Latest news with #Yeatman
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
I visited Porto – the city in the hills with delicious wine, mouthwatering food and so much more
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S easy to be a glass half full person when wine is involved. And, luckily for me, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic on my first trip to Porto. I had heard great things about the city from friends, but my experience up until now had started and finished with watching their football team. 9 The Yeatman was a spectacular hotel nestled in the hills Credit: Yeatman Hotel 9 The rooms were comfortable, spacious and modern Credit: Yeatman Hotel 9 Stephen was gobsmacked when he arrived at the hotel Credit: Yeatman Hotel When I arrived, late afternoon temperatures had soared to 26°C, which apparently was unseasonably warm for early April, so things were off to a good start. After a short journey from the airport, where my friendly taxi driver told me my hotel was the best in the city, I arrived at The Yeatman. It's nestled on the hills in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto itself, surrounded by world-famous port cellars like Taylor's and Fonseca. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, it was easy to see why my driver had given it his seal of approval. It's hard not to be over-awed when you are surrounded by opulent marble, a grand staircase, and a statue of the Roman God of wine Bacchus — of course! The Yeatman opened in 2010, with more than 100 rooms, and markets itself as one of Europe's prime destinations for wine lovers — an ideal spot for me, then. And my room didn't disappoint either. It was spacious and luxurious with its own terrace overlooking the stunning infinity pool, with a view across the Douro River. The decor was a nod to Portugal's history and the local area's wine and port heritage. The bathroom had a huge tub which I could have happily sank into for hours, and a spacious shower for a quick refresh after a day in the sun. And the vast and comfortable bed was the perfect spot to sink into after a day of sightseeing. Holiday heaven for kids (and you!) just two hours away The Yeatman even has its own cellar with a vast collection of wines from local vineyards, and those further afield, which is open to hotel guests and the public. And there was also a shop that sold wine and port as well as locally-produced chocolate and other souvenirs. 9 The infinity pool at the Yeatman was perfect for an early-morning swim Credit: Supplied The hotel has two incredible restaurants — The Orangerie and the Gastronomic, with an impressive two Michelin Stars. I was lucky enough to have a meal in the Orangerie on my first night, where I enjoyed a tasting menu with various wines for accompaniment. From succulent seafood to mouthwatering pheasant — it was the perfect way to begin my trip. It was also where the hotel serves a wide range of continental breakfasts in the morning as well as more British-style options. 9 The World of Wine offered a wide range of experiences Credit: Alamy 9 The WOW Easter bunny was lit up at night Credit: Supplied 9 The Wine Experience is an interactive museum Credit: Adele Bilotta - PR Supplied The hotel is linked to the World of Wine (WOW) cultural district, just a short walk away. It has echoes of a traditional European town square with incredible restaurants, contrasting with the modernity of the WOW complex of museums and attractions surrounding it. When I visited the Wine Experience I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, having endured some dull museums on this subject on childhood holidays to France. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a modern, interactive tour where you can guide yourself, not unlike the Guinness Brewery in Dublin. GO: PORTO GETTING THERE: EasyJet fly from Glasgow to Porto up to twice a week through the summer, from £26.99pp one-way. See STAYING THERE: For the best prices at the 5H The Yeatman, see MORE INFO: For more on visiting WOW, the cultural district in Gaia, see Across the way is Planet Cork — again, the idea of a museum about cork wasn't one that got my adrenaline pumping. But I was surprised to find dozens of schoolchildren on trips when I arrived, and once I got in I could see why. Every exhibit had some sort of interactive element, with great attention to detail and plenty to keep kids occupied. When I delved further into WOW, I discovered there was also the Chocolate Story and Planet Pink, which celebrated the region's rosé wine. Double yum! The Art of Drinking had an amazing collection of drinking-related artefacts dating back to the ancient world Down the hill was the Wine School, where professional qualifications can be gained, while the public can book tastings. I opted for the tasting with specialist Diego quizzing me on what types I preferred before then offering me two reds and a white to try. He gave simple explanations of each, where it was from and an idea of what to expect from its taste. Needless to say each was delicious and I made sure to take a picture of each label for future reference. Of course a major part of WOW's pull is the number of restaurants it has to offer — and I did my best to try as many as possible. There's a full spectrum of cuisine on offer — Golden Catch and T&C were absolute musts for seafood lovers. 