Medical Bulletin 28/June/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

A novel generic treatment for various forms of cancer

Researchers led by Katsunori Tanaka at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) in Japan and Hiromitsu Haba at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC) have developed a new technique that has the potential to generically treat several kinds of cancer, with fewer negative side effects than currently available methods.

The new technique relies on basic chemistry and the fact that a compound called acrolein accumulates in cancer cells. In the new study, rather than simply detecting cancer cells, the team targeted those cells for destruction. The logic was fairly simple. Instead of attaching the azide to a fluorescent compound, they attached it to something that can kill a cell without harming surrounding cells. They chose to work with astatine-211, a radionuclide that emits a small amount of radiation in the form of an alpha particle as it decays. Compared to other forms of radiation therapy, alpha particles are a little more deadly, but they can only travel about one-twentieth of a millimeter and can be stopped by a piece of paper. In theory, when astatine-211 is anchored to the inside of a cancer cell, the emitted alpha particles should damage the cancer cell, but not much beyond.

Reference: Ode et al. (2023) Therapeutic efficacy of 211At-radiolabeled 2,6-diisopropyl phenyl azide in mouse models of human lung cancer. Chem Sci. doi: 10.1039/d3sc02513f

Bariatric surgery reduces cardiac risks and mortality in obese patients with sleep apnea

Bariatric surgery reduces cardiac risks and mortality in obese patients with sleep apnea,heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study from Cleveland Clinic and presented here today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting. Researchers also report metabolic surgery patients cut their risk of death by nearly 40%.

OSA is a dangerous sleep disorder that affects nearly 1 billion adults worldwide -- about 70% also have obesity. Obesity can cause excess fat to deposit around the upper airway, which can compress the upper airways and interfere with breathing during sleep. Standard treatment is with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), but the therapy only addresses symptoms, is not curative and does not reduce the risk of MACE or death, which has a high incidence among patients with OSA.

Reference: Ali Aminian et al, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METABOLIC AND BARIATRIC SURGERY

High doses of oral semaglutide improve blood sugar control and promote weight loss  

Diabetes is a progressive disease that affects one’s ability to control blood sugar levels. For many patients, the condition becomes more severe over time and blood sugar levels grow more difficult to manage. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, have granted patients more control in lowering blood sugar.

The study found that once-daily oral semaglutide taken at 25 milligrams (mg) and 50 mg did a better job in lowering blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss than the lowest dose of 14 mg. The new study is in line with other studies, which are pushing for the use of oral GLP-1 receptor agonists as a treatment for obesity.

Reference: Efficacy and safety of once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg and 50 mg compared with 14 mg in adults with type 2 diabetes (PIONEER PLUS): a multicentre, randomized, phase 3b trial, The Lancet, DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01127-3