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Join the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) as they celebrate Pride Month by delving into queer stories within the collection. Amelia spoke to Meg Faragher, from the learning & Engagement team, to learn more. Learn more about the session on the NGS website - Visually Impaired Programme (Online) | Queer stories in art | National Galleries of Scotland Access to this session will be via Zoom. A telephone number, link and password will be sent out before the session. To book a free place, please use online booking or contact us on 0131 624 6410 or learning@nationalgalleries.org. Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font.
In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Dr. Cath Moore of the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) discusses how molecular biology technologies are helping to shape Australia's scientific landscape—from clinical genomics and conservation to bioremediation and agriculture. With over 20 years of experience in both academia and industry, Dr. Moore reflects on the remarkable evolution of genomic tools, from Sanger sequencing to high-resolution spatial multiomics.She unpacks AGRF's mission to democratize access to emerging technologies and highlights its role as an early adopter of platforms that help scientists translate academic research into real-world impact. Topics include non-mass spec proteomics, mine site rehabilitation through soil microbiome analysis, and the role of systems biology in modern science.Dr. Moore also discusses the importance of community education and literacy around genomics, emphasizing how public understanding is key to the safe adoption of emerging technologies like synthetic biology. Finally, she shares career insights and advice for aspiring scientists: stay curious, stay broad, and don't be afraid to pivot when your work no longer brings joy. Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you're hearing we hope you'll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Episode 230: For show notes, links, and a summary episode, sign up for the Hey! What You Reading For newsletter. Mondays at 7am BST - https://tdape.beehiiv.com/subscribeClick for tickets to TDaPE Conference Cymru https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-tickets-1295761139449In this episode of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, Stuart Welsh is joined by Sana Syed, an experienced Early Years educator and school leader, for a conversation that explores the journey from classroom practitioner to influential team leader.With over a decade of experience, including more than ten years at NGS and a formative stint teaching seven-year-olds, Sana shares the pivotal moments that shaped her approach to teaching and leadership. We delve into what inspired her to step into leadership, the values that guide her practice, and the importance of creating a reflective, supportive school culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities to grow.We also discuss:How school leaders can cultivate trust and collaboration within their teamsThe role of ongoing professional learning in sustaining motivation and joyAdvice for emerging leaders ready to make a broader impactWhether you're an aspiring leader, a seasoned practitioner, or someone passionate about the Early Years, this episode offers rich insights into what it means to lead with purpose, curiosity, and care.If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, or consider supporting the podcast via www.ko-fi.com/tdape. You can also join the conversation in our Discord community, where educators from around the world share ideas and questions.
Exploring the growing role of DNA methylation in classifying and predicting prognosis for sarcomas, while highlighting integration with array, NGS, and CNV analysis for complex profiling. And other tumors and applications Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Spring is the season when gardeners throw off the hibernation and slumber of months of wet feet, many layers and waterproofs and are reborn anew! The stirring of life in the garden is one of the years great experiences, and makes a gardening life such a worthwhile pursuit, not only is it good for the planet to see the earth greening up, it is also good for the gardeners soul. But there is still lots of hard work to get on with - seeds have to be sown, mulch laid, supports erected and lawns mown. So join Lucy and Saul as they continue their professional gardening lives in the pure heaven that is Spring!With no rain on the horizon for Lucy and plenty for Saul, the East - West divide is playing out true to form. But other traditionally damper UK regions are also experiencing dry weather, giving the gardening duo plenty to talk about. Musing aside, Saul has been busy erecting bamboo canes, whilst Lucy has been wielding her saws and fine-tuning her ears to local birdsong. Mr Walker can also now celebrate his first decade as a Head Gardener - congratulations, Mr W! Let's hope the NGS group left you a decent slice of cake on Thursday.LinkedIn link:Saul WalkerInstagram link:Lucy lucychamberlaingardensIntro and Outro music from https://filmmusic.io"Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Support the show
Join us in this episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast as we dive deep into the rapidly evolving treatment landscape for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with actionable mutations in frontline therapy. Hosted by community oncologists Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Susan Scott, a thoracic medical oncologist from the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In this episode, we covered: • Common EGFR mutations and the latest treatment options, including osimertinib, amivantamab, and chemotherapy combinations. • The importance of comprehensive NGS testing and the need for retesting at progression. • Insights into managing side effects associated with various therapies, including the proactive management of cutaneous toxicities. • Treatment strategies for less common mutations such as ALK, ROS1, BRAF, and RET, along with their respective targeted therapies. • The role of immunotherapy in specific mutations and the importance of patient choice and preferences in treatment decisions. Whether you're a practicing oncologist or simply interested in the latest advancements in cancer treatment, this episode is packed with valuable information to help guide your practice. YouTube: https://youtu.be/LMYDAjZcn5w Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more updates from the Oncology Brothers!
This is the latest episode of the free DDW narrated podcast, titled “Cutting-edge tools shaping early-stage drug discovery”, which covers three articles written for DDW Volume 24 – Issue 4, Fall 2023. They are called: “The use-case for NGS”, “Are organ-chips the future of preclinical research?” and “What spatial biology can tell us about disease and drug discovery”. In the first article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Dr Darrell Green, Lecturer in RNA Biology, Biomedical Research Centre, Norwich Medical School University of East Anglia, about his work using next generation sequencing (NGS) and the areas the technology is impacting within drug discovery and development. In the second article, Diana Spencer catches up with Lorna Ewart, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Emulate, about the rise of organ-on-a-chip technology. In the third article, DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Benedikt Nilges, Head of Technology and Data Analytics at OMAPiX about spatial biology's use in drug discovery and bettering our understanding of disease.
Welcome to the Oncology Brothers podcast! In this episode, Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain are joined by Dr. Mark Awad, a world-renowned thoracic medical oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering. Together, they dived deep into the treatment landscape for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without actionable mutations in frontline settings. Episode Highlights: • The importance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and PD-L1 levels in treatment decision-making. • Current treatment options for patients with high PD-L1 scores, including single-agent immunotherapy. • Strategies for patients with low or intermediate PD-L1 scores, including chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. • Discussed KRAS G12C and HER2 positive disease in second-line settings, including the latest approved therapies. • Insights into the potential side effects and considerations when transitioning from immunotherapy to targeted therapies. Join us as we explored the complexities of treating metastatic NSCLC and the ongoing need for clinical trials and biomarker discovery. Don't forget to check out our other episodes for more insights on treatment algorithms and recent FDA approvals! Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more updates from the Oncology Brothers!
En este episodio de Código Tumoral, la Dra. Julieta Gómez, oncóloga médica de México, da la bienvenida a la Dra. Carolina Martínez Ciarpaglini, patóloga del Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, España, con amplia experiencia en patología del tracto gastrointestinal y hematolinfoide. A lo largo de la conversación, ambas especialistas reflexionaron sobre la diversidad de biomarcadores utilizados en el cáncer colorrectal metastásico, la implementación de nuevas tecnologías diagnósticas y el papel de la colaboración interdisciplinaria en la medicina de precisión.Durante la charla, se discutieron las principales estrategias diagnósticas en su centro de trabajo, incluyendo el uso universal de inmunohistoquímica para evaluar inestabilidad microsatelital y pruebas por PCR para detectar mutaciones en RAS y BRAF. La Dra. Martínez también abordó el uso selectivo de paneles NGS y la utilidad de la patología digital, destacando su potencial en la automatización y estandarización del análisis de biomarcadores. Finalmente, se conversó sobre los principales retos que enfrentan los patólogos, como la variabilidad entre laboratorios, la necesidad de optimización de muestras pequeñas, y la importancia crítica de una comunicación fluida entre oncólogos y patólogos para implementar de manera efectiva la medicina personalizada.Dentro de su conversación, se plantearon las siguientes preguntas:¿Cuáles son los biomarcadores que recomienda realizar en un paciente con cáncer colorrectal metastásico?¿Cuáles de estos se realizan actualmente en su centro de trabajo?¿Qué papel juega el marcador HER2 en la práctica clínica y en el contexto de ensayos clínicos?¿Cuál es el beneficio de realizar NGS en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal metastásico?¿Cuál es su opinión sobre la patología digital? ¿Cree que tendrá un rol importante en el descubrimiento y evaluación de biomarcadores?¿Cuáles consideras que han sido los mayores retos a los que te has enfrentado como patóloga?¿Qué obstáculos ves actualmente y a futuro en la implementación de nuevas tecnologías en patología oncológica?Fecha de grabación: 15 de abril de 2025. Todos los comentarios emitidos por los participantes son a título personal y no reflejan la opinión de ScienceLink u otros. Se deberá revisar las indicaciones aprobadas en el país para cada uno de los tratamientos y medicamentos comentados. Las opiniones vertidas en este programa son responsabilidad de los participantes o entrevistados, ScienceLink las ha incluido con fines educativos. Este material está dirigido a profesionales de la salud exclusivamente.
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to update us on the latest National Garden Scheme openings in the next few weeks when many gardens are at their very best. Lucy also told us all about some of the incredible work they do with smaller, lesser known charities supported by NGS. Lucy shared her extensive knowledge of gardening by answering some of our most urgent gardening questions for the month of May. And ... do you know about the Chelsea Chop"? Well, with Lucy's expert help, all our listeners will now be perfecting the "Chelsea Chop" in their own gardens in the coming weeks. You can learn more about the National Garden Scheme and find out about local gardens participating this year via their website: https://ngs.org.uk/
Welcome to another episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast! In this episode, Drs. Rohit and Rahul Gosain, both practicing community medical oncologists, continue their discussion on HER2-positive biliary tract cancer. They are joined by Dr. Shubham Pant from MD Anderson, who shares his expertise on this rapidly evolving field. In this episode, we cover: • The importance of HER2 testing in biliary tract cancers, including intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers. • Who should be tested for HER2 positivity and how to classify HER2-positive disease. • The role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in determining HER2 status. • Current treatment options for HER2-positive biliary tract cancer, including the latest clinical trials and approved therapies like trastuzumab deruxtecan and zanidatamab. • The significance of patient-centered decision-making and managing side effects associated with these treatments. • Insights into the potential for brain metastases in biliary tract cancer and the importance of ongoing surveillance. Join us as we delve into the latest data and strategies for managing HER2-positive biliary tract cancer, and stay tuned for our next episode where we will discuss side effects and management of these therapies. Accreditation/Credit Designation Physicians' Education Resource®, LLC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Physicians' Education Resource®, LLC designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Acknowledgment of Commercial Support This activity is supported by an educational grant from Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Link to gain CME credits from this activity: https://www.gotoper.com/courses/from-bench-to-bedside-paradigm-shifts-in-her2-metastatic-btc-treatment Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more updates from the Oncology Brothers!
