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National Post
12 hours ago
- National Post
Pop is in the spotlight yet again. This time, for its ability to disrupt gut bacteria and immunity
Pop has been a hot topic over the past few weeks. First, U.S. President Donald Trump waded into MAHA — Make America Healthy Again — waters by saying Coca-Cola was swapping high-fructose corn syrup for cane sugar. 'It's just better!' he posted on social media. (Health experts say it's not. There's no nutritional difference between the two.) Article content Drinking pop has long been linked to adverse health effects, such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Added sugars (whatever their source) are the primary culprit, yet 'diet sodas, which have been found to increase hunger and disrupt metabolism, are not any better,' according to UCLA Health. A new study suggests another pop-consumption concern: sugary drinks disrupt gut bacteria and immunity. Article content Article content But it's not all doom and gloom, say researchers from the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The study published in Nature Communications found that though drinking pop sweetened with white sugar alters the DNA of gut bacteria and affects the immune system, once sugar consumption stops, the impacts are reversible. Article content Article content 'Gut bacteria are important members of the microbial community within our body, i.e., the microbiome. These bacteria, which have co-evolved with humans for generations, are so essential to human health in general and to the development of the immune system in particular that we cannot function without them,' says a press release about the research. Studies have shown that diet influences microbiome composition and overall functionality, write the researchers, led by professor Naama Geva-Zatorsky and Ph.D. student Noa Gal-Mandelbaum. In contrast, research on the impact of what we eat on the functionality of specific gut bacteria is 'relatively scarce.' Article content Article content The current research builds on a previous study by the Geva-Zatorsky Lab, which identified DNA inversions ('rapid genetic switches') as one way gut bacteria respond to and protect themselves when facing environmental changes. To understand how dietary factors affect these inversions, the study focused on Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Article content Article content The researchers say that this 'prominent gut member' plays a role in preventing gut inflammation, preserving its mucus layer and protecting the body from pathogens. By studying the effects of different dietary components on the bacteria's DNA, in vitro, in mice and in humans, the researchers found that white sugar consumption created DNA inversions, which impacted the immune system. Article content In a social media post, Technion said, 'This discovery highlights the deep connection between our diet, microbiome and health — and opens the door to personalized nutrition for a stronger immune system.' Article content
CTV News
17 hours ago
- CTV News
Worried about Alzheimer's? Start walking, according to a new 10-year study
If you needed another reason to get your daily steps in, science just handed you one. A new study shows that walking daily can reduce the risk of cognitive decline — especially among those with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease. Almost 3,000 participants between the ages of 70 and 79 reported their daily walking habits over the course of 10 years, according to research that will be presented Tuesday at the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Those who reported maintaining or increasing their walking habits over the years showed greater improvements in processing speed and executive function. The benefits of walking were especially noticeable among those with a genetic predisposition for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to the preprint, which has not been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal. 'We know sedentary behavior increases as you get older, and physical activity decreases,' said senior study author Dr. Cindy Barha, an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary in Alberta. 'So we recommend reducing your sedentary behavior by introducing small bouts of walking in between those times you have to be sitting down.' How does Alzheimer's disease work? Alzheimer's disease is a severe form of dementia thought to be caused by a buildup of harmful plaques in the brain that interfere with how the nerve cells communicate, eventually leading to their death, Barha said. As more nerve cells die, people with Alzheimer's can develop progressive memory loss, confusion, personality changes and physical decline. Eventually, the disease can be fatal, and there is no known cure. Genetics are thought to play a major role in the disease. Specifically, genotypes called APOE affect the metabolism of plaque and other fats throughout the bloodstream. One specific kind, APOE4, is known to make it harder for the brain to clear the plaques and is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. About 15% to 25% of people have this version of the APOE gene, and the only way to find out is from a genetic test, according to data from the US National Institutes of Health. The mind-body connection Although the new study did not test a uniform walking regimen, Barha suggests walking multiple times daily to break up sedentary behavior and maintaining consistent walking habits year to year to prevent cognitive decline. 'More research is really needed to determine how many steps that really takes, but more is definitely going to be better,' she said. 