BioMedWire Stocks Archives - BioMedWire (BMW)

FridayMar 13, 2026 10:00 am

Microbial Ecosystems Play a Big Role in the Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy

Significant strides have been made in leveraging checkpoint inhibitor therapy to combat a number of cancers over the recent years. However, not all malignancies respond to these therapies, and those that do often become resistant, or are discontinued due to adverse reactions within the immune system. Now, researchers have shown that gut microbiota are one of the key factors influencing the success of immunotherapy targeting PD-L1 and PD-1 gene expression. The study was published in the journal Cancer Biology and Medicine. The research team undertook a comprehensive review focused on seeking to understand how microbial ecosystems within the gut impact how patients respond to checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-L1 and PD-1. They analyzed clinical trials, preclinical studies and available multi-omics data to ascertain how bacterial…

FridayMar 06, 2026 10:00 am

OSU Researchers Develop Nanomaterial That Eliminates Cancer Cells

Oregon State University researchers have engineered a new nanomaterial from iron that kills cancer cells inside tumors and leaves normal cells unaffected. This new nanomaterial works by triggering two chemical reactions inside tumors and the cancer cells die off as a result of these reactions. In a study that appeared in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, the scientists explain that the novel nanomaterial initiates two different chemical reactions that cause oxidative stress to kill cancer cells from the inside. Their work advances the field of chemodynamic therapy, also known as CDT. This field seeks to leverage the unique microenvironment inside tumors by altering the conditions that cancer cells thrive in in order to kill them off by denying the…

ThursdayMar 05, 2026 10:00 am

Researchers Say ICE Operations are Harming Public Health

The media has been awash with stories of intense sweeps by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted in different cities, such as Minneapolis. While a lot of focus has been on the sometimes high-handed methods used during these operations, a team of researchers is drawing attention to the adverse public health effects of these ICE sweeps. University of Iowa’s Asst. Prof. Nicole Novak and Associate Professor William Lopez of the University of Michigan write that these operations have far-reaching effects on public health that take a while to fully come to light, and that it will take years to roll back those adverse effects. One of the effects they point out is that…

TuesdayMar 03, 2026 10:00 am

New Treatment Dramatically Improves Survival for Patients with Deadly Brain Tumors

Researchers at Keck Medicine, University of Southern California (USC) have discovered that combining immunotherapy with laser heat therapy could significantly extend the survival of individuals diagnosed with deadly brain cancers. Astrocytoma, which includes cancers like glioblastoma, grows aggressively and usually recurs after patients have undergone surgery to remove the tumors. This makes the cancer difficult to treat, and patients rarely survive for more than 5 months once diagnosed with high-grade astrocytoma. Immunotherapies, treatments that leverage the body’s immune system to fight cancer, work remarkably well in addressing cancers found in other body parts. However, these treatments exhibit dismal results when used against brain cancers. This is because the blood-brain…

FridayFeb 27, 2026 10:00 am

UCLA Researchers Develop Method to Fix Fuel Shortages in Cancer Immunotherapy

Many immunotherapies developed to combat cancer fail because the CAR-T cells become exhausted after being starved of oxygen in the tumor environment. A new preclinical study conducted by a team at UCLA has uncovered a method to deliver needed glucose to immune cells in a way that tumor cells cannot hijack. This offers hope of keeping anti-cancer fighter cells active and deadly to both solid and non-solid tumors. The study, whose findings appeared in Cell journal, documents how the researchers found a way to keep the oxygen supply of CAR-T cells intact in a way that cancer cells cannot steal and starve the immune cells. They…

ThursdayFeb 26, 2026 10:00 am

Medicare Advantage Insurers Record Slowing Growth in Member Enrollment

According to data released by the CMS last week, the expansion of people enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans has decelerated in 2026 to a degree that dwarfs what has been happening in recent years. The CMS data reveals that nearly 35.5 million individuals have so far enrolled for MA programs. This marks a paltry 3% growth of membership compared to last year which saw approximately 34.4 million individuals enroll for MA plans by this time of year. The 3% growth is a far cry from previous years that easily saw annual enrollment tick upwards by 10%. In recent years, the expansion of MA has continued to lose steam as many insurers withdraw from offering MA plans or scale down the number…

TuesdayFeb 24, 2026 10:00 am

American Science Suffers as Brain Drain Intensifies

The biomedical ecosystem in the U.S. is facing an unprecedented threat as younger researchers opt to work abroad amid the numerous challenges facing innovation within the United States. This brain drain particularly intensified starting last year when a number of policy changes left many with no option but to look for opportunities in other countries. For starters, thousands of grants have been slashed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation. Research projects at these institutions helped to absorb early career and entry-level scientists with new ideas that they studied using funding from the federal government. Without this vital entry point for young researchers, it is becoming extremely difficult for the country to maintain a…

FridayFeb 20, 2026 10:00 am

Cancer Stress Protein Enables Tumors to Evade the Immune System

A study published this week has found that when cancer cells are stressed, they produce a certain protein that helps the cancer to avoid detection by the immune system. This discovery opens an opportunity for developing therapies that target this particular protein in order to make immunotherapy more effective against cancer. The study, which was conducted by a large team led by a group at New York University Langone Health, focused on pancreatic and lung cancer tumors. They studied the ISR (Integrated Stress Response) of the tumors. Tumor cells are constantly stressed because they multiply so fast and often lack all the nutrients they need to support their survival and further…

ThursdayFeb 19, 2026 10:00 am

Expert Calls for Congressional Action on National Health Alert System

For decades, health policymakers have relied on a survey tool to get early awareness of emerging public health threats before they become full-blown crises. The results of those surveys have shaped policy on matters like fortification of foods and the need to conduct public awareness campaigns due to the millions who were found to be unaware that they had high blood pressure. That survey tool is NHANES, or National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey. NHANES has played a pivotal role in shaping public health policy since the 70s, but something happened last year during the longest federal government shutdown that could lead to…

FridayFeb 13, 2026 10:00 am

Groundbreaking Study Uncovers Why Breast Cancer Metastasizes to the Brain

A groundbreaking study led by a pair of researchers from Israel and involving research teams in several countries has discovered why some forms of breast cancer metastasize into the brain and become deadly. Their findings could open new doors in the management of breast cancer and address the needs of patients who are at a higher risk of developing metastases in the brain. The study, whose findings appeared in the Nature Genetics journal, was led by Professor Uri Ben-David and his colleague Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, both working at Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences in Tel Aviv, Israel. Other researchers who were involved in the study were…