(L-R) Miriam, Ingrid and Celeste are all breast cancer patients who took part in the study
A world-first study is taking place at Portsmouth Hospital to find out if breasts change during cancer and if a suitable bra can be developed.
The research is examining how breast biomechanics – shape, look, size feel – change pre and post surgery, as well as after radiotherapy.
The hope is that the findings, set to be released next year, will help bra manufacturers to improve comfort, reduce the potential of tissue damage and help women return to exercise.
The study is being undertaken by the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Similar types of technology have been used to develop sports bras, but never for breast cancer patients.
Professor Edward St John said: “If we can design better bras that are more comfortable to exercise in, there is good data to show that exercise does decrease the chance of cancer coming back and improve overall survival.”
Surgeon Edward St John has worked with the cancer patients involved in the study
Currently, post-surgery women are given a compression bra, but Mr St John said there was no evidence this was beneficial.
“Traditionally the view has been the more compressive the bra the better, but we don’t really know if that’s the case” he said.
“As we learn more about how the bra moves after surgery so I think we can design better bras that aid healing post operative and are more comfortable.”
The study, part-funded by Wessex Health Partners, works by attaching sensors and motion detectors to breast cancer patients’ breasts and torso.
A 3D scanner looks at their movement, and researchers receive patient feedback on bras and exercise after treatment.
So far 49 women have taken part, with at least 60 expected before the study ends.
The breast biomechanics are measured when walking a on a treadmill to test movement
Celeste Ingram is one of the patients taking part in the trial. She found out she had cancer four days into her honeymoon.
“I kept getting a call from Queen Alexandra Hospital, but I was swiping it away until my partner told my to answer,” she said.
“I ended my honeymoon early and came back, that’s where Mr Ed St John told me I had cancer.”
The 50-year-old, who is a keen runner, is hoping being apart of the trial will help others.
“Normally you have cancer and then you go on your way. But it’s nice to be a part of this and have input,” she added.
Celeste
Celeste Ingram had biopsies taken shortly before her wedding
In the UK, one in seven women will get breast cancer in their lifetimes, according to Cancer Research UK.
Clinical research fellow in breast surgery Amy Huseyin said it was also becoming more prevalent.
“The survivorship figures are growing, there’s estimated to be 600,000 breast cancer survivors living in the UK, but that’s predicted to rise to 1.2 million by 2030,” she said.
“So there’s a huge population of women living with these long term impacts.”
Professor of biomechanics and research group in breast health lead Joanna Wakefield-Scurr said the study was “a really new, novel project”.
“To date, there’s been no research looking at the changes in the movement and the support requirements of the breast post surgery,” she said.
“The bra manufacturing industry asks us for this data, and now we will be able to share it with them.”
Mr St John added: “Though it may not be helping the patients now, it will be able to provide information that could help bra design and recommendations in the future.”
Ranking as the third most frequent gynecologic cancer globally and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States, ovarian cancer is often whispered about in medical circles as the “silent killer,” and for good reason. In 2024, global statistics indicate an estimated 324,603 new cases of ovarian cancer worldwide, resulting in 206,956 deaths.
It usually stems from a malignant tumor in the ovary, and the most commonly known epithelial ovarian cancer arises from abnormal cells growing uncontrollably. A woman’s lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is approximately 1.3%, with the risk increasing significantly with age and in women with a family history or specific gene mutations, which makes a strong case for early detection of the disease.
And although it’s hard to spot the signs distinctly, as they often hide behind subtle signs that many women overlook, it’s imperative that we pay attention to subtle early signs, like bloating, pelvic discomfort, or feeling full quickly – most of which are commonly dismissed as digestive issues or stress. Yet, recognizing these signals early can dramatically change outcomes.
Why put an emphasis on early detection? Because survival rates for ovarian cancer detected in the early stages reach as high as 90%, but only around 15-20% of cases are caught early. Women must learn to listen to their bodies and act on persistent changes, no matter how mild they seem. In order to do so, here are some subtle yet early signs that could make all the difference in the world.