This is the second episode of a two-part series on the HER2 diagnostic and treatment landscape in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), hosted by the Oncology Brothers, Drs Rohit and Rahul Gosain. In this episode, Dr Isabel Preeshagul and Dr Eric Singhi provide the benefit of their experience when discussing how to approach different treatment scenarios in HER2-mutant NSCLC. The conversation unfolds to cover: • Ways to distinguish HER2 alterations from other alterations on biomarker reports • The latest efficacy and safety data of currently approved and emerging treatments for HER2-altered NSCLC • The potential CNS activity of these treatments in patients with HER2-mutated NSCLC • How the treatment pathway may look in the near future Clinical takeaways • In NSCLC, HER2-positivity includes mutations, amplifications and overexpression. It's important to distinguish HER2 alterations from EGFR mutations, particularly exon 20 insertions, when interpreting next-generation sequencing (NGS) results • Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) is currently the only approved targeted agent for HER2-altered NSCLC in the 2nd-line setting. It shows promising efficacy, especially in HER2-mutant cases, but has limited brain penetration and is associated with notable side effects, including pneumonitis, which requires close monitoring • Emerging TKIs, such as zongertinib, BAY 2927088 (sevabertinib), and NVL-330, target HER2-mutations and have shown high response rates and CNS activity in early studies, without ILD/pneumonitis. These treatments come with unique side effects like diarrhoea and rash, which can be managed with supportive care • CNS metastases are common, with up to 30% of HER2-altered NSCLC patients presenting with or quickly developing CNS metastases. Current large molecule therapies (like T-DXd) have limited brain penetration, making small-molecule TKIs, like zongertinib, BAY 2927088 (sevabertinib), and NVL-330, promising for their potential CNS activity • Current standard 1st-line care for HER2-mutant NSCLC remains platinum-based chemotherapy ± immunotherapy. Targeted agents (like T-DXd) are generally reserved for 2nd-line use, but ongoing trials are evaluating the move toward frontline therapy Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to subscribe for the next episode
Send us a textCan embryos labeled as “abnormal” still lead to healthy babies? Are fertility clinics discarding embryos that could result in a pregnancy?In this episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols breaks down the controversy surrounding Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A). You've seen the headlines — abnormal embryos resulting in live births — but was the test actually wrong, or was it the interpretation?Learn the truth behind PGT-A and mosaicism, the evolution of embryo testing methods (FISH, aCGH, SNP, and NGS), and what the latest data says about success rates when transferring embryos diagnosed as aneuploid.Whether you're trying to understand your PGT-A results, deciding whether to transfer a mosaic embryo, or just looking for clarity in a confusing area of IVF science, this episode is your guide.
Join us for an insightful episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast as we dive into the fast-evolving landscape of HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this first part of the two-part series, Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain were joined by Dr. Devika Das, a thoracic medical oncologist, and Dr. Fernando Lopez-Rios, a pathologist, to discuss the critical importance of testing and identifying HER2 alterations in lung cancer patients. In this episode, we covered: • The significance of HER2 alterations in NSCLC and how they differ from breast and gastric cancers. • The complexities of biomarker testing, including NGS, IHC, and FISH amplification. • Patient characteristics and phenotypes associated with HER2-positive disease. • The current testing workflows in clinical practice and the role of liquid biopsies. • Insights into the treatment landscape for HER2-positive NSCLC, including recent FDA approvals and ongoing clinical trials. Whether you're a healthcare professional or simply interested in the latest advancements in oncology, this episode provides valuable information on the integration of precision medicine in lung cancer treatment. YouTube: https://youtu.be/gMi-sflQyQo Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to subscribe for the next episode, where we will explore treatment options for HER2-positive non-small cell lung cancer in greater detail!
Welcome back to the Oncology Brothers podcast! In this episode, Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain are joined by Dr. Joshua Sabari, a thoracic medical oncologist from NYU, to discuss the latest findings from the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) 2025. We dived into several key studies that are shaping the future of lung cancer treatment, including: • KEYNOTE-799: Exploring the combination of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab for unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). • LAURA: The impact of osimertinib in patients with EGFR mutations post-chemoradiation therapy. • MARIPOSA: The promising results of amivantamab and lisertinib in the metastatic setting for EGFR-mutated NSCLC. • KRYSTAL-7: Investigating the use of KRAS G12C inhibitors in frontline therapy. Join us as we discuss the implications of these studies, the importance of next-generation sequencing (NGS), and how to manage side effects associated with these new therapies. YouTube: https://youtu.be/akoXXAUEl_8 Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more updates on the latest in oncology! #Oncology #LungCancer #ELCC2025 #EGFR #KRAS #CancerResearch #Podcast
Join us in this insightful episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast as we dive deep into the current treatment landscape of pancreatic cancer. Drs. Rohit and Rahul Gosain are joined by Dr. Emil Lou, a medical and neuro-oncologist from the University of Minnesota, to discuss the challenges and advancements in managing this complex disease. In this episode, we covered: • The importance of a multidisciplinary approach in treating early-stage pancreatic cancer. • The role of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, including the latest insights on chemotherapy regimens like FOLFIRINOX, nal-IRI and gemcitabine. • The significance of germline and next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing in personalizing treatment plans. • The current state of clinical trials and emerging therapies, including PARP inhibitors for BRCA mutations and the implications of ctDNA testing. • Prognostic discussions around metastatic pancreatic cancer and the importance of managing side effects to improve patient quality of life. Key takeaways include the necessity of balancing treatment efficacy with adverse events, the critical role of genetic testing, and the need for vigilance regarding venous thromboembolism (VTE) in pancreatic cancer patients. Don't miss this comprehensive discussion that aims to shed light on the ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for patients battling pancreatic cancer. YouTube: https://youtu.be/HCKQxmOqRTI Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Subscribe to our channel for more discussions on oncology and stay updated on the latest in cancer treatment!
The field of Microbiology continues to change. Organisms were primarily identified in the clinical laboratory by biochemical testing. Then MALDI-TOF came to the lab and was incorporated into the workflow. Now labs are bringing next-generation sequencing (NGS). What is NGS? How does it work? Have you heard of Nanopore technologies? In this episode Dr. Jose Alexander and Daniel Navas from Advent Health Orlando, join the podcast to talk about NGS. They brought it to their laboratory and discuss the whole process, including the validation, challenges, and more. This episode was originally published on February 9th, 2024 Guest: Dr. Jose Alexander Daniel Navas Questions? Feedback? Send those to letstalkmicro@outlook.com Want to support the podcast? Here's how: Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/letstalkmicro Buy me a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/letstalkmicro
Drs. Sabari and Yu discuss the molecular landscape of HER2-mutant lung cancer, including its genomic characteristics, common co-mutations, and differences between HER2 mutations and HER2 amplification. This discussion also explores the prevalence and clinical patterns of HER2 mutations, their oncogenic mechanisms, their impact on tumor behavior and metastases, and potential environmental or genetic contributors to their development.
March 28, 2025 Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter discuss questions that came into the PRS Helpdesk. NGS sent a newsletter about the use of: cpt code G0463 as a primary code for G2211. Need more info if possible.Do nurse practitioners get paid at 100% for procedures like a PNE when signing notes in NM by themselves?a) Medicare NGS is denying CPT 52332 for bilateral stents with denial CO-151. This seems to be a constant problem with denials for frequency and/or bilateral stents.Has the policy been changed; I have not been able to find any changes regarding stents insertion or exchanges.Thanksb)Hi,Wondering if you can help me with this Medicare patients.NGS is denying the claim on several patients stating that this code has a frequency limit on 52332.NGS has a problem with both frequency and bilateral stentsI have searched everywhere and find no information on this code for frequency limits per year or bilateral stents.Appreciate any help on this code.Free Kidney Stone Coding CalculatorDownload NowPRS Billing and Other Services - Book a Call with Mark Painter or Marianne DescioseClick Here to Get More Information and Request a Quote Join the Urology Pharma and Tech Pioneer GroupEmpowering urology practices to adopt new technology faster by providing clear reimbursement strategies—ensuring the practice gets paid and patients benefit sooner.https://www.prsnetwork.com/joinuptp Click Here to Start Your Free Trial of AUACodingToday.com The Thriving Urology Practice Facebook group.The Thriving Urology Practice Facebook Group link to join:https://www.facebook.com/groups/ThrivingPractice/
Il DNA è la base di ogni essere vivente, la molecola che racchiude in sé le istruzioni fondamentali per lo sviluppo e il funzionamento degli organismi, e rappresenta uno strumento imprescindibile anche in ambito criminologico. All'inizio, il concetto è semplice: ogni cellula possiede una copia di questo codice genetico, che può essere estratto da varie fonti – come sangue, saliva, capelli e tessuti – e utilizzato per creare un profilo unico, simile a un'impronta digitale.Questo profilo permette di associare in maniera deterministica una traccia biologica a un individuo, offrendo alle indagini forensi uno strumento di identificazione estremamente potente. Con il procedere dell'analisi, il vero potenziale del DNA si rivela attraverso l'uso di tecniche avanzate. Nei laboratori forensi, la PCR (Reazione a Catena della Polimerasi) viene impiegata per amplificare piccole quantità di materiale genetico, consentendo così l'analisi anche di campioni parzialmente degradati. Questa fase iniziale è essenziale per ottenere un quantitativo di DNA sufficiente, che successivamente viene studiato attraverso metodologie più sofisticate, come l'analisi dei polimorfismi a breve ripetizione (STR). Queste tecniche permettono di evidenziare le varianti genetiche che differenziano un individuo dall'altro, rendendo possibile un confronto accurato e affidabile tra il profilo genetico reperito e quelli presenti in banche dati. Andando oltre, la tecnologia del sequenziamento di nuova generazione (NGS) ha rivoluzionato il campo, consentendo di leggere intere sezioni del genoma con rapidità e precisione mai viste prima. I dati ottenuti vengono elaborati mediante algoritmi bioinformatici avanzati, che confrontano le sequenze con vaste banche dati genetiche per identificare corrispondenze, escludere sospetti o ricostruire la dinamica degli eventi criminosi. Questo approccio integrato, che unisce biologia molecolare, statistica e informatica, permette di risolvere casi complessi e di fornire prove inconfutabili in ambito giudiziario. Il valore del DNA in criminologia va ben oltre la mera identificazione: esso è in grado di illuminare la verità nascosta dietro ogni traccia, contribuendo a ricostruire con precisione la sequenza degli eventi e a garantire che la giustizia venga amministrata in modo equo. Le metodologie in continua evoluzione e il costante aggiornamento dei protocolli operativi assicurano che il campo della genetica forense resti all'avanguardia, affrontando le sfide di un mondo in cui la rapidità e l'accuratezza sono imprescindibili. Il DNA, in questo contesto, non è solo una componente biologica, ma diventa un alleato fondamentale per la giustizia, capace di dare voce a verità altrimenti inaccessibili e di rafforzare il sistema investigativo in maniera decisiva. ✨Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/accademia-di-criminologia--1771463/support.
