New pretzel-shaped device cured 82% of bladder cancer patients — most in just 3 months
In a recent clinical trial, a pretzel-shaped device that slowly releases chemotherapy drugs directly into the bladder eliminated tumors in 82% of patients whose cancer had resisted standard treatment.
For most, the cancer vanished within three months, and nearly half remained disease-free a year later.
Advertisement
3 Johnson & Johnson is the manufacture of TAR-200, an experimental device for the treatment of bladder cancer.
MIT Koch Institute / Instagram
Dr. Sia Daneshmand, director of urologic oncology with Keck Medicine of USC and lead author of a study, said called the finding a 'breakthrough' in how certain types of bladder cancer might be treated.
Each year, more than 80,000 people in the US are diagnosed with bladder cancer.
The most common type is non-muscle-invasive, where the disease remains in the bladder's lining and hasn't reached the muscle layer. When features like high-grade tumors increase the chances of recurrence or progression, it's classified as high-risk.
Advertisement
For these patients, treatment often involves the immunotherapy drug Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Delivered through a catheter into the bladder, it typically stays in place for a few hours, stimulating the body's immune system to attack cancer cells.
But BCG isn't effective for everyone. Studies show that up to 40% of patients either don't respond initially or see their cancer return.
That's meant treatment progressed to removing the bladder and surrounding tissue and organs. To offer a less invasive alternative, researchers developed the TAR-200.
Advertisement
Like BCG, this small, pretzel-shaped device is inserted into the bladder via catheter, where it slowly releases the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine over three weeks per treatment cycle.
3 Bladder cancer affects an organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine.
shidlovski – stock.adobe.com
'The theory behind this study was that the longer the medicine sits inside the bladder, the more deeply it would penetrate the bladder and the more cancer it would destroy,' said Daneshmand, who has been researching the treatment since 2016.
Advertisement
It worked. Daneshmand's team treated 85 patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who had relapsed after BCG therapy. In 70 of the 85 patients, the cancer disappeared. For almost half the participants, was still gone a year later.
That's significant, because patients often relapse within a year of standard treatment, and many become unresponsive to further therapies.
The most common side effects were mild urinary symptoms — like frequent urination, burning, urgency and urinary tract infections — which usually resolved within weeks.
3 TAR-200 delivers a targeted, slow release of gemcitabine directly into the bladder.
Bernard Chantal – stock.adobe.com
'This new therapy is the most effective one reported to date for the most common form of bladder cancer,' said Daneshmand.
Several clinical trials are currently underway exploring TAR-200, made by Johnson & Johnson, and its slow-release delivery of chemotherapy into the bladder.
In July, the FDA granted it priority review status, aiming to complete the review within six months instead of the usual 10.
Advertisement
'TAR-200 represents an innovation in drug delivery that has not been seen in decades,' Dr. Yusri Elsayed, global therapeutic area head of oncology at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, said earlier this summer.
'The FDA Priority Review for TAR-200 underscores our mission to fundamentally change the way urologists treat certain types of bladder cancer.'
Bladder cancer ranks as the 10th leading cause of death in the US, with an estimated 17,420 deaths expected in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society.
The disease is more common in men than women, though incidence rates have declined by about 1% annually for both sexes in recent years. This drop is likely linked to decreased smoking rates, the leading risk factor for bladder cancer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Personal trainer recommends the one arm plank as the perfect way to upgrade your core workouts — I gave it a try
The plank is a great exercise for building core strength, but it's not the most exciting move you can do. It's quite the opposite, in fact, with the aim being to stay as still as possible. There are plenty of ways you can vary your planks, though, and the alternating one arm plank is one that's well worth trying. I saw the move recommended by personal trainer Kyle Knapp on Instagram, who describes it as 'simple but effective'. Having now tried the one arm alternating plank myself I would take issue with the idea that it's a simple move, but it's certainly effective for challenging your core and building strength. You don't need any equipment to do the alternating one arm plank, though performing the move on a yoga mat can help with grip, especially for your feet which will need to bear a bigger load than with the classic plank when you lift an arm off the floor. Knapp demonstrates the move in his Instagram post, giving some useful pointers on how to do it most effectively A post shared by Kyle Knapp (@ A photo posted by on You set up in a high plank position, with your hands supporting your upper body rather than your forearms. Then spread your feet wider than you would for a normal plank — this is vital for keeping your balance when you lift one hand off the floor. Lift one hand slowly up off the floor to your waist, aiming to keep the rest of your body as still as possible. Try not to buck your hips up in particular, or sway them over to the side where your hand is still grounded to compensate for the lack of support on the other side. Aim to complete five to 10 slow reps on each side, and if you're struggling with the move then you can build up the core strength for it by doing more of the standard high plank. Another good move to help build up to the one arm plank is the dumbbell plank drag. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I added the move into a longer core workout and it was notably harder than the regular plank. At first I thought the move was nigh-on impossible, because I set up with my feet together and didn't have the strength to support myself on one arm. Once I rechecked Knapp's post and got my position right, it became hard, but manageable. I added the move into a longer core workout and it was notably harder than the regular plank. You really have to brace your core and glutes to maintain the plank position while lifting one arm, and it was hard to get through five reps on each side without starting to rush. It's an effective core move that I'll continue to do in future workouts, and the extra movement you do compared to the classic plank makes it a more engaging exercise and keeps you focused on using your core muscles. Once you become comfortable with the alternating one arm plank you can progress again to the renegade row, which is a similar exercise where you hold dumbbells, lifting them up to your chest when you raise each hand. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
I add Celtic salt to my water every morning. Here are the risks and rewards of the latest hydration trend.