Handover of dengue intervention kits for Fugalei and Savalalo Market in Upolu, Samoa by the UN Women’s Markets for Change (M4C) project and with the support from the Government of Australia. Photo: UN Women/Marlene Mulipola
Upolu,Samoa-In a major step forward for public health in Samoa, the UN Women’s Markets for Change (M4C) project, with support from the Government of Australia, completed two handovers of dengue intervention products to market vendors.
The first handover took place on Tuesday 26th August at the ACC Fugalei and MAF Savalalo Markets, followed by the second on Tuesday 2nd September at the MLS Salelologa Market in Savaii.
Dengue poses a real challenge in Samoa, especially for market vendors who spend their days in bustling, open environments. Recognizing this, the #M4C program, with DFAT’s support, provided essential items to empower vendors with the tools to protect themselves and their communities from mosquito-borne diseases.
The distributed materials, valued at USD$45,000 included mosquito nets, repellents, aerosols, rubbish bags, disposable masks, and gloves. These resources equip vendors to better protect themselves and their communities from mosquito-borne illnesses.
Talaleu Ah Kuoi, Secretary of the MAF Savalalo Market Vendors Association, shared, “This support means we can continue our work with confidence, knowing our families and customers are safer.”
HE Claire McGeechan, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Samoa, reaffirmed Australia’s commitment, “We are fortunate to be able to pivot our support to respond to emerging crises that are ravaging communities in Samoa, through the Markets for Change program.”
UN Women Samoa Country Programme Coordinator, Papalii Mele Maualaivao, emphasized the broader impact, “Protecting women vendors is not just a health issue. It is a socio-economic imperative. Empowering these women means protecting livelihoods and enhancing resilience.”
The #M4C project promotes gender equality through the economic empowerment of women market vendors in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It brings together governments, market vendors and market vendor associations, civil society organizations and UN agencies. M4C Phase II is implemented by UN Women Pacific in partnership with UNDP in Samoa, Cook Islands, Tokelau & Niue and the Government of Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade together with the Government of Samoa.
Cannabis may soothe in the moment, but for many, it fuels paranoia and heavier use, particularly in those with trauma or mental health struggles. Credit: Shutterstock
New research shows that self-medicating with cannabis can lead to higher paranoia, anxiety, and depression—especially for those with childhood trauma.
Recreational users face fewer risks, but those coping with pain or distress tend to consume more THC and struggle more with mental health.
Rising Cannabis Use and Mental Health Concerns
A major study led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, working with the University of Bath, has revealed that a person’s reasons for using cannabis can play a major role in whether they later develop paranoia.
As cannabis becomes stronger and more widely used across the globe, cases of dependence and cannabis-induced psychosis have been rising, with particularly sharp increases reported in North America. Drawing on data from Cannabis & Me (the largest survey of its type), two new studies have pinpointed important risk factors linked to the most severe forms of paranoia in people who use cannabis.
Exploring Motives Behind First Cannabis Use
The first study, published in BMJ Mental Health, examined how people’s initial reasons for using cannabis influenced their long-term patterns of use.
A total of 3389 adults, both current and former cannabis users aged 18 and above, completed a survey. They were asked about their motivations for starting and continuing cannabis use, how much they consumed each week in THC units, and their overall mental health.
The results revealed a clear pattern. Participants who first turned to cannabis as a way of coping with physical pain, anxiety, depression, or early psychotic symptoms scored significantly higher for paranoia.
By contrast, those who initially used cannabis out of curiosity, for enjoyment, or in a social setting with friends reported the lowest levels of paranoia and anxiety.
Expert Warnings on Cannabis and Mental Health
Dr. Edoardo Spinazzola, a Research Assistant at King’s IoPPN and the study’s first author, said, “Our study provides vital evidence on how the reason someone first starts using cannabis can dramatically impact their long-term health.
