For years, the idea of a cancer vaccine has sounded almost contradictory. However, the latest Phase 3 results from Moderna and Merck have pushed the personalized mRNA cancer vaccine concept much closer to clinical reality. Vaccines are supposed to prevent infectious diseases. Cancer, on the other hand, develops from our own cells. How could we vaccinate the immune system against something that technically belongs to us? That question became much more interesting this week.

“Phage therapy is promising and may eventually be a big part of treating infections in the future,” Vance Fowler, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Duke University School of Medicine, wrote in an email. “The challenge is that right now none of us seem to have sorted out how to use it, how to administer it, or even how to figure out if the bacteria infecting the patient we are trying to treat are susceptible to the phages used to treat them.”

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) management increasingly relies on biomarker testing, yet treatment selection depends on relatively few validated markers. While pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, gained FDA approval in 2021 for high-risk early-stage TNBC combined with chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status—supported by improved survival data from the KEYNOTE-522 trial—PD-L1 remains imperfect as a predictive biomarker. Its utility varies by disease setting, assay type, and scoring methodology. In metastatic TNBC, only 30-40% of patients achieve the required combined positive score of at least 10 for pembrolizumab eligibility. Alternatives include PARP inhibitors olaparib and talazoparib for patients with germline or somatic BRCA mutations, as well as HER2-targeted therapies. However, microsatellite instability-high and mismatch repair-deficient TNBCs are rare, and most TNBCs fail to meet high tumor mutation burden thresholds. Oncologists stress the need for additional biomarkers to better predict immunotherapy and targeted therapy responses, improving personalized treatment strategies for this aggressive cancer subtype.

Researchers at the Centre for Kidney and Bladder Health, University College London, have developed a novel human 3D micro-bladder model to investigate phage therapy as a treatment for recurrent urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that a cocktail of bacteriophages can effectively eliminate bacteria hidden within bladder wall tissue—so-called "reservoirs"—where conventional antibiotics cannot reach. This addresses a critical clinical challenge: bacteria evade antibiotic treatment by retreating into protected areas, causing frustrating recurrent infections. The micro-bladder model, which incorporates flowing urine to replicate authentic urinary tract conditions, revealed that the bladder microenvironment significantly influences infection dynamics and therapeutic outcomes. With approximately 400 million UTI cases annually and rising antimicrobial resistance threatening treatment efficacy, this research offers promising insights for developing advanced therapeutic strategies. The findings underscore the importance of sophisticated biological models in guiding treatment approaches during the antimicrobial resistance era and suggest phage therapy represents a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics for managing recurrent UTIs.

Researchers have developed a novel immunotherapy approach utilizing extracellular vesicles derived from induced pluripotent stem cell-derived natural killer cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (iPSC-derived CAR-NK EVs) to treat non-small cell lung cancer. This innovative strategy addresses a critical gap in cancer therapeutics by leveraging the therapeutic potential of CAR-NK cells while circumventing challenges associated with direct cell administration. The study, authored by Liang and colleagues and published in Frontiers in Immunology, comprehensively examines the scientific evidence supporting this approach, alongside engineering considerations and translational hurdles. A key innovation involves inhalation delivery of these vesicles directly to the lungs, enabling targeted tumor microenvironment engagement while potentially reducing systemic toxicity. The research emphasizes the importance of potency assays for characterizing these extracellular vesicles and ensuring therapeutic efficacy. By combining iPSC-derived cell technology with CAR-NK immunotherapy in an acellular vesicle format, this approach offers significant advantages including reduced immunogenicity, improved scalability, and enhanced bioavailability. The work establishes a foundation for translating this technology toward clinical application while identifying remaining barriers to overcome for successful therapeutic implementation.

