Cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment outcomes, yet many patients still fail to respond. At Maastricht University, Jella van de Laak, working with Professor Ludwig Dubois and Professor Jan Theys, is exploring how tumour-targeting bacteria could improve immune responses and expand treatment success.

New research has identified proteins from gut bacteria, called Sel1-like proteins, that have the potential to help the body get rid of excess oxalate, an organic substance linked to kidney stones, kidney disease, and other health problems. Sel1-like proteins help the cell in assembling large molecular complexes important for cell function. Dr Hatim Hassan from the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States, is part of a team of scientists researching whether these proteins and their derived peptides could reduce blood and urinary oxalate levels to prevent and/ or treat hyperoxalemia (high blood oxalate), hyperoxaluria (high urine oxalate) and related disorders (including kidney stones).

Dr Norio Mitsuhashi, former Professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Tokyo Women’s Medical University, leads revolutionary clinical research into optimising stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung cancer. Dr Mitsuhashi and his colleagues examine whether routinely available patient and tumour characteristics can predict respiratory tumour motion, a critical source of uncertainty in high precision radiotherapy. Their findings suggest that respiratory motion cannot be reliably inferred, and must instead be measured directly in every patient.

Quaternary ammonium compounds are a large class of compounds used as disinfectants in hospitals, restaurants, healthcare and animal care facilities, and are popular as household cleaners. With disease outbreaks increasing our fears about infections, the use of disinfectants has skyrocketed in recent years. Understandably, we all want to feel safe. However, as Professor Terry Hrubec from the Department of Biomedical Sciences of E. Via College of Osteopathic Medicine discovered, such products may be causing more harm than good.