Latest news with #UdeM
Gulf Insider
08-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Caffeine Keeps Your Brain 'Awake' Even While You Sleep, Study Finds
Caffeine isn't just in your morning coffee. It's also in tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and many popular soft drinks, making it one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances around the globe. Now, new research from the University of Montreal reveals how caffeine might be doing more than just keeping you awake. In a study published in Communications Biology , scientists discovered that caffeine can actually change how the brain recovers overnight, affecting both physical restoration and cognitive function. Leading the study was Philipp Thölke, a research trainee at UdeM's Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (CoCo Lab), alongside Karim Jerbi, a psychology professor and researcher at Mila, the Quebec AI Institute. Partnering with sleep and aging expert Julie Carrier and her team at UdeM's Centre for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, the researchers used artificial intelligence and electroencephalography (EEG) to dig deeper into caffeine's surprising effects on sleep. They showed for the first time that caffeine increases the complexity of brain signals and enhances brain 'criticality' during sleep. Interestingly, this was more pronounced in younger adults. 'Criticality describes a state of the brain that is balanced between order and chaos,' said Jerbi. 'It's like an orchestra: too quiet and nothing happens, too chaotic and there's cacophony. Criticality is the happy medium where brain activity is both organized and flexible. In this state, the brain functions optimally: it can process information efficiently, adapt quickly, learn, and make decisions with agility.' Added Carrier: 'Caffeine stimulates the brain and pushes it into a state of criticality, where it is more awake, alert, and reactive. While this is useful during the day for concentration, this state could interfere with rest at night: the brain would neither relax nor recover properly.' To study how caffeine affects the sleeping brain, Carrier's team recorded the nocturnal brain activity of 40 healthy adults using an electroencephalogram. They compared each participant's brain activity on two separate nights — one when they consumed caffeine capsules three hours and then one hour before bedtime, and another when they took a placebo at the same times. 'We used advanced statistical analysis and artificial intelligence to identify subtle changes in neuronal activity,' said Thölke, the study's first author. 'The results showed that caffeine increased the complexity of brain signals, reflecting more dynamic and less predictable neuronal activity, especially during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep that's crucial for memory consolidation and cognitive recovery.' The researchers also discovered striking changes in the brain's electrical rhythms during sleep: caffeine attenuated slower oscillations such as theta and alpha waves, generally associated with deep, restorative sleep, and stimulated beta wave activity, which is more common during wakefulness and mental engagement. 'These changes suggest that even during sleep, the brain remains in a more activated, less restorative state under the influence of caffeine,' says Jerbi, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Computational Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroimaging. 'This change in the brain's rhythmic activity may help explain why caffeine affects the efficiency with which the brain recovers during the night, with potential consequences for memory processing.' The study also showed that the effects of caffeine on brain dynamics were significantly more pronounced in young adults between the ages of 20 and 27 compared to middle-aged participants aged 41 to 58, especially during REM sleep, the phase associated with dreaming. Young adults showed a greater response to caffeine, likely due to a higher density of adenosine receptors in their brains. Adenosine is a molecule that gradually accumulates in the brain throughout the day, causing a feeling of fatigue. 'Adenosine receptors naturally decrease with age, reducing caffeine's ability to block them and improve brain complexity, which may partly explain the reduced effect of caffeine observed in middle-aged participants,' Carrier said. And these age-related differences suggest that younger brains may be more susceptible to the stimulant effects of caffeine. Given caffeine's widespread use around the world, especially as a daily remedy for fatigue, the researchers stress the importance of understanding its complex effects on brain activity across different age groups and health conditions. They add that further research is needed to clarify how these neural changes affect cognitive health and daily functioning, and to potentially guide personalized recommendations for caffeine intake.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Epitopea Announces Nature Cancer Paper on Novel Immunotherapy Targets in Melanoma and NSCLC