'The next steps would be to actually try to figure out the minimum amount of walking for different subgroups, (such as) females versus males, APOE4 carriers versus non-carriers.' A 2022 study found that even people who walked about 3,800 steps per day at any speed cut their risk of dementia by 25%. What might be going on between the brain and the rest of the body? Experts have several theories. For one, regular exercise has been shown to help the body produce more of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is like fertilizer for your brain, helping it grow more cells and form new connections, Barha explained. 'We're thinking there's proteins released from the muscle that travel to the brain and, either across the blood-brain barrier or at the blood-brain barrier, start a reaction that eventually leads to increases in BDNF within the brain,' she said. Another theory is that exercise reduces neuroinflammation, a common symptom of Alzheimer's disease. The brain sends immune cells called microglia to attack plaque buildup, but this can backfire, explained Dr. Christiane Wrann, an associate professor of medicine at the Cardiovascular Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Chronic inflammation can lead microglia to begin attacking healthy brain cells as well, damaging the brain's connections. 'If you exercise, you actually strengthen the gene expression program that microglia need to function properly,' Wrann said. Does greater risk mean greater reward? The researchers were surprised to find that walking provided the greatest benefit to those with the APOE4 gene compared to those without it. To understand why this is, more research will be needed — but Barha has a theory. 'Before the study started, we think APOE4 carriers had more room to grow in terms of cognition, since they may already have been experiencing some cognitive decline,' she said. 'They also have more room to show improvement.' It's possible that the study itself also motivated participants with APOE4 genes to walk more than they had been beforehand, slowing their rate of decline. 'This is a very strong example (that) it's never too late to start exercising,' Wrann said. 'Every step counts, and it's much better to do an exercise regimen that you actually like, that you can actually stick to.'
National Post
19 hours ago
- National Post
BeOne Medicines Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for TEVIMBRA® in Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant NSCLC Treatment
Article content Recommendation based on Phase 3 RATIONALE-315 study, in which TEVIMBRA demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in event-free survival and major pathological response Article content If approved, the expanded label builds on TEVIMBRA's momentum in lung cancer with EU approvals already in NSCLC and SCLC indications across both first- and second-line settings Article content Article content SAN CARLOS, Calif. — BeOne Medicines Ltd. (NASDAQ: ONC; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion recommending approval of TEVIMBRA ® (tislelizumab), in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, for the treatment of adult patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at high risk of recurrence. This recommendation is based on the Phase 3 RATIONALE-315 study ( NCT04379635). Article content 'Patients with resectable, early-stage NSCLC face an urgent challenge – despite surgery and current therapies, recurrence rates remain alarmingly high,' said Dr. Mariano Provencio, Head of the Medical Oncology Department at Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain. 'The significant clinical benefit observed in the RATIONALE-315 study has important implications for patients. If approved, perioperative tislelizumab will offer oncologists a powerful new option to improve outcomes and potentially alter the course of this difficult-to-treat disease.' Article content RATIONALE-315 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, Phase 3 study that randomized 453 patients with resectable NSCLC 1:1 to receive either TEVIMBRA plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment followed by TEVIMBRA as adjuvant treatment or placebo plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment followed by placebo as adjuvant treatment. As previously reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress Virtual Plenary in February 2024 1, the dual primary endpoints of event-free survival (EFS) and major pathologic response (MPR) were met at the interim analyses of the RATIONALE-315 study. Results include: Article content Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in MPR and pathological complete response (pCR) rates: 56.2% of NSCLC patients treated with TEVIMBRA in combination with chemotherapy before surgery achieved MPR compared to 15.0% of patients treated with chemotherapy in combination with placebo (difference: 41.1%; 95% CI: 33.2-49.1, p<0.0001) 40.7% of patients on the TEVIMBRA-based regimen achieved pCR, compared to 5.7% of patients treated with chemotherapy in combination with placebo (difference: 35.0%; 95% CI: 27.9-42.1, p<0.0001) Statistically significant EFS (HR [95% CI], 0.56 [0.40–0.79]; 1-sided P=0.0003) and trend for overall survival (OS) (HR [95% CI], 0.62 [0.39–0.98]; 1-sided P=0.0193) benefits favoring TEVIMBRA in early data. Consistent safety profile of the TEVIMBRA arm with that of individual therapies, with 72.1% of patients in the TEVIMBRA arm (vs. 66.4% in the placebo arm) experiencing grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and 15.5% of patients in the TEVIMBRA arm (vs. 8.0% in the placebo arm) experiencing serious TRAEs. There were no new safety signals identified with this regimen, and the most common Grade 3 or 4 TRAEs (≥ 10%) in the TEVIMBRA arm were decreased neutrophil count and decreased white blood cell count. No impact on the feasibility and completeness of surgery, a key concern around neoadjuvant treatment. Article content Updated EFS and OS data from the pre-planned final analysis of RATIONALE-315 will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical conference. Article content 'TEVIMBRA is already approved in the EU across multiple settings in NSCLC, the most common form of lung cancer, and this positive CHMP opinion expands its potential to help patients earlier in their treatment journey,' said Mark Lanasa, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Solid Tumors at BeOne. 