After treating a tumour with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cells known as senescent cells can appear. These are cells that do not divide, are involved in the ageing process and are resistant to cell death, but are still metabolically active in the human body. When they accumulate, they can jeopardize the patients’ recovery. Now, a UB-led study describes for the first time a molecular mechanism that could drive the design of strategies to eliminate senescent cells in cancer patients.

Complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) is a significant aspect of cancer care, with many patients seeking these approaches to manage symptoms and side effects of treatment. A controlled implementation study, titled 'CCC-Integrativ', was conducted to evaluate the effects of an interprofessional evidence-based counseling program for CIH in enhancing patient activation among cancer patients. The study was a prospective controlled non-randomized implementation study with a focus on the micro-, meso-, and macro-level outcomes, accompanied by a mixed-methods process evaluation and health economic analysis. The primary objective was to assess the impact of the program on patient activation, measured by the Patient Activation Measure questionnaire (PAM-13) at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up.

In a new study published in the journal Cell, a team from Gladstone Institutes has unearthed new findings about what happens during the minutes and hours after a cell divides, expanding our understanding of human biology—and potentially leading to better medicines.

Non-persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are characterized by a sharp increase in viral load followed by a long plateau, according to a study published January 21^st in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Samuel Alizon of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France, and colleagues.

A recent study from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India has revealed new details about how our cells clean up and recycle waste. This process, known as autophagy, is like a self-cleaning mechanism for cells, helping the cells stay healthy by getting rid of damaged parts and recycling useful components. The process involves formation of a vesicle called autophagosome, which encapsulates the cellular waste. The autophagosome then fuses with another type of vesicle called lysosome. The fused stage is called autolysosome. The autolysosome ultimately matures into lysosome, where the waste is degraded by different enzymes and important starting materials are released back into the cytoplasm. The autophagosomes, autolysosomes and lysosomes can be considered as different stages of the cellular recycling process. Therefore, when cells notice they have too much "junk" inside, autophagy kicks into action. It is like a little clean-up crew inside the cell that sorts out the waste, recycles useful parts, and disposes off the rest. However, autophagy is not just about tidying up. The process is also extremely crucial for survival. When cells face tough times, like deprivation of nutrients or oxygen, autophagy can break down older, less useful components to provide essential material and aid in survival. Hence, this is one of the most important processes in our body. Impaired autophagy is linked to cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, metabolic disorders like diabetes and cancer. Various proteins and small molecules work in tandem to regulate this vital process. Dysregulation of any of the regulators can lead to disruption in autophagy. Hence, for better understanding of how autophagy works, we need to know what’s happening inside the autophagic vesicles at every stage of the process. This is where this recent finding made an exciting leap forward.

The school will bring together international specialists from research centers and healthtechs to discuss precision health’s state-of-the-art as accomplished through translational/comparative approaches and One Health vision.