Join us for an insightful episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast as we dive deep into the world of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with Dr. Katy Beckermann, the Medical GU Director of Cancer Research at Tennessee Oncology. In this episode, hosts Drs. Rahul & Rohit Gosain, practicing medical oncologists, discuss the latest advancements in RCC treatment, including: • The role of Pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting based on the Keynote 564 study and its implications for early-stage disease. • Current treatment paradigms for metastatic RCC, including dual checkpoint inhibitors, TKI with immunotherapy, and single-agent options. • The importance of patient characteristics and IMDC risk categorization in treatment decisions. • Insights into sequencing therapies, including the use of Belzutifan for refractory disease and the management of side effects. • The role of ctDNA, PD-L1 testing, and NGS in RCC. Whether you're a community oncologist or simply interested in the latest in cancer care, this episode is packed with valuable information to help you stay informed and provide the best care for your patients. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bbv9N7-YKIM Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review to let us know how we're doing and how we can continue to support you in the community!
It could be argued that biology has always boiled down to chemistry, and that chemistry has always boiled down to physics. However, not many would deny that the fields of biology and chemistry are overlapping more than ever, with both leveraging computing methods, also more than ever. This conversation with Dr. Ramesh Jha, Technical Staff Member at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), crosses biology, chemistry, and computing methods. The work of his biome team at LANL uses computational tools to inform the design of enzymes that are produced via PCR-based cloning and then expressed in microbes. They use fluorescent gene circuits in these microbes, along with flow cytometry, to screen these large libraries for advantageous gain-of-function variants. When they find an interesting mutation, they isolate it, sequence it, and produce and evaluate those biocatalytic enzymes for bioremediation, biomanufacturing, and other important applications. Ramesh makes this complex and interdisciplinary science approachable and gives hope to how it could help address problems of “forever chemicals” and other environmental and manufacturing challenges. Join us for this interesting and inspiring conversation. Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you're hearing we hope you'll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Join Drs. Rahul & Rohit Gosain in this insightful episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast as they continue their treatment algorithm series, focusing on the rapidly evolving landscape of bladder cancer. They are joined by Dr. Joaquim Bellmunt, a medical oncologist and director of bladder cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who shares his expertise on the latest treatment paradigms for both muscle invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. In this episode, you'll learn about: • The distinction between muscle invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and their respective treatment approaches. • The role of BCG treatment and emerging options for BCG-refractory disease. • The significance of the NIAGARA trial and its implications for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and perioperative immunotherapy. • Current strategies for managing muscle invasive bladder cancer, including the use of cisplatin-based therapies and the introduction of immunotherapy. • Insights into the metastatic space, including the use of enfortumab vedotin (EV) and pembrolizumab, and the importance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in treatment decisions. • Key side effects to monitor with various treatments and the importance of maintaining quality of life for patients. Whether you're a healthcare professional or simply interested in the latest advancements in oncology, this episode is packed with valuable information. YouTube: https://youtu.be/apUp2-BkgWQ Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more discussions on cancer treatment algorithms!
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to share some of the exciting plans for this year's National Garden Scheme (NGS). Lucy told us all about how the NGS raises huge sums for charities and also what's coming up for the NGS in Hertfordshire over the next few weeks. Lucy, who is a gardener by profession, also shared some of her favourite varieties of daffodils now available to us. All in all it was a truly Spring time discussion with the outdoors in mind.
The Parents' Show on Radio Verulam - by parents, for parents, about parenting
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to share some of the exciting plans for this year's National Garden Scheme (NGS). Lucy told us all about how the NGS raises huge sums for charities and also what's coming up for the NGS in Hertfordshire over the next few weeks. Lucy, who is a gardener by profession, also shared some of her favourite varieties of daffodils now available to us. All in all it was a truly Spring time discussion with the outdoors in mind.
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to share some of the exciting plans for this year's National Garden Scheme (NGS). Lucy told us all about how the NGS raises huge sums for charities and also what's coming up for the NGS in Hertfordshire over the next few weeks. Lucy, who is a gardener by profession, also shared some of her favourite varieties of daffodils now available to us. All in all it was a truly Spring time discussion with the outdoors in mind.
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to share some of the exciting plans for this year's National Garden Scheme (NGS). Lucy told us all about how the NGS raises huge sums for charities and also what's coming up for the NGS in Hertfordshire over the next few weeks. Lucy, who is a gardener by profession, also shared some of her favourite varieties of daffodils now available to us. All in all it was a truly Spring time discussion with the outdoors in mind.
Lucy Swift from the National Garden Scheme came into our Mix 92.6 studio to share some of the exciting plans for this year's National Garden Scheme (NGS). Lucy told us all about how the NGS raises huge sums for charities and also what's coming up for the NGS in Hertfordshire over the next few weeks. Lucy, who is a gardener by profession, also shared some of her favourite varieties of daffodils now available to us. All in all it was a truly Spring time discussion with the outdoors in mind.
Dr. John Sweetenham and Dr. James Foran discuss the evolving treatment landscape in acute myeloid leukemia, including new targeted therapies, advances in immunotherapy, and the current role for allogeneic transplantation. TRANSCRIPT Dr. John Sweetenham: Hello, I'm Dr. John Sweetenham, the host of the ASCO Daily News Podcast. There has been steady progress in the therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in recent years, largely based on an increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms which underlie the disease. On today's episode, we'll be discussing the evolving treatment landscape in AML. We'll explore risk group stratification, new targeted therapies, advances in immunotherapy for AML, and also a little about the current role for allogenic transplantation in this disease. I'm delighted to welcome Dr. James Foran to this discussion. Dr. Foran is a professor of medicine and chair of the Myeloid Malignancies and Blood and Marrow Transplant Disease Group at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. He's based in Jacksonville, Florida. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode. James, it's great to have you join us on the podcast today, and thanks so much for being here. Dr. James Foran: I'm delighted and thank you for the invitation. Thank you very much. Dr. John Sweetenham: Sure, James, let's get right into it. So, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AML has resulted not only in new methods for risk stratification in this disease, which have added refinement to cytogenetics, but also has resulted in the development of many new targeted agents. Understanding that this is a complex area of investigation, and our time is somewhat limited, can you give us a high-level update on the current state of the art in terms of how risk factors are being used for treatment selection now? Dr. James Foran: Absolutely. I think in the past, you know, we had things broken down pretty simply into make a diagnosis based on morphology, do cytogenetics, break patients into the groups of those who were more likely to benefit from therapy – so-called favorable risk – those where the intensive therapies were less likely to work – so-called poor adverse risk, and then this large intermediate group that really had variable outcomes, some better, some worse. And for a long time, the progress was in just identifying new subtle cytogenetic risk groups. And then, late 1990s, we began to understand that FLT3 mutations or NRAS mutations may be more adverse than others that came along. In the first part of this millennium, in the, you know, 2000-2010 range, a lot of work was being done to understand better or worse risk factors with single genes. The ability to do multiplex PCR, and then more recently NGS platforms, have allowed us to really look at many genes and identify many mutations in patients. At the beginning that was used just to sort of refine – who did a little better, who did a little worse with intensive therapy – helped us decide who may benefit more from an allogeneic transplanter for whom that would not be necessary. But the good news is that really, we're now starting to target those mutations. One of the first molecularly targeted treatments in leukemia was FLT3 mutations, where we knew they were adverse. Then along came targeted treatments. I was involved in some of those early studies looking at sunitinib, sorafenib, more recently midostaurin, now quizartinib, FDA approved, and gilteritinib in the relapse refractory setting. So we're moving into a state where we're not just refining prognosis, we're identifying targets. You know, it's been slow progress, but definite incremental progress in terms of outcomes by looking for FLT3 mutations, then looking for IDH mutations, and more recently, mutations involving NPM1 or rearrangement of what we used to call the MLL gene, now the lysine methyltransferase 2A or KMT2A rearrangement, where we now have targets. And it's not just for refinement of prognosis, but now we're identifying therapeutic targets for patients and ways to even look for measurable residual disease which is impacting our care. Dr. John Sweetenham: That's great, James. And I'm going to expand on that theme just a little bit and perhaps ask you to elaborate a little bit more on how the introduction of these new therapies have specifically impacted frontline therapy. And a couple of ancillary questions maybe to go along with that: First of all, is ‘7+3' a standard therapy for anybody in 2025? And maybe secondly, you know, could you comment also maybe briefly on older patients with AML and how you think maybe the treatment landscape is changing for them compared with, say, 5 or 10 years ago? Dr. James Foran: I'll start with the therapy and then work my way back. So we've had ‘7+3' cytarabine daunorubicin or cytarabine anthracycline since 1976, and we're still using it as the backbone of our intensive therapy. There is still an important role for it, particularly in younger or fitter patients, and particularly for those with intermediate or favorable risk genetic groups or cytogenetic risk groups just because we achieve high rates of remission. Our 30-day induction mortality rates are lower now than they were 10 and 20 years ago. Our supportive care is better. And we still have a busy inpatient hospital service here at Mayo Florida and my colleagues in Rochester and Arizona as well giving intensive therapy. So that remains the backbone of curative therapy for younger adults. We are trying to be a little more discriminating about who we administer that to. We are trying to add targeted agents. We know from, now, two different randomized trials that the addition of a FLT3 inhibitor, either midostaurin or more recently quizartinib, has a survival advantage in patients with a FLT3 mutation, or for quizartinib, a FLT3/ITD mutation. And so yes, ‘7+3' remains important. Off protocol for somebody who just comes in with acute leukemia in a 40-year-old or 30-year-old or even early 60s and fit, we would still be considering ‘7+3' therapy and then waiting for an expedited gene mutation panel and an expedited cytogenetics panel to come back to help us discriminate is that a patient for whom we should be giving a FLT3 inhibitor? I think there's a little more nuance about when we do a day 14 bone marrow, do they really matter as much anymore? I still do them. Some of my colleagues find them less important. But we're still giving intensive therapy. We're still giving high-dose ARA-C consolidation for younger patients who achieve complete remission. In older adults, it's a different story. You