'As the foundational asset of our solid tumor portfolio, TEVIMBRA continues to demonstrate its strength and versatility across the continuum of care, bringing us closer to our goal of delivering more comprehensive and effective cancer treatment to more patients.' Article content In lung cancer, TEVIMBRA is already approved in the EU for the first-line treatment of patients with squamous NSCLC, for the first-line treatment of patients with non-squamous NSCLC with PD-L1 high expression, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after prior platinum-based therapy, and as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). It is also approved as a first-line treatment for patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma, as a first-line treatment for unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), as a second-line treatment in ESCC after prior platinum-based chemotherapy, and as a first-line treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Article content About NSCLC Article content Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. 2 In Europe, lung cancer is the third most frequent cancer with 484,306 new cases diagnosed in 2022. 3 NSCLC accounts for 80–90% of all lung cancers 4, of which resectable NSCLC patients at diagnosis represent around 25–30% 5. Article content About TEVIMBRA (tislelizumab) Article content TEVIMBRA is a uniquely designed humanized immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody with high affinity and binding specificity against PD-1. It is designed to minimize binding to Fc-gamma (Fcγ) receptors on macrophages, helping to aid the body's immune cells to detect and fight tumors. Article content TEVIMBRA is the foundational asset of BeOne's solid tumor portfolio and has shown potential across multiple tumor types and disease settings. The global TEVIMBRA clinical development program includes almost 14,000 patients enrolled to date in 35 countries and regions across 70 trials, including 21 registration-enabling studies. TEVIMBRA is approved in 46 countries, and more than 1.5 million patients have been treated globally. Article content Important Safety Information Article content This information is intended for a global audience. Product indications vary by region. Article content About BeOne Article content BeOne Medicines is a global oncology company domiciled in Switzerland that is discovering and developing innovative treatments that are more affordable and accessible to cancer patients worldwide. With a portfolio spanning hematology and solid tumors, BeOne is expediting development of its diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through its internal capabilities and collaborations. With a growing global team of more than 11,000 colleagues spanning six continents, the Company is committed to radically improving access to medicines for far more patients who need them. To learn more about BeOne, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. Article content Forward-Looking Statement Article content This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, including statements regarding the ability of TEVIMBRA to improve patient outcome and potentially alter the course of the disease and to potentially help patients earlier in their treatment journey; the ability of BeOne to deliver more comprehensive and effective cancer treatment to more patients; and BeOne's plans, commitments, aspirations, and goals under the heading 'About BeOne.' Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including BeOne's ability to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing, and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; BeOne's ability to achieve commercial success for its marketed medicines and drug candidates, if approved; BeOne's ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its medicines and technology; BeOne's reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing, commercialization, and other services; BeOne's limited experience in obtaining regulatory approvals and commercializing pharmaceutical products and its ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development of its drug candidates and achieve and maintain profitability; and those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled 'Risk Factors' in BeOne's most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in BeOne's subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and BeOne undertakes no duty to update such information unless required by law. Article content ______________________________ 1 Yue, D., et al. (2024, March). VP1-2024: RATIONALE-315: Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of neoadjuvant tislelizumab (TIS) plus chemotherapy (CT) with adjuvant TIS in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Annals of Oncology, 35 (3), 332-333. 2 Bray, F., et al. (2022). Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 74(3):229-263. 3 Ferlay, J., et al. (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. International Agency for Research on Cancer. 4 European Society of Medical Oncology. Non-small-cell lung cancer: A guide for patients. 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