Thread by @DrAlakbarov

Some positive news.

A cancer treatment that uses messenger RNA to launch an immune attack on cancer cells can completely shrink tumours in mice and is now being tested in people.

BioNTech is now testing whether mRNAs can be used to treat cancer.

Source: New Scientist

And even better news.

Lung cancer patients in England will become the first in Europe to benefit from a “revolutionary” new drug that can halt the growth of tumours by targeting the so-called “Death Star” mutation.

The medication, Sotorasib, will be fast-tracked to NHS patients

And more promising news.

An early stage clinical trial of an mRNA-based HIV vaccine could begin this month.

This vaccine candidate uses technology developed by biotech company Moderna.

Source: GQ Magazine

And there is more...

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have successfully made an active and viable glioblastoma tumor, an aggressive form of brain cancer, using 3D printing. This will enabling doctors and scientists to find the best treatment for the patient.

A highly effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis could be available within 3-4 years after scientists discovered a key new cause of the disease.

Researchers have found, for the first time, that damage to the lining of the gut plays a key role in disease by making it leaky.

Please also note, while the world is busy with COVID, expect breakthroughs in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical community made advances throughout 2020.

2020 was the year of the genetic code.

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors.

So what is genetic scissors?

It's a tool or enzymes “snip out pieces of DNA to restore them to their normal function,

This innovation has wide-ranging ramifications for people who have a wide range of genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease.

There are some breakthroughs in heart disease and stroke research as well.

* New study could change hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (when the heart muscle thickens and can stiffen) is treated.

* New treatments nowadays available for atrial fibrillation (AFib) — a new minimally invasive surgery to prevent stroke.

* A new trial that reveals more treatment might not necessarily mean better treatment for coronary heart disease.

Source: The American Heart Association

Researchers also have been developing new ways of “drugging” genetic mutations.

Expect a compound to degrade the androgen receptor for prostate cancer cells — what allows these cancer cells to grow.

And finally,

A possible breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment came in the form of a blood test that can diagnose this progressive form of dementia.

If ultimately approved, a simple test for the condition would be a game changer.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/…