“This research suggests that using cannabis as a means to self-medicate physical or mental discomfort can have a negative impact on the levels of paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Most of these subgroups had average scores of depression and anxiety, which were above the threshold for referral to counselling.”
Measuring THC Consumption Patterns
Respondents were also asked to provide data on the frequency and strength of the cannabis they were using so that researchers could track their average weekly consumption of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the principal psychoactive component of cannabis.
The researchers found that the average respondent consumed 206 units of THC a week. This might equate to roughly 10-17 ‘joints’ per week, if the user was consuming an expected 20 percent THC content that is standard for the most common types of cannabis available in London.
However, respondents who started using cannabis to help with their anxiety, depression, or in cases where they started due to others in their household who were already using cannabis, reported on average 248, 254.7, and 286.9 average weekly THC units, respectively.
Comparing Cannabis to Alcohol Units
Professor Tom Freeman, Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath and one of the study’s authors, said, “A key finding of our study is that people who first used cannabis to manage anxiety or depression, or because a family member was using it, showed higher levels of cannabis use overall.
“In the future, standard THC units could be used in a similar way to alcohol units – for example, to help people to track their cannabis consumption and better manage its effects on their health.”
Childhood Trauma, Paranoia, and Cannabis Use
In a separate study, published in Psychological Medicine, researchers explored the relationship between childhood trauma, paranoia, and cannabis use.
Researchers used the same data set from the Cannabis & Me survey, with just over half of respondents (52 percent) reporting experience of some form of trauma.
Types of Abuse and THC Consumption
Analysis established that respondents who had been exposed to trauma as children reported higher average levels of paranoia compared to those who hadn’t, with physical and emotional abuse emerging as the strongest predictors.
Researchers also explored the relationship between childhood trauma and weekly THC consumption. Respondents who reported experiencing sexual abuse had a markedly higher weekly intake of THC, closely followed by those who reported experiencing emotional and physical abuse.
Finally, the researchers confirmed that the strong association between childhood trauma and paranoia is further exacerbated by cannabis use, but is affected by the different types of trauma experienced. Respondents who said they had experienced emotional abuse or household discord[1] were strongly associated with increased THC consumption and paranoia scores. Respondents reporting bullying, physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect, on the other hand, did not show the same effects.
Clinical Implications of the Findings
Dr. Giulia Trotta, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Researcher at King’s IoPPN and the study’s first author, said, “This comprehensive study is the first to explore the interplay between childhood trauma, paranoia, and cannabis use among cannabis users from the general population.
“We have not only established a clear association between trauma and future paranoia, but also that cannabis use can further exacerbate the effects of this, depending on what form the trauma takes.
“Our findings will have clear implications for clinical practice as they highlight the importance of early screening for trauma exposure in individuals presenting with paranoia.”
Policy Concerns Around Legalization and Risks
Professor Marta Di Forti, Professor of Drug use, Genetics and Psychosis at King’s IoPPN, Clinical Lead at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust’s Cannabis Clinic for Patients with Psychosis, and the senior author on both studies, said, “There is extensive national and international debate about the legality and safety of cannabis use.
“My experience in the clinic tells me that there are groups of people who start to use cannabis as a means of coping with physical and emotional pain. My research has confirmed that this is not without significant further risk to their health and wellbeing, and policy makers across the world should be mindful of the impact that legalization, without adequate public education and health support, could have on both the individual, as well as on healthcare systems more broadly.”
Notes
Household discord refers to living in a space where there is disharmony, conflict, or disagreement within a family unit.
