Posts by: Ines Martins, PhD

Ines Martins, PhD

Inês Martins holds a BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and is currently finishing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Universidade de Lisboa. Her work has been focused on blood vessels and their role in both hematopoiesis and cancer development.

June 1, 2017June 1, 2017

Binimetinib Triple Combo to Be Tested in Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer Patients

The MEK inhibitor binimetinib will soon be tested in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in colorectal cancer patients with microsatellite stable tumors, under a clinical collaboration between Array ... Read more

May 25, 2017May 25, 2017

FDA Approves Merck’s Keytruda for Colorectal, Other Solid Cancers with Specific Genetic Feature

Colorectal cancer patients with unresectable or metastatic tumors bearing a genetic feature — microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) — will now have access to Merck‘s immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab). ... Read more

May 23, 2017

Increased Colon Cancer Risk in Overweight Boys Reversed by Slimming Down, Danish Study Finds

Overweight boys have a higher risk of developing colon cancer in adulthood, but if they lose the extra pounds by young adulthood, that higher risk goes away, a Danish study ... Read more

May 9, 2017

Online Survey Shows What Lifestyle Changes People Can Make to Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer

People who eat healthy, exercise, and do not smoke are less likely to report a personal history of colorectal cancer or colon polyps, according to a Cleveland Clinic online survey. Another key ... Read more

April 13, 2017

FDA Grants Priority Review to Application Seeking Opdivo’s Approval for Certain Colorectal Cancer Patients

The supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) requesting the extension of Opdivo’s indications to include metastatic colorectal cancer patients who have mismatch repair deficiencies (dMMR) or high microsatellite instability (MSI-H), has ... Read more

March 30, 2017March 30, 2017

Disabled Adults Less Likely to Receive Routine Colorectal Cancer Screening, Study Finds

Americans with impaired vision, intellectual disabilities or spinal cord injuries are less likely to receive recommended colon cancer screenings than the general population, a new study found. The study, “Colorectal Cancer ... Read more

February 28, 2017

Mologen’s DNA-based Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Preclinical Colon Cancer Models

Combining Mologen’s TLR9 agonists EnanDIM with an anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor may be a promising approach to treat colon cancer patients. The preclinical data was presented at the 2017 Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium ... Read more

February 9, 2017February 9, 2017

Eating Nuts Regularly May Lower Risk of Colon Cancer, Study Suggests

People who consume nuts every day may be less likely to develop colon cancer, findings from a recent German study suggest. The team has found that nuts — including almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia ... Read more

February 7, 2017

Low-fat, High-fiber Diet Cuts Risk of Bacteria-linked Colon Cancer, Study Says

A diet rich in whole grains and fiber may protect against colon cancer by reducing the amount of a bacteria in the intestine that is thought to contribute to the onset ... Read more

January 31, 2017

New Biomarker Could Improve Treatments for Colorectal Cancer with Liver Metastasis

The protein VEGF-A, which is involved in the formation of new blood vessels, often predicts poor prognosis when found in primary tumors. But researchers have now revealed that that may ... Read more

January 26, 2017

CaroGen and University of Connecticut Collaborate to Develop Colon Cancer Vaccine

The University of Connecticut and the immunotherapy company CaroGen are collaborating to develop a new vaccine to treat colon cancer patients. The vaccine will use CaroGen’s proprietary technology platform, which relies ... Read more

January 17, 2017

Colorectal Cancer Cells Able to Use Glutamine to Survive, Study Finds

Tumor cells usually rely on glucose to grow, but some are known to change their metabolism to survive in stressful environmental conditions. Researchers have discovered that is true in colorectal cancer, ... Read more

January 12, 2017

Asana Initiates Phase 1 Trial of New Therapy for Colorectal, Other Solid Tumors

Asana BioSciences is enrolling participants for a Phase 1 clinical trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of AS003 in patients with advanced solid tumors with the BRAF V600 mutation or with ... Read more

December 20, 2016

Aspirin Slows Colon, Pancreatic Cancer Growth by Inhibiting Platelets, Study Shows

Aspirin may help slow the growth of localized colon and pancreatic cancers by inhibiting the cross-talk between cancer cells and platelets, according to research published in the American Journal of Physiology – ... Read more

December 15, 2016December 15, 2016

Notch Signaling Inhibitor Shows Promise as Treatment for Colon, Other Cancers, Study Shows

A new treatment for colon and other cancers that addresses mutations of the Notch signaling pathway is showing promise, researchers say. “Notch signalling is an important contributor to the development of ... Read more