Further Validates Cryptigens™ as Actionable Targets for Cancer Immunotherapy MONTREAL and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Epitopea, a transatlantic cancer immunotherapy company, and Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal, a leading Canadian research institution renowned for scientific innovation and technology transfer, announce a scientific publication in the leading medical journal Nature Cancer (1). This paper demonstrates that Epitopea's CryptoMap™ platform can identify shared, nonmutated, aberrantly-expressed tumor-specific antigens (Cryptigens™) as highly abundant, actionable targets for immunotherapy in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The identification of Cryptigens™ with potential clinical utility distinguishes Epitopea's approach from many other immunotherapy companies that have focused on the identification of mutated tumor antigens (mTAs). In the paper, produced with international academic collaborators at Canada's McGill University, University of Liege in Belgium, and Switzerland's University of Lausanne, CryptoMap™ identified 589 non-redundant tumor antigens (TAs) in cutaneous melanoma and NSCLC. Significantly, only 1% of the actionable TAs were derived from mutated sequences or mTAs. Of the 99% of TAs remaining, approximately 37% (n=220) of TAs identified were Cryptigens™. These Cryptigens™ are immunogenic, shared among tumor samples, and could contribute to immune checkpoint blockade responses, supporting their utility in immune targeting across the tumor landscape. 'These data from this latest publication from our collaborators at UdeM further validate the potential benefit of Epitopea's CryptoMap™ platform and our transformative approach to treating cancer,' commented Epitopea's CEO, Alan C. Rigby. 'We believe our Cryptigens™ offer significant competitive advantages over current treatment approaches that have focused solely on mTAs. As illustrated, our approach has the potential to stimulate the immune system to precisely recognize and destroy cancer cells more rapidly and effectively, which we believe will translate into durable patient responses in these indications.' 'We have long been researching immune-based approaches that could transform the lives of cancer patients through the discovery of accessible and effective immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat tumors. This latest research further strengthens our understanding of the target space amenable for the development of cancer immunotherapy treatments. In particular, the fact that only 1% of tumor antigens are derived from mutated sequences highlights the potential value of exploring unmutated sequences across the cancer landscape. Collectively, the findings in our collaborative manuscript challenge a dogmatic belief that mTAs are the dominant actionable targets for cancer immunotherapy,' said Dr. Claude Perreault, Principal Investigator at UdeM's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, corresponding author of the paper, and a co-founder of Epitopea. Reference: (1) Nature Cancer paper: 'Tumor antigens preferentially derive from unmutated genomic sequences in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer'. About Epitopea Epitopea is a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company developing accessible off-the-shelf RNA-based immunotherapies for use in hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a new class of untapped tumor-specific antigens, which are known as Cryptigen™ TSAs, that are broadly shared across multiple patients with the same tumor type. The company has created an extensive library of novel Cryptigen™ TSAs, discovered by its proprietary CryptoMap™ platform that leverages immunopeptidomics, genomics, and a bioinformatics pipeline, allowing the identification of aberrantly-expressed, tumor-specific antigens (aeTSAs) that are hidden within cancer's 'junk' DNA. These hidden Cryptigen™ TSAs were first discovered through research led by Drs. Claude Perreault and Pierre Thibault at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Université de Montréal. Epitopea is backed by leading life science investors including Advent Life Sciences, CTI Life Sciences, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Le Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, adMare BioInnovations, Jonathan Milner, the Harrington Discovery Institute, IRICoR and Novateur Ventures. The company has a license and research collaboration with MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA). Epitopea was founded in 2021 and consists of sister companies based in Cambridge, UK and in Montreal, Canada. For additional information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn. About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of the Université de Montréal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer of the Université de Montréal was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this disease. The IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer. For further information EpitopeaDr. Alan C. Rigby – Scius Communications (for Epitopea)Katja Stout+44 7789 435990katja@ Daniel Gooch+44 7747 875479daniel@ Noémie Desbois MackenzieCommunication ManagerIRIC+1 while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Epitopea Announces Nature Cancer Paper on Novel Immunotherapy Targets in Melanoma and NSCLC
