Researchers at the Cancer Research Institute and the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have uncovered a critical mechanism that enables gastric cancer to spread to distant organs. Their study shows that cancer cells stimulate Wnt signaling in surrounding stromal fibroblasts to produce hyaluronan, creating a supportive microenvironment that promotes metastasis.

These findings provide new insight into how metastatic tumors establish themselves and suggest promising strategies to prevent gastric cancer progression.

Modern human and veterinary medical interventions to combat infectious diseases depend on the continued efficacy of antimicrobial drugs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the quintessential One Health challenge threatening human and animal health and welfare and has environmental effects on ecological communities in soil and water. Policy guidance on AMR needs to anticipate the likely outcomes of different interventions and courses of action. For that, transdisciplinary collaboration to understand the development, spread, and impacts of AMR is crucial. We report the outcomes of an international workshop that explored the challenges and opportunities for modelling AMR across One Health settings. They include the disparity of data quality and availability, the broader knowledge gaps in key areas such as the relationship between antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR, and the difficulty of defining AMR as a single outcome given its heterogeneity. Differences between microbial species, resistance genes, environments (i.e., terrestrial vs. aquatic) and practical settings (e.g., human clinical vs. veterinary, or individual vs. population) complicate the generalizability of model applications. However, synoptic AMR metrics are necessary to cut through the complexity for policymaking. We discuss the status of AMR modelling with respect to a hierarchy of modelling evidence for decision-making. Finally, we consider learnings from modelling other wicked environmental challenges to develop a pragmatic approach to inform policy.

With the global expansion of financial incentives to promote behavior change, they are being considered in One Health contexts characterized by the interdependence of human, animal, and ecosystem health. Little specific evidence exists about how to maximize the effectiveness of financial incentives and minimize negative outcomes in these complex settings. We review over two decades of research on financial incentives for behavior change to examine their potential effects on improved practices related to water, sanitation and hygiene, food safety, and animal and ecosystem health. We apply lessons from the literature to the case of Guinea worm disease, a neglected tropical disease for which financial incentives have been utilized or considered to motivate the uptake of various preventive behaviors. Guinea worm disease prevention is a useful example for considering the advantages, disadvantages, and unknowns of incorporating financial incentives into behavior change interventions because such an approach calls for changes in multiple behaviors with diverse attributes, and the use of incentives may have implications for other disease control, elimination, and eradication programs. Further, Guinea worm disease represents a classic One Health challenge with interventions necessary in human, animal, and ecological systems to reduce disease incidence. We present evidence-based recommendations for the design and use of incentives that may further facilitate effective behavior change. We also discuss potential negative outcomes from incentives, and critical unknowns such as how to design incentives for collective behavior and what happens when incentives end. We stress that financial incentives are not always appropriate; they must be considered carefully and coupled with proper communication efforts that are driven by a deep understanding of community social norms, motivations, and practices.

In time for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has launched a new clinical study aimed at helping improve how patients with colorectal cancer share information about the genetic risks to their family members. Supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the trial, “Family Communications After Genetic Testing,” seeks to enroll about 4,000 colorectal cancer patients and their at-risk relatives across the United States.