References:
“Are reasons for first using cannabis associated with subsequent cannabis consumption (standard THC units) and psychopathology?” by Edoardo Spinazzola, Hannah Degen, Isabelle Austin-Zimmerman, Giulia Trotta, Edward Chesney, Zhikun Li, Luis Alameda, Bok Man Leung, Yifei Lang, Andrea Quattrone, Diego Quattrone, Erika Castrignanò, Kim Wolff, Robin Murray, Tom P Freeman and Marta Di Forti, 26 August 2025, BMJ Mental Health. DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2025-301810
“The impact of childhood trauma and cannabis use on paranoia: a structural equation model approach” by Giulia Trotta, Edoardo Spinazzola, Hannah Degen, Zhikun Li, Isabelle Austin-Zimmerman, Bok Man Leung, Yifei Lang, Victoria Rodriguez, Monica Aas, Lucia Sideli, Kim Wolff, Tom P. Freeman, Robin M. Murray, Chloe C. Y. Wong, Luis Alameda and Marta Di Forti, 8 August 2025, Psychological Medicine. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291725101190
Cannabis & Me was possible thanks to funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC).
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An adeno-associated virus produced by Guangping Gao, PhD, and colleagues at UMass Chan Medical School was used to deliver an HIV broadly neutralizing antibody that protected preclinical animal models from HIV. Published in Nature, these findings point to potential new approaches to protect young infants from perinatal HIV transmission.
“AAV is a very promising vehicle for delivering broadly neutralizing antibodies, such as the ones that protect against HIV transmission,” said Dr. Gao, the Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in Biomedical Research, chair and professor of genetic & cellular medicine, director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center and director of the Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research. “By using a viral vector, we’re able to turn muscle cells into tiny biofactories capable of continuously pumping out protective antibodies for potentially years.”
Antiretroviral cocktails for HIV that include nevirapine, which prevents mother-to-infant transmission—also called perinatal transmission—are available but require patients to maintain regular dosages each day. Similarly, broadly neutralizing antibodies can be protective but levels deteriorate rapidly in the blood stream, requiring repeated infusions to maintain protection. Additionally, adults often develop anti-antibodies that cause their effectiveness to wane after repeated treatments.
New HIV infections among children have declined by more than 60 percent worldwide, but progress has stalled in recent years. Approximately 120,000 children acquire HIV each year globally, according to UNAIDS, a United Nations program.
Adherence to therapy can be challenging due to social and economic reasons as many patients lack access to regular medical care. A treatment that could be given once during a mother’s prenatal medical care has the potential to greatly reduce perinatal HIV transmission.
The biggest advantage of delivering immune proteins via AAV that protect against HIV is that the code to make the antibodies become imbedded in muscle cells at the injection site.
If delivered either prenatally to the mother or directly to a new born infant, the developing immune system learns to recognize the antibody as native and therefore is far less likely to develop anti-immune responses that typically occur with repeated exposure.
The next step for investigators will be a clinical trial in patients. Katherine Luzuriaga, MD, the UMass Memorial Health Care Chair in Biomedical Research, vice provost for clinical and translational research and professor of molecular medicine, pediatrics and medicine at UMass Chan, has received a $250,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to plan a clinical trial to evaluate AAV-delivered antibodies in infants.
An infectious disease expert, Dr. Luzuriaga has led early-stage pediatric clinical trials resulting in licensing of multiple antiretroviral agents, including nevirapine in 1991. Her leadership of the first early combination antiretroviral therapy clinical trials in infants, along with characterization of the first case of HIV-1 remission in a very early treated infant, paved the way for current federal and WHO recommendations for very early infant diagnosis and lifetime combination antiretroviral therapy. Luzuriaga’s current efforts are focused on strategies to achieve long-term HIV remission in children off antiretroviral therapies.
This undated photo shows Liu Lijiang (L), chief scientist of the research team, working at the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province. (Xinhua)
WUHAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) — A recent study led by Chinese scientists has identified a key susceptibility gene linked to clubroot disease, often called the “cancer” of cruciferous crops, offering durable resistance resources for cruciferous clubroot disease control and fresh insights into how plants defend against invasive eukaryotic protozoon pathogens.
This study, conducted by a team from the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, was published in Nature Genetics on Monday.
