

1. Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes.
2. Apply antiseptic like iodine or alcohol.
3. Avoid putting chilli, turmeric, oil or other ingredients on the wound
4. Rush to a doctor; do not wait for swelling, itching or any other sign. You will need a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) shot, which includes a course of anti-rabies vaccines and sometimes immunoglobulin injections.
5. Keep a record of the animal if possible. If it is someone’s pet, you will want to confirm their vaccination history.

A tiny infection under a newborn’s fingernail turned out to be an important clue that led doctors to an unexpected and life-threatening diagnosis of an aggressive brain tumour.

Joey Sharp, from Penicuik in Midlothian, Scotland, was just 11 days old when his parents took him back to hospital after he began struggling to feed, losing weight and developing persistent jaundice. He was also showing signs of twitching intermittently.

A Tiny Nail Problem Led Doctors To Look Further

While examining the newborn, doctors noticed what appeared to be a very small infection in one of his fingernails. According to Joey’s mother, Sam Sharp, the abnormality was so tiny that it looked almost like a grain of sand beneath the nail.

But while doctors were investigating the problem, an ultrasound revealed a tumour in Joey’s brain.

The discovery came as Joey’s other symptoms were becoming increasingly concerning. What initially looked like a minor problem with his finger became part of a much larger medical investigation.

Joey was subsequently diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Also read: BBC News Presenter Maryam Moshiri Reveals Incurable Blood Cancer: What Is Polycythemia Vera?

Why Were Doctors Looking At His Finger?

The nail infection itself was not reported as the cause of the brain tumour. Rather, investigating the unusual finding was part of the baby's broader medical assessment after he returned to hospital with several unexplained symptoms.

In newborns, symptoms can sometimes be difficult to interpret because babies cannot describe what they are experiencing. Problems such as poor feeding, weight loss, jaundice, and abnormal movements can have many possible causes.

In Joey's case, doctors' investigations ultimately led them to perform imaging that uncovered the brain tumour.

The story is therefore less about a nail infection “causing” a brain tumour and more about how an apparently minor physical finding helped doctors continue investigating a very sick newborn until they found the underlying problem.

Also read: FDA Approves New Breast Cancer Treatment That Targets Resistance Before Cancer Progresses

The Newborn Was Diagnosed With Glioblastoma

For Joey, treatment was intensive. He underwent three brain surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy. Two operations were performed to remove the tumour, while a third was needed to deal with scar tissue that was preventing medication from controlling his seizures.

At one point, Joey was experiencing more than 30 epileptic seizures a day and required feeding tubes.

What Symptoms Glioblastoma Can Cause In Newborns?

In babies, brain tumours may announce themselves through changes in head growth, feeding, alertness, vomiting or development rather than the classic headaches adults experience. According to reports on congenital glioblastoma, possible signs include:

• Rapidly increasing head size (macrocephaly) is one of the more important clues in infants
• Bulging or tense soft spot (fontanelle) due to increased pressure inside the skull
• Persistent vomiting, particularly when accompanied by other neurological changes
• Unusual sleepiness or lethargy
• Poor feeding or difficulty feeding
• Irritability or unusual changes in behaviour
• Seizures
• Weakness or reduced movement of one side of the body
• Abnormal eye movements or visual problems
• Delayed development
• Poor weight gain

Despite the severity of his illness and the treatment he required as a baby, Joey survived. He also participated in clinical trials designed to help researchers better understand how chemotherapy can be used to treat babies with brain tumours. He is now reported to be cancer-free.

In a world first, an experimental treatment has been administered to a 26-year-old woman, the daughter of American hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, in which mitochondria from her leg were injected into her eyes.

While the treatment did not restore vision, it produced a temporary return of the pupils’ response to light, offering a potentially important finding, according to scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in a paper published as a preprint on Research Square.

The eye study, posted as a preprint on August 10, has not yet undergone peer review. The treatment remains highly experimental and involved only one patient.

“It was my daughter. Mitochondria has amazing potential,” Ackman said in a post on X, adding that the family had seen a sustained benefit from the initial injection, although it was weaker than the immediate response.

Brain Hemorrhage Left Her Unable To See

In February this year, Ackman’s daughter Lucy collapsed in her Brooklyn apartment after suffering a brain hemorrhage, leaving her unable to move, speak or see, the billionaire said in a post on X.

While doctors performed emergency surgery, the injury damaged her optic nerve and left her unable to see. Her pupils also stopped responding to light.

Despite the progress in other areas, Lucy’s vision has remained severely affected.

After receiving emergency approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, doctors at Mount Sinai extracted mitochondria — the energy-producing structures inside cells — from Lucy’s leg muscle and injected them into the fluid of both eyes, according to Nature.

“Over the last six months, she has recovered her cognition – she understands everything including her circumstance – is able to walk a hundred or more steps at a time with assistance, is making progress with sounds, vowels and consonants and the beginnings of speech, but she remains unable to see,” Ackman said.

Mitochondrial Transplant Showed Temporary Visual Response

The researchers reported that Lucy, who had optic nerve damage in both eyes for three months, received one mitochondrial injection in each eye, 24 hours apart.

Importantly, neither eye developed inflammation. Within days of the injections, her pupils began responding to light again — something that had not happened in 45 tests over the previous 71 days.

She also reported seeing shapes and shadows through her left eye.

However, the response faded after about four weeks, and the treatment did not restore normal vision.

“We are working on a method to inject her eyes with more frequency,” Ackman wrote on X.

When Can Mitochondrial Transplants Help?

According to the researchers, mitochondrial transplantation involves delivering healthy, functioning mitochondria into tissue where the mitochondria have been damaged.

The approach has been studied in the human heart and brain, but had not previously been used in the eye.

"To our knowledge, this is the first administration of isolated mitochondria to the human eye. The procedure was performed to the filed specification in both eyes," the researchers said in the paper.

Retinal ganglion cells, which are involved in transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain, depend heavily on mitochondria to produce energy. In studies involving rodents, mitochondria injected into the vitreous — the gel-like substance inside the eye — have been taken up by these cells and improved their survival after optic nerve injury.

In Lucy’s case, the injection of her own mitochondria into the eyes was reported to be safe and was associated with the temporary return of pupillary responses to light. However, it did not restore normal vision, and the visual response faded after about four weeks.

Because the report involves only one patient and has not yet undergone peer review, much more research is needed to determine whether mitochondrial transplantation could eventually become a treatment for optic nerve damage or other forms of vision loss.