know, it was only in the early part of the 2000s – 2004, 2007 range – where we really got buy-in from randomized studies that low-dose therapy was better than no therapy. There was a lot of nihilism before then about therapy for older adults, especially over age 75. We know that low-dose ARA-C is better than nothing. It looked like azacitidine was better than ARA-C or at least equivalent or slightly better. But with the advent of venetoclax it was a game changer. I ran a national randomized study of intensive therapy in AML. It was the last national randomized study of intensive therapy in older patients right before venetoclax got approved. And we were very excited about our results, and we thought we had some really interesting clinical results. And suddenly that's a little bit obsolete in patients over 70 and particularly over age 75 because of the high remission rates with azacytidine venetoclax or hypomethylating agents, so-called HMAs and venetoclax and the survival advantage. Now, it's not a home run for everybody. We quote 60% to 70% remission rates, but it's a little different based on your cytogenetics and your mutation profile. You have to continue on therapy so it's continuous treatment. It's not with curative intent, although there are some people with long-term remission in it. And the median survival went from 10 months to 15 months. So home run? No, but definitely improved remissions, meaningful for patients off transfusions and better survival. So right now it's hard to find an older adult who you wouldn't give azacitidine and venetoclax or something similar, decitabine, for instance, and venetoclax, unless somebody really was moribund or had very poor performance status or some reason not to. And so ‘7+3' is still relevant in younger adults. We're trying to get better results with ‘7+3' by adding targeted agents and azacitine and venetoclax in older adults. I think the area of controversy, I guess there are two of them, is what to do in that overlap age between 60 and 75. Should people in that age still get intensive therapy, which we've used for years – the VIALE-A trial of aza-venetoclax was age 75 plus – or with cardiac comorbidities? And I think if you're 68 or 72, many of us are starting to bias towards aza-venetoclax as generally being better tolerated, generally being more outpatient, generally being slow and steady way to get a remission. And it doesn't stop you from going to transplant for somebody who might still be a candidate. The other area of controversy is somebody under 60 who has adverse cytogenetics where we don't do very well with ‘7+3,' we still give it and we might do just as well with decitabine venetoclax. A lot of us feel that there's equipoise in the 60 to 75 group where we really can ask a question of a randomized study. Retrospective studies might suggest that intensive therapy is a little better, but there are now a couple of randomized studies happening saying, “Can we replace ‘7+3' in that intermediate age with aza-venetoclax?” And for younger adults similarly, we're looking to see how we apply that technology. Those are the areas where we're really trying to investigate what's optimal for patients and that's going to require randomized trials. Dr. John Sweetenham: Oh, that's great, thank you. And I'll just extend that question a little bit more, particularly with respect to the new targeted therapies. How much are they impacting the treatment of these patients in the relapse and refractory setting now? Dr. James Foran: Oh, they're definitely impacting it. When I trained and probably when you trained, AML was still a medical emergency. But that was the thing that you admitted to the hospital immediately, you started therapy immediately. The rule was always that's the one thing that brings the fellow and the consultant in at night to see that new patient on a Friday or Saturday. Now, we'll still admit a patient for monitoring, but we try not to start therapy for the first three or five or seven days if they're stable, until we get those genetics and those genomics back, because it helps us discriminate what therapy to pursue. And certainly, with FLT3 mutations, especially FLT3/ITD mutations, we're adding FLT3 inhibitors and we're seeing a survival advantage. Now, on the surface, that survival advantage is in the range of 7% or 10%. But if you then pursue an allogeneic transplant in first remission, you're taking disease where we used to see 30%, 40% long-term survival, maybe less, and you're pushing that to 60%, 70% in some studies. And so we're now taking a disease that– I don't want to get off topic and talk about Ph+ ALL. But that's a disease where we're actually a little excited. We have a target now, and it used to be something really adverse and now we can do a lot for it and a lot about it. The other mutations, it's a little more subtle. Now, who knew until 2010 that a mutation in a sugar metabolism gene, in isocitrate dehydrogenase, or IDH was going to be so important, or even that it existed. We know that IDH1 and IDH2 mutations are still a minority of AML, certainly less than 10% to 15%, maybe overall. But we're able to target those with specific IDH1 and IDH2 inhibitors. We get single-agent responses. There are now two approved IDH1 inhibitors on the market. We don't yet have the randomized data that adding those to intensive therapy is better, but we're getting a very strong hint that it might be better in older adults who have an IDH mutation, maybe adding those is helpful and maybe adding those to low-intensity therapy is helpful. Those studies are ongoing, and we're also trying with low-intensity treatments to add these agents and get higher remission rates, deeper remissions, longer remissions. I think a lot of work has to be done to delineate the safety of that and the long-term efficacy. But we're getting hints it's better, so I think it is impacting. The other area it's impacting is when you pick up adverse mutations and those have crept into our classification systems like an ASXL1 mutation or RUNX1 mutation for instance, or some of the secondary AML mutations like BCOR and others, where that's helping us discriminate intermediate-risk patients who we think aren't going to do as well and really helping us select a group who's more likely to get benefit from allogeneic transplant or for whom at least our cure rates without allo transplant are low. And so I think it's impacting a lot. Dr. John Sweetenham: Great. And I'm going to pick up now, if I may, on a couple of things that you've just mentioned and continue the theme of the relapsed and refractory setting. We've started to see some reports which have looked at the role of immune strategies for patients with AML, in particular CAR T or NK cells. Can you comment a little on this and let us know whether you think either these two strategies or other immune strategies are likely to have a significant role in AML in the future? Dr. James Foran: They are, but I think we're still a step behind finding the right target or the right way to do it. If you think of allogeneic transplantation as the definitive immune therapy, and we know for adverse AML we can improve survival rates and cure rates with an allotransplant, then we know inherently that immune therapy matters. And so how do we do what they've done in large cell lymphoma or in CD19 targeting for B cell malignancies? How do we bring that to acute myeloid leukemia? There have been a number of efforts. There have been at least 50 trials looking at different targets. CD33, CD123, CD7, others, CLL-1. So, there have been a number of different trials looking at how to bind a CAR T or a CAR T construct that can be active. And we have hints of efficacy. There was kind of a provocative paper in the New England Journal of Medicine a year ago in April of last year from a Chinese group that looked at a CD7-based CAR T and it was 10 patients, but they used CD7 positive acute leukemia, AML or ALL and had a CD7-targeted CAR T and they actually incorporated that with a haploidentical transplant and they had really high remission rates. People tolerated it quite well. It was provocative. It hasn't yet been reproduced on a larger scale, but the strong hints that the strategy is going to work. Now, CD33 is a little tricky to have a CAR T when CD33 is expressed on normal hematopoietic cells. CD123 likewise. That's been something where there's, I think, still promise, but we've struggled to find the trials that make that work. Right now, there's a lot of interest in leveraging NK cells and looking, for a couple of reasons, but NK cells are attractive and NK cell markers might be attractive targets. NK cells might have similar degrees of immune efficacy. It's speculative, but they are likely to have less cytokine release syndrome and less neurotoxicity than you see with CAR T. And so it's kind of attractive to leverage that. We have had some ongoing trials looking at it with bispecifics and there certainly are trials looking at it with CAR NK-based strategies. One of the antigens that people looked at is the NK group 2D. NK group 2D or NKG2D is overexpressed in AML and its ligands overexpressed. And so that's a particular potential target. So, John, it's happening and we're looking for the hints of efficacy that could then drive a pivotal trial to get something approved. One of the other areas is not restricting yourself just to a single antigen. For instance, there is a compound that's looking at a multi-tumor-associated antigen-specific T-cell therapy, looking at multiple antigens in AML that could be overexpressed. And there were some hints of activity and efficacy and actually a new trial looking at a so-called multi-tumor associated antigen-specific T cell therapy. So without getting into specific conflicts of interest or trials, I do think that's an exciting area and an evolving area, but still an investigational area. I'll stop there and say that we're excited about it. A lot of work's going there, but I'm not quite sure which direction the field's going to pivot to there. I think that's going to take us some time to sort out. Dr. John Sweetenham: Yeah, absolutely. But as you say, exciting area and I guess continue to watch this space for now. So you've mentioned allogeneic stem cell transplants two or three times during this discussion. Recognizing that we don't have an imatinib for AML, which has kind of pushed transplant a long way further back in the treatment algorithm, can you comment a little on, you know, whether you think the role of stem cell transplantation is changing in AML or whether it remains pretty much as it was maybe 10 years ago? Dr. James Foran: By the way, I love that you use imatinib as an introduction because that was 6 TKIs ago, and it tells you the evolution in CML and you know, now we're looking at myristoyl pocket as a target, and so on. That's a great way to sort of show you the evolution of the field. Allogeneic transplant, it remains a core treatment for AML, and I think we're getting much smarter and much better about learning how to use it. And I'm just going to introduce the topic of measurable residual disease to tell you about that. So I am a little bit of a believer. Part of my job is I support our allogeneic transplant program, although my focus is acute myeloid leukemia, and I've trained in transplant and done it for years and did a transplant fellowship and all that. I'm much more interested in finding people who don't need a transplant than people who do. So I'm sort of looking for where can we move away from it. But it still has a core role. I'll sidestep and tell you there was an MDS trial that looked at intermediate or high-risk MDS and the role of allogeneic transplant that shows that you about double your survival. It was a BMT CTN trial published several years ago that showed you about double your three-year survival if you can find a donor within three months and get to a transplant within six months. And so it just tells you the value of allotransplant and myeloid malignancy in general. In AML we continue to use it for adverse risk disease – TP53 is its own category, I can talk about that separately – but adverse risk AML otherwise, or for patients who don't achieve a really good remission. And I still teach our fellows that an allotransplant decreases your risk of relapse by about 50%. That's still true, but you have to have a group of patients who are at high enough risk of relapse to merit the non-relapse mortality and the chronic graft versus host disease that comes with it. Now, our outcomes with transplant are better because we're better at preventing graft versus host disease with the newer strategies such as post-transplant cyclophosphamide. There are now new FDA-approved drugs for acute and chronic graft versus host disease, ruxolitinib, belumosudil, axatilimab now. So we have better ways of treating it, but we still want to be discriminating about who should get it. And it's not just a single-minded one-size-fits-all. We learned from the MORPHO study that was published in the JCO last year that if you have FLIT3-positive AML, FLIT3/IDT-positive AML, where we would have said from retrospective studies that your post-transplant survival is 60% give or take, as opposed to 15% or 20% without it, that we can discriminate who should or shouldn't get a transplant. Now that trial was a little bit nuanced because it did not meet its primary endpoint, but it had an embedded