The transvenous insertion of implantable pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads was a major milestone in antiarrhythmic therapy with the use of cardiac devices. Indeed, based on data published over the last decade the indications for ICD therapy have further expanded [1,2] while cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) through bi-ventricular pacing has significantly improved mortality and quality of life in patients with heart failure and ventricular dyssynchrony [3,4,5]. Unfortunately, this exponential increase in the implantation rate of cardiac devices has been accompanied by a parallel increase in the need for explanting some of those [6]. This has been mainly attributed to the so called “increased total lead exposure time” resulting from the expanding indications for device treatments, the implantation of more leads per patient and the longer average life expectancy of device-recipients [7].

This article is dedicated to CEOs/Founders/start-up teams who are building in the healthcare industry and looking for: increasing their visibility, attracting funds, expanding their network, growing their business. A start-up can access funds through diverse methods, including bootstrapping, angel investors, venture capital, and government grants. Non-dilutive funding allows start-ups to raise capital without surrendering any equity or ownership stakes.

Despite the systemic spread of cancer, the ventricular myocardium is one of the least common sites of metastasis—a phenomenon that remains poorly understood. To examine this, we develop the Multi-organ Invasion Device (MInD), an organ-on-a-chip platform that enables multi-organ culture under flow. Organ compartments are connected in MInD using PermeoTubes—3D-printed porous conduits that support cancer cell intravasation, migration, and extravasation. In dual-organ devices, where highly aggressive breast cancer cells are co-cultured with either hepatic or cardiac tissue, invasion into cardiac tissue is significantly suppressed relative to hepatic co-culture. Importantly, in cardiac–hepatic–cancer tri-culture, the presence of cardiac tissue reduces overall invasion, with cancer cells preferentially migrating toward hepatic compartments. Cytokine profiling and RNA sequencing reveal that cardiac co-culture suppresses cell metastasis and invasion, while inducing immune activation. Overall, this platform presents an approach for uncovering organ-specific drivers of metastasis, accelerating future discovery of metastasis-inhibiting therapies.

La biotech allemande et son allié suisse Roche ont annoncé arrêter l'essai de leur vaccin personnalisé contre le cancer, faute d'efficacité. Ce vaccin à ARN messager, comme celui de Moderna, était testé pour prévenir la rechute dans le cancer colorectal.

At least 24.5 percent of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had CTE pathology at death, according to a new study. The authors say the rate could be as high as 97.7 percent, depending on how many players whose brains were not examined also had the disease. Among 315 brain donors whose tissue showed CTE, 61.3 percent had dementia diagnosed by study clinicians. That number rose to 90.4 percent for donors with Stage IV CTE. Because CTE can be confirmed only after death, the study cannot determine how common it is among living players.  The findings support continued research on prevention, symptom treatment, and efforts toward new treatments for CTE.

This phase II clinical trial investigates ivermectin combined with the immunotherapeutic monoclonal antibodies balstilimab or pembrolizumab for treating metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The study evaluates safety, optimal dosing, and efficacy of this combination approach. Immunotherapy agents like balstilimab and pembrolizumab enhance the immune system's capacity to attack cancer cells, while ivermectin may inhibit tumor growth formation. The synergistic combination aims to maximize tumor shrinkage. Secondary endpoints assess objective response rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, duration of response, clinical benefit rate, and patient quality of life using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Eligible participants must be at least eighteen years old with confirmed metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (characterized by negative estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2-negative status), prior systemic therapy exposure, and adequate organ function. The phase two expansion cohort requires PD-L1 negative status. This trial addresses a significant unmet need in triple-negative breast cancer treatment, as this aggressive subtype lacks hormone-targeted therapies and demonstrates limited response to conventional approaches.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, originally developed for oncology, is being adapted to treat chronic non-malignant diseases sustained by pathological cells including viral reservoirs, autoreactive B cells, fibroblasts, and senescent cells. The review examines how CAR-based strategies can be redirected across diverse disease settings through enhanced co-stimulatory domains like CD28 and 4-1BB, PD-1–CD28 switch receptors that reverse inhibitory signaling, and cytokine-resistant CARs incorporating dominant-negative TGF-β receptors. Applications span infections (HIV and EBV), autoimmune conditions (targeting CD19 and BCMA), fibrosis (targeting FAP), hemophilia (using BAR-CARs), transplantation (employing HLA-specific CAR-Tregs), and senescence-related pathologies (targeting uPAR and NKG2DLs). Early clinical data from systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, myositis, and multiple sclerosis alongside preclinical successes demonstrate feasibility and durable disease modification. These developments position programmable cellular immunotherapy as a broadly applicable platform for eliminating persistent pathological cells, remodeling diseased tissue environments, and restoring long-term immune homeostasis beyond cancer treatment.

Relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL) represents a significant challenge in hematologic oncology, traditionally managed through salvage chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent immunotherapy advances, including CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific T-cell engagers, have fundamentally transformed treatment approaches, enabling deep remissions in heavily pretreated patients. These innovations extend beyond conventional salvage chemotherapy, offering previously unavailable therapeutic options. However, leukemia cells develop resistance mechanisms under selective pressure from treatment. Following CD19-directed immunotherapy, resistance emerges through multiple pathways including antigen escape via genetic alterations, aberrant splicing, antigen internalization, trogocytosis, and lineage switching. Understanding that R/R ALL represents an evolved disease with altered clonal architecture is clinically crucial, as each treatment modifies subsequent disease characteristics. Blinatumomab, a CD19×CD3 bispecific T-cell engager, activates T-cells without requiring ex vivo cellular engineering, representing a distinct mechanistic approach. These evolving treatment modalities and their implications for sequencing and resistance mechanisms will be central topics at LeukO 2026, a virtual global congress on leukemias scheduled for September 3-4.

Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment by addressing a critical limitation of traditional personalized immunotherapy: extended manufacturing timelines. Unlike conventional autologous CAR-T approaches, which require collecting cells from individual patients and customizing them in the laboratory—a process that can take weeks—allogeneic CAR-T therapy utilizes healthy donor cells to create ready-to-use treatments available immediately when patients need them. This approach eliminates prolonged waiting periods that can be detrimental for patients with rapidly progressing diseases. Liv Hospital emphasizes that this innovation democratizes access to life-saving cellular immunotherapy across geographic locations and urgent medical situations. The manufacturing process requires precision at every stage, from cell selection through expansion, ensuring both potency and safety while maintaining standardized protocols. By leveraging allogeneic CAR-T technology, healthcare providers can treat more patients faster, fundamentally transforming how cellular immunotherapy is delivered and making advanced cancer treatments more accessible to populations worldwide.

In situ cancer vaccination, also termed intratumoral immunotherapy, represents an innovative approach that transforms tumors into endogenous vaccine platforms by leveraging the tumor itself as an antigen source. Unlike conventional tumor-associated antigen or personalized neoantigen vaccines requiring predefined targets and complex manufacturing, in situ vaccination presents the tumor's complete antigenic repertoire—including tumor-associated antigens, neoantigens, post-translationally modified epitopes, and viral antigens in their native context. This comprehensive antigen exposure elicits robust polyclonal cytotoxic T-cell responses and reduces immune escape driven by tumor heterogeneity. The approach activates multiple immune mechanisms through programmed cell death pathways including immunogenic apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis, which release tumor antigens and danger-associated molecular patterns that promote dendritic-cell activation and durable T-cell responses. Recent advances in nanomedicine-enabled delivery systems and combinatorial strategies with immune checkpoint blockade are overcoming clinical translation barriers such as inconsistent immunogenic cell death induction and suboptimal therapeutic retention. These innovations position in situ cancer vaccination as a broadly applicable, patient-tailored immunotherapy capable of generating durable systemic antitumor immunity.

The limitations and developmental directions of polyurethane materials in cardiovascular therapy are reviewed. The mechanisms underlying the poor biostability of polyurethane materials are elucidated, and research progress in corresponding enhancement methods is provided. Modification methods to enhance polyurethane for use in cardiovascular materials are discussed. The macroscopic morphology and processing techniques required for polyurethane materials in cardiovascular applications are discussed.

