Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment but can cause kidney-related immune complications in some patients, sometimes requiring therapy to be paused or stopped. A study led by Dr. Sandra Herrmann at Mayo Clinic sheds light on how this inflammation develops and offers early evidence for a targeted approach to better manage—and potentially prevent—these side effects.

E. coli and 'good' bacteria balanced by breastmilk in baby gut microbiomes, according to a new paper published in Nature Communications. The study, led by Professor Lindsay Hall from the University of Birmingham used deep DNA sequencing to look at stool samples from 41 healthy babies and their mothers in the Netherlands and found that sugars contained exclusively in breast milk are helping to feed an important balance of bacteria in babies’ developing gut microbiomes.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have found that the likelihood of prostate cancer overdiagnosis – the detection of a cancer that would never have been diagnosed during a patient’s lifetime but for PSA screening – is low in younger men but rises substantially with old age.

A team of researchers from USC in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have received approximately $7.8 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Ocular Laboratory for Analysis of Biomarkers (OCULAB) program to build a medical device that could transform testing and treatment for a range of health conditions. The project, Personalized Automated Continuous Treatment for Eye Plus Systemic Disease (PACE+), aims to develop an implantable system, placed near the eye, that can measure biomarkers in tears to monitor dry eye disease (DED) and automatically deliver medication to treat the condition. The technology uses remote sensing capabilities and could be expanded for use in a range of other diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and neurological conditions. The OCULAB approach centers on tears as a diagnostic fluid. Tears contain many of the same biomarkers as blood but are easier to collect. Compared to intermittent blood draws, continuous monitoring of tears can track disease states more chronically with less burden to patients. The researchers intend to build a tiny implant, the size of a grain of rice, that can be placed through a small existing opening in the eyelid (corner of the eye) during a quick, painless procedure. A chip inside the implant measures tear biomarkers linked to DED symptoms and sends the data to the patient’s smartphone. The phone then automatically dispatches medication as needed through a second small device, tucked between the eye and lower lid. This helps manage symptoms as they fluctuate without requiring any action from the patient. Over the next 18 months, the researchers will focus on engineering and validating the system. This includes demonstrating in the lab that the sensor can accurately measure DED biomarkers, confirming that the system can be safely positioned around the eye and conducting early tests in preclinical models. If the team meets these milestones, the project is eligible for up to $9.3 million in additional funding.