1828 is a Portuguese civil war-themed restaurant which perhaps rather modestly is described as a steak house, but offered an incredible tasting menu that would have cost double the price back home. Pip offered a more casual dining experience and an incredible view of across the river from its roof terrace. A short walk across the bridge took me to Porto itself, and in contrast to the sedate surrounds of Gaia, it was buzzing with activity. Locals and tourists sat down by the river enjoying the sunshine and a cold beer, where I soon joined them. The city is easy to get around, most places are walkable though it is quite hilly so there's also the efficient metro option. The towering Porto Cathedral is one locals had recommended as a must-see. After climbing a number of staircases I reached the top of the Torre dos Clerigos landmark and the view did not disappoint with its panoramas of the city. I even spotted my hotel in the distance alongside the giant rainbow coloured WOW rabbit in celebration of Easter. The great thing about Porto is you're never far from a cafe or bar where you can sit and people-watch, and that's how I spent my last hour or two there, before it was time to make my way back to the hotel and I decided to walk along the upper deck of the Louis I bridge to do it. Unlike the lower deck, there are only trams and pedestrians allowed on this level — meaning you can walk across the middle when it's clear. I took my time wandering along and crossing from one side to another to drink in the amazing views down the river which sparkled in the late afternoon sun. For what seemed like a compact place, I felt by the end that I'd barely scratched the surface. But I didn't leave with a feeling of disappointment — more anticipation of the next time I can visit — and I'll definitely be going back soon. Told you I was a glass half full type of guy! 9 1828 was one of the culinary highlights of the trip Credit: Adele Bilotta - PR Supplied
NBC News
14-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Tim Story, a high school football coach and teacher in Hattiesburg, Miss., was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Annie Flanagan for NBC News Cancer His cancer treatment was failing. A fecal transplant turned it around. Scientists are learning how to harness the power of the gut microbiome to make certain cancer drugs more potent.
By David Cox In the spring of 2022, Tim Story's doctor told him that he likely had just months to live. Story, a high school football coach in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, had been diagnosed with Stage 3 small bowel cancer two years earlier, at the age of 49, after mysterious pains in his side turned out to be a tumor in his small intestine. Surgery and several grueling rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy had failed to stop the cancer, which had spread to other organs. 'I'm not a crying man, but my wife and I shed some tears on the couch that day,' said Story, now 53. There was one final option, however: He could join an unusual clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston that had just started recruiting patients. Highly experimental — and with no guarantee of success — the trial involved getting a so-called fecal transplant from a patient with advanced cancer who had been completely cured by immunotherapy. The idea was that the unique populations of gut bacteria found within the stool might help kick-start the immune system to better recognize and fight the cancer. It came with its own risks, but Story agreed to enroll in the trial. 'I knew I was kind of a guinea pig, but the only other option was staying at home, and I wasn't going to make it,' he said. Story didn't know it at the time, but his participation in the trial would help advance a new frontier of cancer medicine: using the gut microbiome to unleash the full potency of the immune system. The immune system and the microbiome Early on in his treatment, Story was given an immunotherapy drug called a PD-1 inhibitor. Unlike other types of cancer treatments, immunotherapies harness the patient's own immune system to fight the tumor. PD-1 inhibitors have been shown to be particularly effective in patients with a type of tumor that has an unusually large number of DNA mutations compared with other tumors. Such tumors are classified as 'microsatellite instability-high,' or MSI-H. An estimated 20% of small bowel cancers and 20%-30% of endometrial cancers are MSI-H, as are some melanomas and ovarian cancers. According to Dr. Tim Yeatman, associate director of translational research at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute in Florida, PD-1 inhibitors help unleash the immune system to spot these mutations and attack the tumor. 'They're miraculous drugs,' Yeatman said. 'They've been able to cure people with no chemotherapy, no radiotherapy or no surgery.' In some cases, Yeatman said, patients experience improvements that are barely believable: people with mere months to live who are then cured of their disease. In medical parlance, this is referred to as a 'complete response.' Still, the drugs don't always work. While clinical trials of PD-1 inhibitors in small bowel cancer have been limited, several studies have found that more than half of patients with advanced disease don't respond to them, even if their tumors are MSI-H. Story's tumor was MSI-H, but when he was first given PD-1 inhibitors, the drugs made little noticeable difference. So why do some patients react so well while others don't? Oncologists have come to believe that the difference can be found in the complex synergy of the gut microbiome and the immune system. That gut microbes and the immune system are interconnected is not a new idea: Research has suggested that certain gut microbes may be capable of activating cancer-fighting immune cells and stimulating other parts of the immune system to infiltrate tumors. 'We've seen in various studies that different microbial features seem to define treatment responders from nonresponders,' says Dr. Oriana Miltiadous, a pediatric oncologist and microbiome researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City who was not involved with Story's clinical trial. That raised the question: What if the unique mix of gut microbes from a patient who responded to the drugs could be replicated in a nonresponding patient? To transfer these bacteria, doctors take the stool from the patient with the complete response — known as a superdonor — and transplant it into the gut of the nonresponder. The procedure is known as a fecal transplant. In a landmark trial published in 2021, oncologists at several cancer centers across the U.S. and in Israel gave fecal transplants to 10 patients with metastatic melanoma to try and improve their responses to PD-1 inhibitors. Three responded to the treatment, and one patient went on to be cancer-free. The superdonor It was Story's good fortune, then, that Dr. Michael Overman, an oncologist at MD Anderson who focuses on pancreatic and intestinal tumors, had recently encountered a superdonor: an elderly woman, with metastatic colorectal cancer, who had been cured by PD-1 inhibitors. 