Further Validates Cryptigens™ as Actionable Targets for Cancer Immunotherapy MONTREAL and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Epitopea, a transatlantic cancer immunotherapy company, and Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal, a leading Canadian research institution renowned for scientific innovation and technology transfer, announce a scientific publication in the leading medical journal Nature Cancer (1). This paper demonstrates that Epitopea's CryptoMap™ platform can identify shared, nonmutated, aberrantly-expressed tumor-specific antigens (Cryptigens™) as highly abundant, actionable targets for immunotherapy in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The identification of Cryptigens™ with potential clinical utility distinguishes Epitopea's approach from many other immunotherapy companies that have focused on the identification of mutated tumor antigens (mTAs). In the paper, produced with international academic collaborators at Canada's McGill University, University of Liege in Belgium, and Switzerland's University of Lausanne, CryptoMap™ identified 589 non-redundant tumor antigens (TAs) in cutaneous melanoma and NSCLC. Significantly, only 1% of the actionable TAs were derived from mutated sequences or mTAs. Of the 99% of TAs remaining, approximately 37% (n=220) of TAs identified were Cryptigens™. These Cryptigens™ are immunogenic, shared among tumor samples, and could contribute to immune checkpoint blockade responses, supporting their utility in immune targeting across the tumor landscape. 'These data from this latest publication from our collaborators at UdeM further validate the potential benefit of Epitopea's CryptoMap™ platform and our transformative approach to treating cancer,' commented Epitopea's CEO, Alan C. Rigby. 'We believe our Cryptigens™ offer significant competitive advantages over current treatment approaches that have focused solely on mTAs. As illustrated, our approach has the potential to stimulate the immune system to precisely recognize and destroy cancer cells more rapidly and effectively, which we believe will translate into durable patient responses in these indications.' 'We have long been researching immune-based approaches that could transform the lives of cancer patients through the discovery of accessible and effective immunotherapies for difficult-to-treat tumors. This latest research further strengthens our understanding of the target space amenable for the development of cancer immunotherapy treatments. In particular, the fact that only 1% of tumor antigens are derived from mutated sequences highlights the potential value of exploring unmutated sequences across the cancer landscape. Collectively, the findings in our collaborative manuscript challenge a dogmatic belief that mTAs are the dominant actionable targets for cancer immunotherapy,' said Dr. Claude Perreault, Principal Investigator at UdeM's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, corresponding author of the paper, and a co-founder of Epitopea. Reference: (1) Nature Cancer paper: 'Tumor antigens preferentially derive from unmutated genomic sequences in melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer'. About Epitopea Epitopea is a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company developing accessible off-the-shelf RNA-based immunotherapies for use in hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a new class of untapped tumor-specific antigens, which are known as Cryptigen™ TSAs, that are broadly shared across multiple patients with the same tumor type. The company has created an extensive library of novel Cryptigen™ TSAs, discovered by its proprietary CryptoMap™ platform that leverages immunopeptidomics, genomics, and a bioinformatics pipeline, allowing the identification of aberrantly-expressed, tumor-specific antigens (aeTSAs) that are hidden within cancer's 'junk' DNA. These hidden Cryptigen™ TSAs were first discovered through research led by Drs. Claude Perreault and Pierre Thibault at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Université de Montréal. Epitopea is backed by leading life science investors including Advent Life Sciences, CTI Life Sciences, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Le Fonds de Solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, adMare BioInnovations, Jonathan Milner, the Harrington Discovery Institute, IRICoR and Novateur Ventures. The company has a license and research collaboration with MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA). Epitopea was founded in 2021 and consists of sister companies based in Cambridge, UK and in Montreal, Canada. For additional information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn. About the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal An ultra-modern research hub and training centre located in the heart of the Université de Montréal, the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer of the Université de Montréal was created in 2003 to shed light on the mechanisms of cancer and discover new, more effective therapies to counter this disease. The IRIC operates according to a model that is unique in Canada. Its innovative approach to research has already led to discoveries that will, over the coming years, have a significant impact on the fight against cancer. For further information EpitopeaDr. Alan C. Rigby – Scius Communications (for Epitopea)Katja Stout+44 7789 435990katja@ Daniel Gooch+44 7747 875479daniel@ Noémie Desbois MackenzieCommunication ManagerIRIC+1 in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