December 1, 2016December 1, 2016

Synthetic Protein May Work as RAS Inhibitor to Treat Colon and Other Cancers

Nearly 30 percent of all cancers have activating mutations in the RAS family of proteins, but researchers have struggled to safely block these tumor-promoting proteins. But an approach taken by a team at University ... Read more

November 22, 2016

European Clinicians Question Latest US Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines

Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated the recommendations for colorectal cancer screening. But European clinicians claim that USPSTF recommendations lack strength and quality of evidence. ... Read more

November 17, 2016

Left-sided Colon Cancer Associated with Better Prognosis than Right-sided, Study Finds

The side of origin of colon cancer has been associated with distinct genetic profiles and clinical presentations. Researchers have now shown that this impacts patients’ prognosis, with left-sided colon cancer associated ... Read more

November 15, 2016

Weight Loss After Obesity Fails to Protect Mice from Colon, and Possibly Liver, Cancer in Study

Significant weight loss may not protect an obese person from cancers of the colon or liver, according to a recent study in obese mice. The study, “Weight loss following diet-induced obesity ... Read more

November 1, 2016November 2, 2016

Selenium Does Not Prevent Colon Cancer, But Does Increase Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Selenium, used as a nutritional supplement for decades with the belief it significantly lowered the risk of colorectal cancer, does not. Worse, in people with an adequate selenium intake, it ... Read more

October 25, 2016

Colon Cancer Metastasis Co-opts Existing Blood Vessels to Grow, Resists Specific Therapies

Researchers may have unraveled the mechanism by which tumors resist anti-angiogenic agents (drugs that prevent tumor growth by impairing the formation of new blood vessels). According to the study “Vessel co-option mediates ... Read more

October 20, 2016

Camptosar, FOLFOX Chemo Combo Improves Advanced Colon Cancer Outcomes

First-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with FOLFOXIRI chemotherapy plus Avastin (bevacizumab) in a Phase 2 clinical trial showed improvements in patient response rate and progression-free survival, according to recently ... Read more

October 18, 2016October 18, 2016

Cancer Cell ‘Ferment’ Sugar to Speed Their Metabolism and Spread, Study Reports

Cancer cells are known to be able to speed up their metabolism, reprogramming it so they can proliferate more quickly. Now, researchers have identified one way that tumors alter their metabolism — fermenting rather than burning ... Read more

October 13, 2016

Researchers Find Key Protein that May Halt Colon Cancer Progression

Researchers have identified a protein that can inactivate one of the main pathways involved in the development and progression of colorectal cancer, a finding that may lead to the development ... Read more

October 11, 2016

Nintedanib Fails to Improve Overall Survival of Colon Cancer Patients, Trial Finds

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who no longer respond or tolerate other available treatments do not benefit more from nintedanib plus best supportive care (BSC) than from BSC alone, according to recent results ... Read more

October 4, 2016October 4, 2016

Combo Therapy Using Nanoparticles Shows Potential to Treat Advanced Colon Cancers

Though immune checkpoint inhibitors are deemed as especially promising in a number of cancers, the therapy often fails to exert an effect in more lethal cancers. Recently, researchers found that ... Read more

September 29, 2016September 29, 2016

Nanoparticles Derived from Ginger Safely Help Chemo Kill Colon Cancer Cells in Early Study

Nanoparticles derived from edible ginger effectively delivered the chemotherapy agent Adriamycin (doxorubicin) into tumor cells in a mouse model of colon cancer, inducing tumor cell death while largely sparring healthy cells, a new ... Read more

September 20, 2016

Study Looks Beyond Aspirin’s Ability to Fight Colon Cancer

Aspirin’s ability to prevent cardiovascular disease and colon cancer is a known attribute of the pain reliever, but researchers do not fully understand how it exerts such diverse benefits. Now, a study ... Read more

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016

Researchers Learn How Colorectal Cancer Cells Resist Chemotherapy

Researchers have uncovered an additional way through which colorectal cancer cells may acquire resistance to treatment. According to a recent study, published in Oncotarget, the cells that compose the tumor ... Read more

September 13, 2016September 13, 2016

Mutations Unique to African-Americans with Colon Cancer Can Also Make It Aggressive

Last year, researchers at University Hospital Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western University identified gene mutations that are unique to colon cancers in African-American patients, making it almost a different ... Read more

May 4, 2016May 4, 2016

Colon Cancer Linked in Study to Mutations Caused by Imbalance in DNA Building Blocks

Proper balance among the four DNA building blocks, known as dNTPs, needs to be maintained during cell replication to avoid potential mutations. Now, researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have found that a disruption ... Read more