A series of preclinical studies show that a new compound, SHP1705, targets circadian clock proteins hijacked by glioblastoma stem cells, impairing the cancer cells’ ability to survive and grow. SHP1705 is also the first clock-targeting compound to complete a phase 1 clinical trial, where it was found to be safe and well-tolerated in humans. Glioblastoma is the most common cancerous brain tumor in adults—and one of the most difficult to treat. Most patients receive a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, but tumors typically return and resist further treatment. Circadian clock proteins, which regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle and other daily rhythms at the cellular level, offer a potential solution. Glioblastoma cells hijack these proteins in order to replicate, so switching them off could slow or halt tumor growth. Through a series of biochemical, cellular and animal studies, the researchers tested SHP1705’s ability to neutralize glioblastoma stem cells, finding it to be highly effective. A phase 1 clinical trial led by Synchronicity Pharma, a biotechnology startup that Kay co-founded, showed that SHP1705 was well-tolerated in humans.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death globally.

Although some of the molecular changes associated with colorectal cancer are known, how they contribute to cancer development is not yet well defined.

In a study published in Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers used mouse models and studies of colorectal cancer tissues to show that loss of SOX9 gene promotes tumor progression and the pathway it regulates can be a potential target for future treatments.

New research has identified specific blood-based biomarkers that can predict the failure of prostate cancer treatment in both hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant patients. The study in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, published by Elsevier, identifies platelets, C-reactive protein, and chromogranin A as important indicators in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients for the combined androgen deprivation and androgen receptor pathway inhibitors therapy failure to guide alternate treatment.

Background: Lung cancer has become the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. We aim to determine factors associated with newly diagnosed lung cancer at the Emergency Department (ED) and identify specific patient populations eligible for lung cancer diagnostic screening.

Methods: This is a single-center retrospective observational study. We included all patients aged between 50 and 80 years old, who presented to the ED seeking healthcare between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023. Patients’ socio-demographics, clinical information, and whether they were eligible for lung cancer screening determined by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guideline were analyzed and compared between patients who had newly diagnosed lung cancer at ED and those without. Factors associated with newly diagnosed lung cancer patients were determined by multivariable logistic regressions with inverse probability weighting (IPW) to account for observed selection bias of lung cancer screening eligibility.

Results: Out of 75,516 patients in this study, 18,641 (25%) patients had documented smoking histories. Among these, only 8,051 (10.66%) were eligible for lung cancer screening, while 18,348 patients received lung computer tomography (CT). Among all patients whose CTs were performed, 123 individuals were identified as having been newly diagnosed with lung cancer. Multivariable logistic regressions showed that the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for eligible lung cancer diagnostic screening was 3.07 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.08–4.53, P<0.001] without IPW and 3.49 (95% CI: 2.24–5.42, P<0.001) with IPW. Other factors associated with newly diagnosed lung cancer in ED were older age, female, and patients who spoke neither English nor Spanish.

Conclusions: To optimize the identification of suitable patients for lung cancer diagnostic screening in the ED, it may be beneficial to modify the eligibility criteria beyond those currently outlined by the USPSTF guidelines. Integrating additional factors such as advanced age, female sex, and a preference for non-English languages could improve the screening’s effectiveness by capturing at-risk populations that might otherwise be overlooked.

Keywords: Lung cancer; screening eligibility; Emergency Department (ED)