'She had an amazing response,' Overman said. 'Her tumors had been growing, and they suddenly shrank by 90%, to the extent where we could do surgery to get rid of the last little bit.' The woman's response inspired Overman to launch his own trial of 15 patients with MSI-H tumors, including Story, all of whom had various forms of metastatic cancer: colorectal, small bowel, brain, pancreatic and endometrial. Over the course of a month, the 15 patients received repeated infusions of the superdonor's stool into their bowels, with five of them getting additional oral doses, freeze-dried and put into capsules, for another six months. At the same time, Overman began to readminister the PD-1 inhibitors — a course of treatment that would continue for the next year — and waited to see what would happen. It was around 18 months later, in the fall of 2023, that Story began to notice a tone of optimism in Overman's voice. The fecal transplant, combined with PD-1 inhibitors, had triggered a remarkable shift in his body, and his tumors were starting to disappear. By the fall of 2024, he was declared cancer-free. 'By then, they were pretty definitive that the cancer had gone away,' Story said. 'For me and my wife, it felt like winning the lottery, because before the trial we had no options left.' Not all of the participants were as fortunate. Of the other 14, three had partial responses, with their cancer temporarily going into remission following the procedure — in two cases for more than a year. Dr. Jonathan Jacobs, a gastroenterologist and microbiome researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, described the overall results as remarkable, given that all of these patients had advanced cancer and mere months to live. 'These early reports of patients who were previously immunotherapy-resistant but experienced clinical response after receiving FMT [fecal transplants] and immunotherapy retreatment are very exciting,' said Jacobs, who wasn't involved with the trial. 'They demonstrate that gut microbiota is contributing to immunotherapy resistance in at least some patients, and provide hope that by changing the microbiome, some will respond.' Scaling up While fecal transplants represent a starting point, Overman is keen to transition toward a more nuanced approach to modifying the gut microbiome in cancer patients, noting the limitations of relying on superdonors. 'It's a brute-force approach,' Overman said. 'But you can't scale it. This one patient can't donate for the world. But the trial has shown how powerful the interplay is between the gut and the immune system. If we can figure that out and leverage it, we might be able to enhance the immune activity of cancer patients in general.' To explore this, MD Anderson has partnered with Kanvas Biosciences, a biotechnology startup that developed a tool called HiPR-FISH that analyzes the relationships between gut microbes and immune response. Using this technology to analyze the superdonor's stool, Kanvas Biosciences was able to identify key microbial strains and put them into a pill that will be used in upcoming clinical trials at MD Anderson and other cancer centers across North America to see whether it can help prime the immune system to PD-1 inhibitors on a larger scale. 'We have essentially made a synthetic version of the superdonor stool and then optimized and immortalized it so that it can be reproduced and used in the treatment of cancer patients worldwide,' said Matthew Cheng, a trained medical microbiologist and the company's co-founder. Other oncologists are investigating their own ways to improve responses to cancer treatment through the gut microbiome. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, Miltiadous has identified certain species of gut microbes that seem to be linked with better responses to cancer vaccines and could be potentially administered as part of a probiotic. After she has carried out initial experiments in mice, she is hoping to trial the combination of this probiotic and a cancer vaccine in children with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that develops in nerve cells. The results of the MD Anderson trial have prompted some researchers to wonder whether it will be possible to one day turn all immunotherapy nonresponders into responders, through a personalized medicine approach that delivers precisely the right microbes for a particular patient. 'It's possible that even better outcomes could be obtained with a more precise understanding of the recipient's microbiome, genetics, type of cancer, and antitumor immune responses, so select the optimal combinations,' Jacobs said. For Story, the transformation in his fortunes has been dramatic. 'I'm a Christian, and I believe God got me through this for whatever reason because he's got something else planned for me,' he said. 'This past fall, I've been able to go back to work for the first time in four years. I'm back coaching football and teaching schools. It's my passion. I've missed it so much because I had to retire. Now it feels like I've had a second chance at life.' David Cox David Cox is a freelance journalist focusing on all aspects of health, from fitness and nutrition to infectious diseases and future medicines. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, he was a neuroscientist attempting to understand how and why the brain goes wrong.