Cruciferous crops hold significant economic and nutritional value, providing vegetables, edible oil and protein. However, their production faces a growing threat from clubroot disease, which has spread rapidly across more than 80 countries in recent years, causing global yield losses of 10 to 15 percent annually. In China alone, the disease affects over 20 million mu (about 1.3 million hectares) of farmland each year.
This disease is caused by the protozoon Plasmodiophora brassicae, which exclusively jeopardizes cruciferous species. Traditional breeding methods to control this disease, such as interspecific or intraspecific hybridization, often encounter challenges, including lengthy cycles and rapid loss of resistance.
According to Liu Lijiang, chief scientist of the research team, it took nearly a decade to identify the role of GSL5, a gene that facilitates infection. This gene can easily be hijacked by Plasmodiophora brassicae. This hijacking can result in the reinforcement of immune repression, disabling disease resistance signaling and enabling pathogen proliferation.
After identifying the gene, the researchers performed genome editing to knock out GSL5 in cruciferous plants. The genome-edited plants demonstrated broad-spectrum, high-level resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae pathotypes with no adverse effects on plant growth or seed yield in the field trials.
This innovation provides a durable, efficient strategy for controlling cruciferous clubroot disease and supports the breeding of high-resistance varieties of cruciferous crops like rapeseed, Chinese cabbage and broccoli, Liu said. ■
The death rate from hypertensive kidney disease (high blood pressure-related kidney disease) increased by 48% in the U.S. over the past 25 years, with continued differences across demographic groups, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2025. The meeting is in Baltimore, September 4-7, 2025, and is the premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity and genetics.
This is the first study to examine 25 years of national data on hypertensive kidney disease deaths across all U.S. states and major demographic groups. Despite national efforts to reduce health inequalities, Black individuals still had over three times the death rate compared to other groups of people.”
Joiven Nyongbella, M.D., an M.P.H. candidate and internal medicine resident at Wayne State University/Henry Ford Rochester Hospital in Detroit
High blood pressure (when the force of the blood pushing against the walls of vessels is too high) is a known risk factor for kidney damage. It is the second leading cause of end-stage kidney disease and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to serious outcomes, such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure and progression to kidney failure. Globally, the rate of death from chronic kidney disease increased 24% from 1990 to 2021, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics.
This study, looking at data from 1999 – 2023, found age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) for hypertensive kidney disease deaths increased 48%. Men, people living in the South and Black or Hispanic adults had higher than average death rates.
“High blood pressure isn’t just about strokes or heart attacks – it’s also a major cause of kidney disease and death, especially in Black and Hispanic communities,” said Nyongbella. “The message is simple: check your blood pressure, treat it early and don’t ignore it, because it can quietly lead to life-threatening kidney problems.”
In this study, researchers reviewed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) WONDER database from 1999 to 2023 for all death certificates noted with hypertensive renal disease as the cause of death. The analysis found:
Kidney disease caused by high blood pressure resulted in 274,667 deaths from 1999-2023 among individuals ages 15 and older.
From 1999-2023, the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) for hypertensive kidney disease deaths rose from 3.3 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 4.91 per 100,000 people in 2023, an increase of 48%.
Men had a higher average AAMR than women (4.48 vs. 3.69, respectively), with a 22% higher mortality in individuals with renal failure.
The highest average AAMR was for individuals who were identified as Black, at 10.37 per 100,000 people versus the range of 3.33 – 3.90 per 100,000 for people in other population groups. Hispanic individuals had a 15% higher AAMR when compared to non-Hispanic individuals (4.55 vs. 3.97, respectively).
Across the U.S., the West had the highest overall AAMR for hypertensive kidney disease deaths at 4.59 per 100,000. In the South, Washington, D.C., (7.6 per 100,000), Tennessee (5.9) and Mississippi (5.83) had the highest AAMRs.