Every morning before my first cup of coffee, I sip a tall glass of water with a pinch of Celtic sea salt in the hopes of kickstarting my hydration for the day. I've been doing this for years, but it's having a moment on social media right now. Influencers on Instagram and TikTok are downing sea-salted lemon water in the hopes of achieving glowing skin, better sleep, and even faster weight loss. So I asked a dietitian: Is expensive sea salt a legit health hack? "This has definitely become a popular trend I'm seeing across social media," said Angie Asche, registered dietitian with Eleat Sports Nutrition. "While it can be helpful for some, it's pretty unnecessary for most." The question of whether to salt or not to salt your water depends on factors like your exercise habits, diet, and health history. Here's what I learned. Why longevity bros love sea salt Salt water is a go-to for people in the longevity world looking to boost their hydration. I recently spoke to a longevity doctor who makes it part of his morning routine, and a veteran Navy SEAL who swears by it. Sodium, the main nutrient in salt, is part of a class of minerals called electrolytes, which help regulate the fluid in our cells. Sweating a lot or drinking too much water without replenishing electrolytes can deplete or dilute the supply in your body. The consequences of electrolyte imbalance can range from a mild headache to a life-threatening seizure It's not just water that keeps you hydrated. Sodium, from food or supplements, helps maintain the balance. Not all salt is the same. Regular table salt is processed from salt mines, so it's uniform in texture, color, and taste. Other salts from around the world can contain trace minerals that make them unique. For instance, pink Himalayan salt is mined but often less processed, leaving larger crystals that contain iron, zinc, and magnesium. Celtic sea salt, which I use, comes from evaporated seawater on the Atlantic coast and contains potassium, magnesium, and calcium. However, Asche said the nutritional difference between table salt and fancy salt is small. She's not convinced it's enough to break the bank over, especially if you're just adding a pinch. "These are in such small amounts that they really do not amount to much, especially when using just a pinch," she said. Should you add sea salt to your water? I don't really want to stop adding a salty little razzle-dazzle to my drinking water. Remembering a pinch of salt in my morning glass of water has become something of a ritual. It helps ensure I'm actually drinking a glass of water in the morning, and it seems to make me feel better overall. Fortunately, Asche said I might be the perfect candidate for it. "Heavy sweaters, highly active people, and people who eat a diet that's primarily whole foods — with very little ultra-processed foods, which are often high in sodium — would likely see the greatest benefit to something like this," Asche said. I check all three of those boxes, training nearly every day, often for long hours in the heat, and cooking most of my own meals. But should you be salting your water? That depends. A pinch of salt is roughly 1/8 of a teaspoon, and about 300 mg of sodium. The typical recommended daily sodium intake for adults is 1,500 to 2,600 milligrams. Consuming more than that on a regular basis is linked to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. If you eat a lot of packaged food or takeout, you probably get more than enough sodium already. "Adding extra salt to your water could cause more harm than good," Asche said. "I would keep this in mind and factor it into your total daily sodium intake to make sure you're not overdoing it." The bottom line Asche's big tip: Keep a tall glass of water by your bedside so you can start hydrating as soon as you wake up. This is great for your skin and overall health. It's OK to drink electrolytes if you want to! Still, aim to get 75% of your daily hydration from plain water. The remaining 25% can have electrolytes. I plan to stay salty, if only because a fancy sprinkle of sea salt tricks me into drinking more water than I would otherwise.
Vogue
15 hours ago
- Vogue
I Doubled My Protein Intake And My Skin Has Never Looked Better
On Instagram, my feed is no longer obsessed with green juice—now it's shaker bottles and protein powders. In gyms, women swap recipes for protein mug cakes with the same passion once reserved for smoothie bowls. Protein is at its pop-culture peak, and we are hearing about it being blended into coffees, baked into brownies, and dusted over popcorn. It's slipped out of the bodybuilding aisle and into the realm of beauty content, sitting alongside retinoids and LED masks as something you're expected to have an opinion on. For most of my life, protein felt like someone else's obsession—namely, the men at my local gym. My own beauty upgrades came in glass bottles with droppers, packaged in colors designed to look good on bathroom shelves. Protein was functional, unglamorous, and—in my mind—entirely about muscle mass, limited to my dinner plate. I couldn't tell you how many grams I had in a day, mostly because I never thought about it. That changed when I noticed what started as dry spell settling as a permanent fixture over my skin despite my elaborate skincare routine. It wasn't dryness, exactly in the traditional sense—no flaking, no itch—but an unsettling loss of bounce. My cheeks looked a little deflated, the glow had dulled, and even my most forgiving foundation seemed to collect in places it hadn't before. I chalked it up to stress, late nights, or maybe the slow inevitability of age, until a nutritionist friend casually asked how much protein I was getting. The question felt misplaced. But as dermatologist Dr Aditi Sharma explained later, it was the missing link. 'Protein is the raw material your skin needs to make collagen, keratin, and elastin. Without enough of it, the skin loses firmness, wounds heal slower and hair can thin. It's not an instant-glow ingredient, but over time, consistent intake supports resilience and repair.'