randomization based upon MRD status and they used a very sensitive test of measurable residual disease. They used a commercial assay by Invivoscribe that could look at the presence of a FLT3/ITD in the level of 10 to the minus 5th or 10 to the minus 6th. And if you were MRD-negative and you went through a transplant, you didn't seem to get an advantage versus not. That was of maintenance with gilteritinib, I'll just sort of put that on there. But it's telling us more about who should get a transplant and who shouldn't and who should get maintenance after transplant and who shouldn't. A really compelling study a year ago from I don't know what to call the British group now, we used to call them the MRC and then the NCRI. I'm not quite sure what to call their studies at the moment. But Dr. Jad Othman did a retrospective study a year ago that looked at patients who had NPM1 mutation, the most common mutation AML, and looked to see if you were MRD positive or MRD negative, what the impact of a transplant was. And if you're MRD negative there was not an advantage of a transplant, whereas if you're MRD positive there was. And when they stratified that by having a FLT3 mutation that cracked. If you had a FLT3 mutation at diagnosis but your NPM1 was negative in remission, it was hard to show an advantage of a transplant. So I think we're getting much more discriminating about who should or should not get a transplant by MRD testing for NPM1 and that includes the patients who have a concomitant FLT3 mutation. And we're really trying to learn more and more. Do we really need to be doing transplants in those who are MRD-negative? If you have adverse risk genetics and you're MRD-negative, I'll really need good data to tell me not to do a transplant, but I suspect bit by bit, we'll get that data. And we're looking to see if that's really the case there, too. So measurable residual disease testing is helping us discriminate, but there is still a core role of allogeneic transplant. And to reassure you, compared to, I think your allotransplant days were some time ago if I'm right. Dr. John Sweetenham: Yes. Dr. James Foran: Yeah. Well, compared to when you were doing transplants, they're better now and better for patients now. And we get people through graft versus host disease better, and we prevent it better. Dr. John Sweetenham: That's a great answer, James. Thanks for that. It really does help to put it in context, and I think it also leads us on very nicely into what's going to be my final question for you today and perhaps the trickiest, in a way. I think that everything you've told us today really emphasizes the fact that the complexity of AML treatment has increased, primarily because of an improved understanding of the molecular landscape of the disease. And it's a complicated area now. So do you have any thoughts on what type of clinical environment patients with AML should be evaluated and treated in in 2025? Dr. James Foran: Yeah, I want to give you a kind of a cautious answer to that because, you know, I'm a leukemia doctor. I work at a leukemia center and it's what we focus on. And we really pride ourselves on our outcomes and our diagnostics and our clinical trials and so on. I am very aware that the very best oncologists in America work in private practice and work in community practice or in networks, not necessarily at an academic site. And I also know they have a much harder job than I have. They have to know lung cancer, which is molecularly as complicated now as leukemia, and they have to know about breast cancer and things that I don't even know how to spell anymore. So it's not a question of competence or knowledge. It's a question of infrastructure. I'll also put a little caveat saying that I have been taught by Rich Stone at Dana-Farber, where I did a fellowship a long time ago, and believe Rich is right, that I see different patients than the community oncologists see with AML, they're seeing different people. But with that caveat, I think the first thing is you really want to make sure you've got access to excellence, specialized hematopathology, that you can get expedited cytogenetics and NGS testing results back. There was a new drug, approved just a few months ago, actually, for relapsed AML with a KMT2A rearrangement, revumenib. We didn't talk about the menin inhibitors. I'll mention them in just a second. That's a huge area of expansion and growth for us. But they're not found on NGS platforms. And normal cytogenetics might miss a KMT2A-rearrangement. And we're actually going back to FISH panels, believe it or not, on AML, to try to identify who has a KMT2A-rearrangement. And so you really want to make sure you can access the diagnostic platforms for that. I think the National Referral Labs do an excellent job. Not always a really fast job, but an excellent job. At my institution, I get NGS results back within three days or four days. We just have an expedited platform. Not everybody has that. So that's the key, is you have to be able to make the diagnosis, trust the pathologist, get expedited results. And then it's the question of trying to access the targeted medications because a lot of them are not carried in hospital on formulary or take time to go through an insurance approval process. So that's its own little headache, getting venetoclax, getting gilteritinib, getting an IDH1 inhibitor in first line, if that's what you're going for. And so I think that requires some infrastructure. We have case managers and nurses who really expedite that and help us with it, but that's a lot of work. The other piece of the puzzle is that we're still with AML in the first month and maybe even the second month. We make everybody worse before we make them better. And you have to have really good blood bank support. I can give an outpatient platelet transfusion or red cell transfusion seven days a week. We're just built for that. That's harder to do if you're in a community hospital and you have to be collaborating with a local blood bank. And that's not always dead easy for somebody in practice. So with those caveats, I do find that my colleagues in community practice do a really good job making the diagnosis, starting people on therapy, asking for help. I think the real thing is to be able to have a regional leukemia center that you can collaborate with, connect with, text, call to make sure that you're finding the right patients who need the next level of diagnostics, clinical trial, transplant consults, to really get the best results. There was some data at ASH a couple of years ago that looked at – the American Society of Hematology and ASCOs had similar reports – that looked at how do we do in academic centers versus community practice for keeping people on therapy. And on average, people were more likely to get six cycles of therapy instead of three cycles of therapy with azacitidine venetoclax at an academic center. Now, maybe it's different patients and maybe they had different cytogenetics and so on, but I think you have to be patient, I think you have to collaborate. But you can treat those patients in the community as long as you've got the infrastructure in place. And we've learned with virtual medicine, with Zoom and other platforms that we can deliver virtual care more effectively with the pandemic and beyond. So I think we're trying to offer virtual consults or virtual support for patients so they can stay in their home, stay in their community, stay with their oncologists, but still get access to excellent diagnostics and supportive care and transplant consults, and so on. I hope that's a reasonable answer to that question. It's a bit of a nuanced answer, which is, I think there's an important role of a leukemia center, and I think there's a really fundamental role of keeping somebody in the community they live in, and how we collaborate is the key to that. And we've spent a lot of time and effort working with the oncologists in our community to try to accomplish that. John, I want to say two other things. I didn't mention in the molecular platforms that NPM1 mutations, we can now target those on clinical trials with menin inhibitors. We know that NPM1 signals through the Hoxa9/Meis1 pathway. We know that similar pathways are important in KMT2A rearrangements. We know that there are some other rare leukemias like those with NUP98 rearrangement. We can target those with menin inhibitors. The first menin inhibitor, revuminib, was approved by the FDA for KMT2A. We have others going to the FDA later this year for NPM1. There are now pivotal trials and advanced expanded phase 1/2 studies that are showing 30% response rates. And we're looking to see can we add those into the first-line therapy. So, we're finding more targets. I'll say one last thing about molecular medicine. I know I'm a little off topic here, but I always told patients that getting AML was kind of like being struck by lightning. It's not something you did. Now, obviously, there are risk factors for AML, smoking or obesity or certain farm environments, or radioactive exposures and so on. But bit by bit, we're starting to learn about who's predisposed to AML genetically. We've identified really just in the last five or eight years that DDX41 mutations can be germline half the time. And you always think germline mutations are going to cause AML in a younger patient, but the median age is 60 to 70 just like other AMLs. They actually might do pretty well once they get AML. We've reported that in several papers. And so we're trying to understand who that has a RUNX1 mutation needs germline testing, who with a DDX41 needs germline testing. And we're trying to actually come up with a cleaner pathway for germline testing in patients to really understand predisposition, to help with donor selection, to help with family counseling. So I think those are other areas where a leukemia center can contribute for somebody in who's community practice to understand genomic or genetic complexity in these patients. And we're starting to develop the databases that support that. Dr. John Sweetenham: Yeah, great. Thanks, James. I loved your answer about the clinical environment too. And I know from a patient-centric perspective that I know that patients would certainly appreciate the fact that we're in a situation now where the folks taking care of them will make every effort to keep them close to home if they possibly can. I want to thank you, James, for an incredible review of a very complex subject and I think you did a great job. I think we all will have learned a lot. And thanks again for being willing to share your insights with us today on the ASCO Daily News Podcast. Dr. James Foran: John, it's my pleasure. And as you know, I'll do anything for a latte, so no problem at all. Dr. John Sweetenham: Okay. I owe you one, so thank you for that. And thank you to our listeners for your time today. You'll find links to the studies we've discussed today in the transcript of this episode. And finally, if you value the insights that you hear on the ASCO Daily News Podcast, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Find out more about today's speakers: Dr. John Sweetenham Dr. James Foran Follow ASCO on social media: @ASCO on Twitter ASCO on Bluesky ASCO on Facebook ASCO on LinkedIn Disclosures: Dr. John Sweetenham: No relationships to disclose Dr. James Foran: Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Consulting or Advisory Role: Peerview, CTI BioPharma Corp, Remix Therapeutics, Cardinal Health, Medscape, Syndax, Autolus Therapeutics Research Funding (Inst.): Chordia Therapeutics, Abbvie, Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Kura Oncology, Sellas Life Sciences, Novartis, Roivant, Celgene/Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, SERVIER Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Peerview
Welcome to another episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast! In this episode, Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain are joined by Dr. Toni Choueiri, a leading GU medical oncologist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Together, they dive into the highlights from the GU ASCO 2025 conference, covering key studies and updates in the world of genitourinary oncology. Episode Highlights: • TALAPRO-2: An in-depth discussion on the role of PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer, focusing on the study's design, findings, and the importance of germline and NGS testing. • NIAGARA Update: Insights into the new standard of care for resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer and the promising results from the perioperative approach with Durvalumab. • CheckMate-9ER Update: A look at the combination of Cabozantinib and Nivolumab in first-line metastatic RCC, including the latest findings and implications for treatment beyond the first line. • TiNivo2: Exploring the role of Tivozanib in the treatment landscape of RCC and potential sequencing strategies. Join us for this informative discussion that aims to keep community oncologists up to date with the latest advancements in cancer care. If you find this episode helpful, please share it with your colleagues and leave us a review! YouTube: https://youtu.be/OzeHhyAdF9Q Follow us on social media: • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncbrothers • Website: https://oncbrothers.com/ Don't forget to subscribe for more insights and updates from the Oncology Brothers!