“This study provides important observational data indicating a concerning rise (48%) in age-adjusted deaths due to high blood pressure-related kidney disease over the last 25 years, especially among men, and Black and Hispanic individuals,” said American Heart Association volunteer expert Sidney C. Smith Jr., M.D., FAHA. “These findings are in line with the recently released 2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline and AHA’s Presidential Advisory on Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) Health. Both papers emphasize the importance of early treatment for high blood pressure, its direct link to kidney disease, as well as the impact of social factors among high-risk populations.” Smith is a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine, a past president of the American Heart Association and a co-author of the 2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline; he was not involved in this study.
There are several limitations to the study’s findings. Of note, the study relied solely on death certificate data, which may include errors due to missing or mislabeled causes of death. In addition, individual health factors like access to care, medication use or diet were not available, so future research is needed to investigate these factors in addition to health data.
Study details, background and design:
Data from the CDC WONDER database was reviewed for all death certificates in the U.S. from 1999 to 2023 with any of the ICD-10 codes for hypertensive renal disease with and without renal failure listed as a cause of death.
The analysis included demographic information about people who had died with and without hypertensive renal disease, ages 15 to 85 and older; 54.9% were women, 23.5% were Black, 8.47% were Hispanic and 68% were from other racial and ethnic groups.
Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 were calculated and stratified by year, sex, race, ethnicity, state and region.
The abstract also details the additional calculations used to assess trends including average annual percent change (AAPC) in deaths statistical testing.
The FTD research landscape is on the verge of major developments. For the first time, a Phase 3 trial has been completed for a potentially disease-modifying treatment for a type of genetic FTD, with results expected in 2025.
As we wait for these Phase 3 trial results, we are taking time to summarize current updates in trials for a type of genetic FTD, as their progress may have impacts for all people impacted by FTD as well as all FTD researchers, healthcare providers, and investors.
Approximately 40% of FTD cases are currently thought to be familial or have genetic underpinnings. These trials all tackle the progranulin hypothesis – the idea that for people with FTD caused by GRN variants, restoring progranulin levels will reduce FTD pathophysiology and symptoms.
There are other major genes that contribute to FTD, such as C9orf72 and MAPT. While there are trials ongoing or emerging which may enroll people with FTD with C9orf72 variants, we focus here on GRN as the genetic target furthest along in trials. There are also trials on other genes and aberrant proteins that are being tested in people with related diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s, which may hold promise for genetic and sporadic forms of FTD. While significant drug development progress is being made for specific types of FTD, there will be learnings and progress that will benefit all.
Below are summaries of the status of six active FTD trials as of the time of publication, in alphabetical order by sponsor.
Important note: AFTD is an informational resource and does not specifically encourage or discourage patient participation any specific clinical trial.
Update: Phase 3 enrollment is complete and results are expected by the end of the 2025 calendar year. Phase 2 updates were previously provided.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04374136
Sponsor: AviadoBio
Study: ASPIRE-FTD (Phase 1/2)
Drug: AVB-101 – GRN AAV9 gene therapy; intended to increase progranulin levels by delivering a functional GRN gene into the brain
Delivery route: Intrathalamic infusion
Update: Dosing is completed of a second cohort in Phase1/2 and dosing of a third cohort is intended in Q3 2025, with the expectation that early biomarker data will be shared in 2026.
Drug: TAK-594/DNL593 – recombinant progranulin combined with protein transport vehicle technology; intended to increase progranulin levels by delivering the progranulin protein across the blood-brain barrier
Delivery route: Intravenous
Update: Phase 1 part A data dosing of health volunteers was previously reported and part B dosing of people with GRN-related FTD is ongoing.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05262023
Sponsor: Passage Bio
Study: upliFT-D (Phase 1/2)
Drug: PBFT02 – GRN AAV1 gene therapy; intended to increase progranulin levels by delivering a functional GRN gene into the brain
Delivery route: Injection into the cisterna magna
Update: Interim data has been announced from Dose 1 in people with GRN variants and further interim data from Dose 2, is expected in 2026. Future cohorts are planned to also include participants with FTD-C9orf72.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04747431
Sponsor: Prevail Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly
Study: PROCLAIM (Phase 1/2)
Drug: PR006 – GRN AAV9 gene therapy; intended to increase progranulin levels by delivering a healthy GRN gene into the brain
Delivery route: Injection into the cisterna magna
Update: Interim results for Phase 1/2 were published in 2024 and recruitment is ongoing.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04408625
Sponsor: Vesper Biotechnology
Study: SORT-IN-2 (phase 1/2)
Drug: VES001 – small molecule; intended to cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit sortilin-mediated progranulin degradation Delivery route: Oral
Update: Phase 1 data in healthy volunteers was previously reported and Phase 1b/2a has reached enrollment milestones in asymptomatic patients who are carriers of GRN variants, with results expected in the second half of 2025.
Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06705192
For the most up-to-date information on these trials, consider referring patients and families to enroll in the FTD Disorders Registry, which can keep them informed about new and emerging research opportunities; or referring them to AFTD’s HelpLine (info@theaftd.org, 866-507-7222); or referring them to clinicaltrials.gov. Participation in the Registry can also encourage drug development by documenting the numbers of affected people.AFTD has created resources on FTD Genetics and gene therapy, and is committed to enabling and strengthening efficient and informative FTD clinical trials. Visit our For Researchers page for more information about working with us as a researcher.
Two molecular targets-human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) and cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24)-are highly promising candidates for new nuclear diagnostics and therapeutics for endometrial cancer, according to new research published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. PET imaging of these targets could play a significant role in the management of the disease, helping clinicians identify patients who are likely to respond to targeted therapeutics.
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide, and its incidence and mortality rates have increased over the past decade. Although early-stage disease is effectively treated via hysterectomy, a dearth of molecularly targeted therapies means that prognoses are far poorer for those with disseminated or recurrent disease.
“Taken together, these factors clearly indicate that the development of novel approaches to the imaging and therapy of endometrial cancer is an urgent clinical need,” remarked Brian M. Zeglis, PhD, professor of chemistry at Hunter College, City University of New York in New York City. “To address this issue, my colleagues and I explored three biomarkers-HER2, mucin-16 (MUC16), and CD24-as potential radiotheranostic targets for endometrial cancer.”
In the study, researchers first evaluated the expression of HER2, MUC16, and CD24 antigens in endometrial cancer and healthy uterine and healthy endometrial cell lines as well as in patient-derived endometrial cancer tissues. Next, immunoPET probes targeting each of these antigens-89Zr-DFO-trastuzumab (HER2), 89Zr-DFO-AR9.6 (MUC16), and 89Zr-DFO-ATG-031 (CD24)-were interrogated via PET imaging and biodistribution experiments in cell line and patient-derived murine models of endometrial cancer.
Researchers found that endometrial cancer cells and tissue samples expressed elevated levels of HER2, MUC16, and CD24 compared with healthy control cells and tissue samples. The three immunoPET probes exhibited significantly different behavior in mice bearing subcutaneous endometrial cancer xenografts: 89Zr-DFO-ATG-031 provided the highest tumor uptake and tumor-to-background contrast; 89Zr-DFO-trastuzumab produced moderate yet promising results; and 89Zr-DFO-AR9.6 yielded substandard images. Subsequent imaging experiments in mice bearing patient-derived xenografts reinforced the potential of the CD24- and HER2-targeted immunoPET probes.
“The clear potential of HER2 and CD24 as molecular targets in endometrial cancer raises the question of how these two targets could be exploited for clinical nuclear medicine,” said Zeglis. “It is our hope that this work leads to the application of new HER2- and CD24-targeted radiotheranostics in endometrial cancer. More broadly, we hope that this investigation spurs increased interest in our field in this understudied disease.”
Source:
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Journal reference:
Sebastiano, J., et al. (2025). Evaluating Radiotheranostic Targets for Endometrial Cancer. Journal of Nuclear Medicine. doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.125.270318
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