Scientists and medics have developed an ultra-rapid method of genetically diagnosing brain tumours that will cut the time it takes to classify them from 6-8 weeks, to as little as two hours – which could improve care for thousands of patients each year in the UK.

The groundbreaking method, which is detailed in a new study published today in Neuro-Oncology, has been developed by scientists at the University of Nottingham along with clinicians at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

In the published work, the team at NUH utilised the new approach during 50 brain tumour surgeries to deliver rapid, intraoperative diagnoses. This approach has achieved a 100% success rate, providing diagnostic results in under two hours from surgery and detailed tumour classifications within minutes of sequencing. Moreover, the platform’s ability to continue sequencing enables a fully integrated diagnosis within 24 hours.

A team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has identified flavonoids, natural compounds found in plants, that are toxic to bladder cancer cells cultured in the lab. The researchers report that Cell Painting technology enables them not only to identify compounds with potential anti-cancer properties but also uncover insights into their mechanism of action.

Chemotherapy doesn’t just kill cancer cells. It also affects the microbes in the digestive tract. 

Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered that some gut bacteria can reduce the side effects of these potent treatments, and that one family of cancer drugs may actually boost these protective bacteria.

Women of African or South Asian genetic ancestry tend to develop breast cancer and die at a younger age than women of European ancestry, according to new research by Queen Mary University of London. The study, which looked at clinical and genetic data from over 7,000 women with breast cancer, also found important genetic differences in these women’s cancers that could impact their diagnosis and treatment.