Season 2 of Absolute Gene-ius comes to a close with a look back at the topics and inspiring conversations that have defined the series. From exploring innovative uses of digital PCR to uncovering its synergy with other molecular tools, this season was packed with insights for scientists at all levels.Dive into the details as co-hosts Jordan Ruggieri and Christina Bouwens revisit memorable episodes, including using dPCR as a low-cost precursor to single-cell sequencing and its role in quantifying active mRNA in groundbreaking drug development. Hear from experts like Parker Wilson, Christian Cobaugh, and Raquel Munoz, who share how digital PCR is revolutionizing their workflows and complementing other tools like qPCR and NGS.Of course, it wouldn't be Absolute Gene-ius without a few puns! Stick around for some lighthearted banter as Jordan and Christina celebrate the season's success, share their favorite moments, and hint at what's coming in Season 3. Stay curious, and we'll see you next cycle!Visit the Absolute Gene-ius pageto learn more about the guests, the hosts, and the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System.
BUFFALO, NY — February 24, 2025 — A new #researchpaper was #published in Aging (Aging-US) on January 22, 2025, in Volume 17, Issue 1, titled “EpiAge: a next-generation sequencing-based ELOVL2 epigenetic clock for biological age assessment in saliva and blood across health and disease.” The research team, experts from both industry (EpiMedTech Global, HKG Epitherapeutics Ltd) and academic institutions (McGill University, Oxford University, University of Catania, and the Research Institute-IRCCS), led by first author David Cheishvili and corresponding author Moshe Szyf, have developed EpiAgePublic, a new method to estimate biological age using only three key DNA sites in the ELOVL2 gene, a well-known marker of aging. Unlike traditional methods that require analyzing thousands of DNA regions, this approach simplifies the process while maintaining accuracy. Their findings show that EpiAgePublic performs as well as, or even better than, more complex models in predicting biological age in diverse populations. Biological age measures how fast or slow a person's body is aging. It can be different from chronological age and is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and health conditions. Understanding biological aging can help researchers and clinicians identify age-related diseases like Alzheimer's disease and develop anti-aging treatments. However, many existing biological age tests rely on expensive and complicated processes. The EpiAgePublic model overcomes these challenges with a simple yet powerful approach. The study analyzed data from over 4,600 individuals across different health conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and HIV. It confirmed that EpiAgePublic accurately tracks aging patterns and can identify factors such as chronic illness or stress that accelerate the aging process. Importantly, the researchers demonstrated that the test works well using saliva samples, offering a convenient and non-invasive alternative to blood-based tests. This makes it easier to conduct epigenetic age testing in both clinical and research settings. “The simplicity and precision of epiAgePublic, designed for compatibility with next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, mark a significant step forward in the field of epigenetic research.” The ability to measure epigenetic aging with a quick and cost-effective test has significant implications for healthcare, longevity research, and personalized medicine. This method could be used in hospitals, wellness clinics, and longevity studies to track aging and evaluate the effectiveness of anti-aging interventions. It may also help clinicians detect early signs of aging-related diseases, allowing for better preventive care. Finally, the study's findings highlight the advantages of next-generation sequencing in epigenetic research, leading the way for more precise and accessible aging diagnostics. Future research will explore how this model can be expanded to other health conditions and used in routine medical practice. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206188 Corresponding author - Moshe Szyf - moshe.szyf@epimedtech.com Author interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA8Vctks0gY Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://aging.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Faging.206188 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Aging - https://www.aging-us.com/subscribe-to-toc-alerts Please visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1X4HQQgegjReaf6Mozn6Mc MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
Topics and terms such as biosafety, biosecurity, containment, and contamination are things most of us have heard of and think about at some level, but with the pace of molecular biology moving faster than ever, these are topics with implications that are reaching farther than ever. We're joined by Dr. Ryan Burnette and Dr. Lauren Richardson from Merrick and company for this episode, and they're ace communicators that help walk us through the expanding horizon and implications of these topics.This conversation starts on the basic topics, like what biocontainment is and what's needed for each of the four levels of biosafety labs, but it quickly moves beyond, shining a light on the security and containment needs for more than just the organisms. We hear about how the data and methods used to do modern molecular biology, as well as the data generated in the experiments, are equally precious and in need of protection and containment. With public health and safety on the line, and an acknowledgement that the pace of science moves faster than that of policy, we get into the idea of who really owns responsibility for protecting data. Your role might be more important than you know, so don't miss this conversation that will make you pause and think! Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you're hearing we hope you'll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
On episode #73 of the Infectious Disease Puscast, Daniel and Sara review the infectious disease literature for the weeks of 1/16/25 – 1/29/25. Hosts: Daniel Griffin and Sara Dong Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of Puscast! Links for this episode Viral AGA clinical practice guideline on the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B virus reactivation (Gastroenterology) Host-microbe multiomic profiling identifies distinct COVID-19 immune dysregulation in solid organ transplant recipients (Nature Communications) Insect-specific RNA viruses detection in Field-Caught Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from Argentina using NGS technology (PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases) Bacterial Oral regimens for rifampin-resistant, fluoroquinolone-susceptible tuberculosis (NEJM) Impact of antibiotic treatment and predictors for subsequent infections in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (American Journal of Infection Control) Identification of the skip phenomenon among patients With Staphylococcus lugdunensis infective endocarditis (OFID) Emergence of infective endocarditis due to Serratia spp. (OFID) Reduction of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury with montelukast (JID) Fungal The Last of US Season 2 (YouTube) Pulmonary co-infection of Pneumocystis jirovecii and Aspergillus species (OFID) Impact of fluconazoleon outcomes of patients with primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis (CID) Parasitic Comparative outcomes of Babesiosis in immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised hosts (CID) Miscellaneous Hidradenitis suppurativa (LANCET) A severe case associated with mixed infections of Pasteurella multocida, Bacteroides pyogenes and Fusobacterium necrophorum due to a snow leopard bite (CMI: Clinical Microbiology and Infection) INSIDE-OUT: Introduction of speakers at IDWeek events (OFID) Music is by Ronald Jenkees Information on this podcast should not be considered as medical advice.
Welcome to the Olink® Proteomics in Proximity podcast! Below are some useful resources mentioned in this episode: Olink® Reveal, accessible NGS-based proteomics for every lab: https://olink.com/products/olink-revealOlink tools and software· Olink® Explore 3072, the platform utilized by the UK Biobank to measure ~3000 proteins in plasma: https://olink.com/products-services/explore/· Olink® Explore HT, Olink's most advanced solution for high-throughput biomarker discovery, measuring 5400+ proteins simultaneously with a streamlined workflow and industry-leading specificity: https://olink.com/products-services/exploreht/ UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP), one of the world's largest scientific studies of blood protein biomarkers conducted to date, https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/learn-more-about-uk-biobank/news/uk-biobank-launches-one-of-the-largest-scientific-studies Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite player or app:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3T0YbSm Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/2sZ2wxO... Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d97... Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/409... Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/5178787 Player FM: https://player.fm/series/series-3396598 In case you were wondering, Proteomics in Proximity refers to the principle underlying Olink technology called the Proximity Extension Assay (PEA). More information about the assay and how it works can be found here: https://bit.ly/3Rt7YiY For any questions regarding information Olink Proteomics, please email us ...
Obesity is one of the most pressing health challenges of our time, with genetic and molecular factors playing a crucial role in how our bodies regulate weight. In this season opener, we explore the science behind obesity, focusing on how hormones, genetics, and brain circuits influence feeding behavior and body weight. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the interplay between molecular biology and real-world health outcomes.Our guest, Dr. Giles Yeo, is a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge and an expert in the genetics of obesity. With decades of research experience, Dr. Yeo dives into how hormones like GLP-1 interact with the brain and how genetic mutations can affect eating behaviors. He also explains the innovative molecular biology techniques his lab uses to map brain circuits and decode the genetic influences on body weight.But this episode isn't all about the lab. Dr. Yeo shares his journey from studying the genetics of Japanese pufferfish to becoming a leading voice in obesity research and science communication. Whether he's decoding how Ozempic works or reflecting on the importance of good science communication, Dr. Yeo's passion for the field—and his knack for making complex topics relatable—shines through. Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you're hearing we hope you'll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Welcome back to the Oncology Brothers podcast! In this episode, we dive into the highlights from ASH 2024, focusing on key studies in leukemia. Join hosts Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain as they discuss groundbreaking research with Dr. Uma Borate from The Ohio State University. Episode Highlights: • KOMET 007 Study: An in-depth look at the Phase 1 study on the Menin inhibitor Ziftomenib, exploring its promising results in frontline settings for patients with NPM1 mutations and KMT2A rearrangements. • CPX351 vs. 7+3 Induction: A discussion on the liposomal formulation CPX351 and its effectiveness compared to the traditional 7+3 induction therapy, particularly in patients with myelodysplasia-related AML. • Venetoclax Combinations: Insights into the use of Venetoclax in combination with various therapies, including its role in treating patients without actionable mutations. Key Takeaways: • The importance of NGS testing in identifying targetable mutations in AML. • Promising response rates and manageable toxicities associated with Menin inhibitors. • The ongoing debate regarding the best induction therapy for AML patients. Don't miss this informative discussion that sheds light on the evolving landscape of leukemia treatment! Subscribe for more updates on oncology topics, including lymphoma, CLL, and myeloma discussions from ASH 2024. Thanks for tuning in! We are the Oncology Brothers. Website: http://www.oncbrothers.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers Contact us at info@oncbrothers.com
In a new pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Luca Quagliata, Vice President and Global Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company committed to advancing precision medicine, for a conversation on this space and a new frontier of biomarkers. Quagliata discusses Thermo Fisher's ongoing collaboration with EVERSANA, pharmaphorum's parent company, and that collaboration's investigation of the impact of utilising electronic health record (EHR) data in haematological cancers to support the company's value proposition for ultra-fast next generation sequencing (NGS) with oncomine myeloid solutions. That included a presentation at Frontiers Health 2024, in Berlin, in the deep dive, ‘Overcoming data linkage barriers with tokenization technology: RWE on the use of targeted therapy and its impact on survival in blood malignancies' – presented alongside Dr Pierantonio Russo, Corporate Chief Medical Officer at EVERSANA.
Tuvimos la jornada más loca de la NFL en mucho tiempo. ¿cuáles fueron nuestros momentos favoritos? Los Chiefs vuelven a ganar tambaleándose y dejaron dudas. ¿Será que realmente empezó el declive? Caleb Williams y Bryce Young estuvieron muy bien. CJ Stroud se derrumba y Drake Maye jugó horrible. ¿Cuánto debemos esperar para evaluar a un QB joven? Los Dolphins despertaron, pero parece tarde ¿Pueden conseguir el milagro? ¿Qué probabilidades tiene cada equipo de ir a playoffs por NGS?