The phase 2 Neo-CheckRay trial evaluated combining immune-modulating stereotactic body radiation therapy (iSBRT) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy in high-risk estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer. The randomized study of 147 patients compared three treatment arms: chemotherapy plus iSBRT alone, iSBRT plus the anti–PD-L1 antibody durvalumab (Imfinzi), and iSBRT plus durvalumab with the anti-CD73 antibody oleclumab. Results, published in Nature Medicine, demonstrated that durvalumab significantly improved pathologic complete response rates from 16.7 percent to 29.4 percent in the primary analysis, with gains reaching statistical significance in the per-protocol population at 32.6 percent. Notably, the greatest therapeutic benefit occurred in PD-L1–negative tumors. Adding oleclumab did not provide additional advantage over durvalumab monotherapy. These findings suggest that combining iSBRT with anti–PD-L1 immunotherapy offers meaningful clinical benefit for selected early breast cancer patients, potentially improving surgical outcomes and informing future treatment strategies.

Researchers have evaluated a novel phage-inclusive multimodal strategy designed to address recurrent urinary tract infections, a persistent clinical challenge affecting millions globally. This study, published in BMC Microbiology in August 2026, represents an open access contribution to advancing treatment options beyond conventional antibiotic approaches. The multimodal strategy integrates bacteriophage therapy with complementary therapeutic interventions, leveraging the unique antimicrobial properties of phages to target uropathogens resistant to traditional antibiotics. The evaluation likely assessed efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes in patients experiencing recurrent infections, measuring metrics such as infection recurrence rates and symptom resolution. This research matters significantly as antibiotic resistance continues escalating worldwide, making alternative therapeutic approaches increasingly critical. Phage therapy offers promising potential to circumvent resistance mechanisms while reducing dependence on conventional antibiotics, thereby improving patient outcomes and addressing a major public health concern. The open access publication ensures broad dissemination of findings to the scientific and clinical communities, potentially accelerating adoption of innovative treatment strategies for recurrent urinary tract infections.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy has revolutionized blood cancer treatment for over a decade, and researchers are now combining it with gene-editing technologies like CRISPR and TALEN to expand applications into rare diseases. CRISPR Therapeutics is developing next-generation gene-edited CAR T therapies designed as off-the-shelf products rather than custom treatments, using CRISPR-Cas9 to make multiple genetic modifications that create more potent, durable, and scalable cancer treatments while reducing manufacturing complexity. Gene editing enhances CAR T cells with additional capabilities, improving their performance, safety, and durability by addressing current limitations. Experts including Philippe Duchateau at Cellectis and Cesar Sommer at Allogene Therapeutics emphasize that gene editing enables greater precision in cell therapy design, allowing targeted edits that improve T cell function, resistance to exhaustion, and safety profiles. Beyond oncology, recent studies demonstrate CAR T's potential in autoimmune conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, and stiff-person syndrome by targeting B cells and plasma cells that produce harmful autoantibodies, effectively resetting the immune system while gene editing further enhances cell persistence and safety.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a challenging malignancy with poor prognosis despite advances in conventional therapies. Recently, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy to improve clinical outcomes, building upon encouraging results from landmark trials including KEYNOTE-522 and IMpassion031. These studies have validated the efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors such as pembrolizumab and atezolizumab as neoadjuvant agents. The therapeutic landscape has expanded beyond PD-1/PD-L1 targeting to encompass additional biomarkers including Forkhead Box Protein P3 (FOXP3) and Wilms' Tumor gene 1 (WT1), enabling more personalized treatment approaches. However, substantial heterogeneity in trial design, participant demographics, and clinical endpoints has created divergent findings across studies. This comprehensive review synthesizes the principal biomarkers driving neoadjuvant immunotherapy in breast cancer, elucidates their underlying mechanisms of action, and consolidates data from ongoing and completed clinical studies. By clarifying the evolving role of biomarker-driven neoadjuvant immunotherapy, this work provides critical guidance for optimizing breast cancer management and improving patient outcomes in this aggressive disease subtype.