The National galleries of Scotland host monthly descriptive tours and workshops for blind and partially sighted art lovers. Their next event 'Dürer to Van Dyck - Drawings from Chatsworth House' explores drawings and watercolours a spectacular group of some 50 Flemish, Dutch, Early Netherlandish, and German drawings and watercolours, spanning from about 1500 to 1700. The session takes place in person at The National Gallery on Wednesday 20 November 2024, 10.15am–3.30pm. Learn more on the NGS website - Visually Impaired Programme Live | Dürer to Van Dyck | National Galleries of Scotland Image shows RNIB Connect Radio logo. RNIB is written in bold black capital letters and underlined with a bold pink line. Underneath, 'Connect Radio' written in smaller black letters.
In this episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast, hosts Drs. Rohit and Rahul Gosain welcome Dr. Pamela Kunz, a world-renowned medical oncologist from the Yale Cancer Center, to discuss the complex landscape of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Join us as we explore: • The classification of neuroendocrine tumors based on grade, histological features, and the significance of KI-67. • The role of imaging modalities, including Gallium PET-CT and its importance in evaluating disease extent. • Treatment strategies for localized versus metastatic NETs, including the use of somatostatin analogs and the nuances of observation versus intervention. • Insights into the latest treatment options, including lutetium dotatate, Capecitabine-Temozolomide, and the anticipated approval of Cabozantinib. • The potential role of NGS testing and the challenges of combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy in high-grade neuroendocrine tumors. Whether you're a healthcare professional or someone interested in the latest advancements in oncology, this episode provides valuable insights into the management of neuroendocrine tumors. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and check out our other episodes for more discussions on current standard of care treatment options, conference highlights, and new drug approvals. We look forward to seeing you at GI ASCO in January 2025! #OncologyBrothers #NeuroendocrineTumors #CancerCare #MedicalOncology #Podcast #NETs Website: http://www.oncbrothers.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers Contact us at info@oncbrothers.com
Jacob and Trent are joined by special guest Antonio Pitts - winner of the Next Generation Storytellers Scholarship - to discuss the impact NGS has made on his life, how a dream of being a spy peaked his interest in acting and the vision he has for himself in the film industry. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jacob-young1/support
In this episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast, hosts Drs. Rahul and Rohit Gosain welcome Dr. Martina Murphy, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education at the University of Florida, to discuss the current landscape of ovarian cancer. Join us as we dive into the critical aspects of diagnosing and managing ovarian cancer, including: • The importance of surgical staging and primary debulking surgery • The role of genetic testing, including BRCA and NGS, in treatment planning • Adjuvant therapy options, focusing on platinum-based chemotherapy and the use of Bevacizumab • Insights into PARP inhibitors and their application in BRCA-positive and wild-type patients • Navigating treatment options for relapsed and refractory ovarian cancer, including the use of antibody-drug conjugates like Mirvetuximab and Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (TDXd). Dr. Murphy shares her expertise on the latest advancements in ovarian cancer treatment, the significance of genetic testing, and the management of side effects associated with various therapies. Tune in for a comprehensive overview of the standard of care for ovarian cancer and the evolving treatment landscape. Don't forget to check out our other episodes for more discussions on practice-changing data and current treatment options in oncology! Subscribe to the Oncology Brothers podcast for more insights and updates in the field of oncology! Website: http://www.oncbrothers.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/oncbrothers Contact us at info@oncbrothers.com
Prof. Alessio Di Fonzo shares the results of his award winning, multi-center work examining genetic data from people with early-onset PD in hopes of highlighting the difficulties in interpreting genetic variants emerging from NGS-multigene panels. Read the article.
Same may think of the pathologist's toolbox as only the microscope and their eyes, but in reality today's pathologists are using more and more molecular methods like NGS and PCR in additional to their traditional tools. Meet Parker Wilson, MD, PhD. Parker is a faculty member Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, focused on using modern molecular tools to investigate chronic kidney disease. He explains his work phenomenally, both from the general aspects, all the way down to the molecular methods, which include digital PCR. We learn about chronic kidney disease and the interesting genetic mutations associated with it, which Parker and his team are finding, include chromosomal loss. For this application, we hear how dPCR is adept at quantifying chromosome ratios within tissues, and is able to help them spot variations of only a single percent or two. Our career corner portion uncovers an academic and career path with uncertainty and challenges one might not expect. Parker helps normalize these challenges and underscores the value of mentors in helping navigate them successfully. In the end, you have a phenomenally intelligent physician scientists sharing his exciting work and his insightful career development advice.Visit the Absolute Gene-ius pageto learn more about the guests, the hosts, and the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System.
Advances in DNA sequencing and the vast amounts of genomic data being produced by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have created a startup opportunity to build software for biologists so they can more easily analyze this big data and take the next leap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dr. Joe Lennerz, Chief Scientific Officer of BostonGene and a pathologist by training, joins Chadi to break down next-generation sequencing (NGS) in simple terms, discussing why some patients undergo NGS while others do not, along with its advantages and limitations. He also explores the impact of NGS on treatment pathways, the practicality of minimal residual disease (MRD) detection, liquid biopsy, and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and whether immediate action should be taken after MRD detection. Additionally, Dr. Lennerz examines multi-cancer early detection technologies, who should be tested, and the future need for regulatory oversight in this rapidly advancing field. Check out Chadi's website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. www.chadinabhan.com/ Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA
Send us a textCurious about how genetic testing can transform your health journey? Join us for a compelling conversation with Dahlia Attia-King, founder and CEO of Panacea, as we uncover the power of predictive genetic testing. Discover how advancements in genetic research, such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, are not only revolutionizing our understanding of risks for diseases like cancer and heart disease but also empowering individuals to make informed health decisions. We promise you'll walk away with a deeper insight into the role genetics plays in healthcare and the actionable steps you can take to harness this knowledge.Dahlia shares her inspiring journey from aspiring medical student to trailblazing healthcare innovator, revealing the personal motivations behind Panacea's mission to make genetic testing accessible and actionable. We'll explore the technical differences between direct-to-consumer and clinical genetic testing, with a spotlight on technologies like microarray and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Learn about the significant barriers to access, such as insurance coverage and physician hesitancy, and how Panacea is breaking down these obstacles to bring advanced genetic testing directly to the public.Our discussion is enriched with insights from expert genetic counselors, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive clinical guidance alongside genetic testing. We'll also delve into the critical aspects of data privacy, certifications like CLIA and CAP, and the importance of understanding genetic test results. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of preventive healthcare, providing a holistic view of how genetic testing can be a powerful tool in managing and mitigating health risks.Panacea's Website: www.seekpanacea.comDiscount Code: DRNOSEWORTHY20You can listen to the Inflammation Nation podcast on Apple Spotify and all other major podcast platform You can also watch on YouTube. Check out my online store for self-learning/DIY programs for thyroid, gut health and detox. You can use this form to reach out and request an Initial ConsultationVisit my LabShop store to self-order the same tests I use with my one-on-one coaching clients. https://labs.rupahealth.com/store/storefront_3GMxe4pSOCIAL LINKSInstagramFacebookTikTok
Dr. Shaalan Beg and Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla discuss the potential of artificial intelligence to assist with patient recruitment and clinical trial matching using real-world data and next-generation sequencing results. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Shaalan Beg: Hello, and welcome to the ASCO Daily News Podcast. I'm Dr. Shaalan Beg, your guest host for the podcast today. I'm an adjunct associate professor at UT Southwestern's Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center in Dallas and senior advisor for clinical research at the National Cancer Institute. On today's episode, we will be discussing the promise of artificial intelligence to improve patient recruitment in clinical trials and advanced clinical research. Joining me for this discussion is Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, the medical director of oncology research at Capital Health in Philadelphia. He's also the co-founder and chief medical officer at Massive Bio, an AI-driven platform that matches patients with clinical trials and novel therapies. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode. Arturo, it's great to have you on the podcast today. Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Thanks so much, Shaalan. It's great to be here and talking to you today. Dr. Shaalan Beg: So we're all familiar with the limitations and inefficiencies in patient recruitment for clinical trials, but there are exciting new technologies that are addressing these challenges. Your group developed a first-in-class, AI-enabled matching system that's designed to automate and expedite processes using real-world data and integrating next-generation sequencing results into the algorithm. You presented work at the ASCO Annual Meeting this year where you showed the benefits of AI and NGS in clinical trial matching and you reported about a twofold increase in potential patient eligibility for trials. Can you tell us more about this study? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Absolutely. And this is just part of the work that we have seen over the last several years, trying to overcome challenges that are coming because of all these, as you mentioned, inefficiencies and limitations, particularly in the manual patient trial matching. This is very time consuming, as all of us know; many of those in the audience as well experience it on a daily basis, and it's resource intensive. It takes specialized folks who are able to understand the nuances in oncology, and it takes, on average, even for the most experienced research coordinator or principal investigator oncologist, 25 minutes per trial. Not only on top of that, but in compound there's a lack of comprehensive genomic testing, NGS, and that complicates the process in terms of inability to know what patients are eligible for, and it can delay also the process even further. So, to address those issues, we at Massive Bio are working with other institutions, and we're part of this … called the Precision Cancer Consortium, which is a combination of 7 of the top 20 top pharma companies in oncology, and we got them together. And let's say, okay, the only way to show something that is going to work at scale is people have to remove their silos and barriers and work as a collaborative approach. If we're going to be able to get folks tested more often and in more patients, assess for clinical trials, at least as an option, we need to understand further the data. And after a bunch of efforts that happened, and you're also seeing those efforts in CancerX and other things that we're working on together, but what we realize here is using an AI-enabled matching system to basically automate and expedite the process using what we call real-world data, which is basically data from patients that are actually currently being treated, and integrating any NGS results and comparing that to what we can potentially do manually. The idea was to do multi-trial matching, because if we do it for one study, yeah, it will be interesting, but it will not show the potential applicability in the real world. So with all that background, the tool itself, just to give you the punchline of it, was proven highly effective in terms of efficiency. We were able to increase the number of potential matches, and not only that, but reducing the time to the matching. So basically, instead of spending 25 minutes, it could be done in a matter of seconds. And when you compound all that across multiple clinical trials, in this case, it was several sponsors coming together, we were able to reduce the manual effort of seeing patients and testing for clinical trials to basically 1 hour when it would have otherwise taken a ridiculous amount of time. And it was quantified as 19,500 hours of manual work, compared to 1 hour done by the system to uniquely match a cohort of about 5,600 patients that came into the platform. And this was across 23 trials. Now imagine if we can do it for the 14,000 clinical trials currently in clinicaltrials.gov. So for us, this kind of was an eye-opening situation that if we can increase not only the efficiency but find even more trials by integrating comprehensive genomic testing, which in this case was a twofold increase in eligibility for clinical trials, that gives us not only the opportunity for optimized processes using AI but also a call to action that there is still a lot of under-genotyping. And I know American Cancer Society and ASCO and many others are working hard on getting that into fruition, but we need to have systems that remind us that certain patients are not tested yet and that can improve not only real patients, but the R&D and the process of innovation in the future. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Yeah, it's always an important reminder that even some of the highest impact IT solutions or AI solutions are most effective if they can be integrated into our normal clinical processes and into the normal workflow that we have in our clinics to help clinicians do their work quickly and more efficiently. Can you talk about how, over the last few years, the availability of NGS data in our electronic medical record (EMR) has evolved and whether that's evolving for the better? And what are some next steps in terms of making that data available at EMR so that such solutions can then pull that data out and do clinical trial matching? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Yes. So one of the things that we have seen over the last couple of years is because of the applicability of the 21st Century Cures Act, there is less “information blocking,” which is patients not being able to access their information in real time. Now, with the appearance of health exchanges, with patient-centric approaches, which is something that many innovators, including ours, are trying to apply, it's really becoming more relevant. So it's not only helping us to find the patients when they really need to get tested, but also is giving us the opportunity to put those patients into the right treatment pathway when found. Something that's still a challenge and I think we can work by being more collaborative once again – is my dream – is having these pre-screening hubs where no matter where you are in your cancer journey, you just go into that funnel and then are able to see, “Okay, you are in the second-line setting for non-small cell lung cancer, EGFR-mutated. Now, do you have a meta amplification, then you go for this study or this trial. Oh, you haven't been tested yet. You should get tested. You're a pancreas cancer patient who is KRAS wild type; well, there is a significant chance that you may have a biomarker because that's where most patients are enriched for.” So having that opportunity to at scale, just for the whole country, to get those patients access to that information, I think is crucial for the future of oncology. And I think you working at the NCI, more than most, know how the impact of that can help for those underrepresented patients to get more access to better treatment options and whatnot. And we can activate clinical trials as well in new models, decentralized models, adjusting time models, all those things can be leveraged by using biomarker testing in real time. Identification when the patient really needs a trial option or a medication option, because the data is telling us when to activate that in real time. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And identifying the patient for a potential clinical trial is one challenge. In oncology, given a lot of our trials, we are looking to enroll people at a specific time in their disease journey. So we call it first-line or second-line or third-line, becomes the next challenge. So just knowing someone has mutation number 1, 2, or 3 isn't enough to say they would be eligible for a second-line BRAF X, Y and Z mutation at a given trial. I've heard you talk a lot about this last-mile navigation for people once you've identified that they may be a soft match for a clinical trial. Can you talk about what you've seen in the ecosystem being developed on how AI is helping both clinics and patients navigate this last mile from the time they're identified for a clinical trial to the time they actually receive cycle 1, day 1? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Yeah, absolutely. And that is such a critical point because, as you know, we have helped tons of patients getting trial options in thousands of cases. But even my own patients, I give them a report for trial options and they're like, “Okay, I still need help.” And we have been talking with ASCO, with the American Cancer Society, and many other very good teams, and what we see as an opportunity in technology here is leveraging those cancer journeys to know when the patient really has the opportunity to enroll in a trial, because this is a very dynamic environment. Not only the patient's condition changes because their cancer progresses, the hemoglobin changes, the cancer moves from one place to the other, and there's nuances in between, but also new medications are coming up, studies open and close, sites open and close. So having this information as a hub, as what we call a command center, is the key to make this happen. And we can use the same tools that we use for Uber or for Instacart or whichever thing you want to do; it's already the same concept. When you need groceries, you don't need groceries every day. But Amazon gives you a ding that's like, “Well, I think you may be running out of milk,” because they already know how often you buy it, or just having the data behind the scenes of how typically these, in this case, patient journeys, may manifest based on the biomarker. So let's say a smoldering multiple myeloma is not the same across. One patient with biomarkers that make them very high risk, the risk of progressing to a multiple myeloma, first-line treatment-eligible patient is going to be much different than someone who has better risk cytogenetics. So using that tool to optimize the cancer journeys of those patients and being able to notify them in real time of new trial options, and also knowing when the patient really has that disease progression so there's a time of activation for trial matching again, the same way you get a credit score for buying a house, then you know exactly what options are in front of you at that very moment. And that is the last-mile component, which is going to be key. What we have seen that we feel is important to invest on, and we have invested heavily on it, is that until the patient doesn't sign the consent form for the clinical trial, that patient is completely unknown to most people. The site doesn't know them because they haven't been there, and they may be there, but they don't know about the options sometimes. But no one's going to invest in getting that patient to the finish line. There's a lot of support for patients on trials, but not before they enroll on trials. And we feel that this is a big opportunity to really exponentially grow the chances of patients enrolling in trials if we support them all the way from the very time they get diagnosed with cancer in any setting. And we can help that patient on a very unique journey to find the trial options using technology. So it's very feasible. We see it once again in many other equally complex tasks, so why not do it in oncology when we have all the bonafides across wanting to do this. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Can you give examples of where you are seeing it done outside of oncology that's a model that one can replicate? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: I mean, oncology is the toughest use case to crack. You have experiences with DCTs in the past and all that. So the big opportunities are for patients, for example, in psychiatry, when they need certain counseling and help. We see that also in medical devices, when people have diabetes and they really need a device specifically for that unique situation, or also for patients with cardiovascular risk that they can in real time get access to novel therapeutics. And that's how they have been able to enroll so quickly. And all these GLP-1 inhibitors, all those models are really almost completely decentralized nowadays in something that we can extrapolate for oncology once we have aligned the ecosystem to make it see them. This is something that we can really revolutionize care while we manage all the complex variables that typically come with oncology uses. Dr. Shaalan Beg: I would imagine while you translate those learnings from outside of oncology into oncology, a lot of those processes will be human and AI combination activities. And as you learn more and more, the human component becomes a smaller fraction, and the technology and the AI becomes more of a component. Are you seeing a similar transition in the clinical trial matching space as well? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Yes. So that's why people say humans are going to be replaced. They're not. Patients still want to see a human face that they recognize, they trust. Even family members of mine want to hear from me, even if they are in the top place in the world. What we can change with technology are those things that are typically just friction points. In this case, information gathering, collecting records, getting the data structured in a way that we can use it for matching effectively, knowing in real time when the patient progresses, so we can really give them the chances of knowing what's available in real time. And collecting the information from all these other stakeholders. Like, is the site open? Is the budget approved for that place? Is the insurance allowing the specific … do they have e-consent? Those things can be fully automated because they're just burdensome. They're not helping anyone. And we can really make it decentralized for e-consent, for just getting a screening. They don't need to be screened at the site for something that they're going to receive standard of care. We can really change that, and that's something that we're seeing in the space that is changing, and hopefully we can translate it fully in oncology once we are getting the word out. And I think this is a good opportunity to do so. Dr. Shaalan Beg: You talked about your dream scenario for clinical trial matching. When you think about your dream scenario as a practicing oncologist, what are the AI tools that you are most excited about making their way into the clinic, either wishful thinking or practically? Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: I typically get feedback from all over the place on doing this, and I also have my own thoughts. But I always come to this for a reason. We all became physicians and oncologists because we like being physicians. We like to talk to patients. We want to spend the time. I tell folks in my clinic, I will see a thousand patients all the time as long as I don't have to do notes, as long as I don't have to place orders. But of course, they will have to hire 1,000 people ancillary to do all the stuff that we do. If we can go back and spend all that time that we use on alert fatigue, on clicking, on gathering things, fighting insurance, and really helping align those incentives with clinical trials and biomarker testing and really making it a mankind or a humankind situation where we're all in this really together to solve the problem, which is cancer, that will be my dream come true. So I don't have to do anything that is clerical, that is not really helping me, but I want to use that AI to liberate me from that and also use the data that is generated for better insights. I think that I know my subject of expertise, but there's so many things happening all the time that it is hard to keep up, no matter how smart you are. If the tool can give me insights that I didn't even know, then leverage that as a CME or a board certification, that would be a dream come true. Of course, I'm just dreaming here, but it's feasible. Many of these ideas, as I mentioned, they're not new. The key thing is getting them done. The innovative part is getting stuff done, because I'm sure there's a gazillion people who have the same ideas as I did, but they just don't know whom to talk to or who is going to make it happen in reality. And that's my call to action to people: Let's work together and make this happen. Dr. Shaalan Beg: Well, Arturo, thanks a lot for sharing your insights with us today on the ASCO Daily News Podcast. Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Well, thank you so much for the time and looking forward to having more exchanges and conversations and seeing everyone in the field. Dr. Shaalan Beg: And thank you to our listeners for your time today. You'll find a link to the studies discussed today in the transcript of this episode. And if you value the insights that you hear on the podcast, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Find out more about today's speakers: Dr. Shaalan Beg @ShaalanBeg Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla @DrBonillaOnc Follow ASCO on social media: @ASCO on Twitter ASCO on Facebook ASCO on LinkedIn Disclosures: Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla: Leadership: Massive Bio Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Massive Bio Consulting or Advisory Role: Massive Bio, Bayer, PSI, BrightInsight, Cardinal Health, Pfizer, Eisai, AstraZeneca, Regeneron, Verily, Medscape Speakers' Bureau: Guardant Health, Bayer, Amgen, Ipsen, AstraZeneca/Daiichi Sankyo, Natera Dr. Shaalan Beg: Consulting or Advisory Role: Ispen, Cancer Commons, Foundation Medicine, Genmab/Seagen Speakers' Bureau: Sirtex Research Funding (An Immediate Family Member): ImmuneSensor Therapeutics Research Funding (Institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb, Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Delfi Diagnostics, Merck, Merck Serono, AstraZeneca/MedImmune
Welcome to the Oncology Brothers Podcast! Join Drs. Rahul & Rohit Gosain in this episode as they welcome Dr. Balazs Halmos, a thoracic medical oncologist from Montefiore-Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, to discuss the current landscape of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with actionable mutations in first-line settings. In this informative episode, they cover a wide range of topics including the importance of NGS testing, treatment options for various actionable mutations such as EGFR, ALK, ROS1, RET rearrangements, and more. Dr. Halmos provides valuable insights into decision-making processes, sequencing treatments, and managing toxicities associated with targeted therapies. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion that sheds light on the rapidly evolving space of precision medicine in lung cancer treatment. Stay informed and learn how identifying and targeting specific mutations can optimize treatment outcomes and improve patient quality of life. Tune in to the Oncology Brothers Podcast for expert insights and discussions on the latest developments in oncology. Subscribe now to stay updated on their informative episodes!