Biomedicine Daily · Sunday, 25 October 2026
CBA FRONTIER INSIGHTS
Liu Jianmin Team Publishes MILD-MT and LATE-MT Thrombectomy Trials in New England Journal of Medicine
Liu Jianmin's team simultaneously published the MILD-MT and LATE-MT results in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that imaging-selected patients with mild stroke and those presenting 24 to 72 hours after onset can benefit from thrombectomy. MILD-MT screened 638 patients and enrolled 300; the thrombectomy group had better 90-day neurological recovery than best medical therapy, with lower risk of early neurological deterioration within 7 days and no increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage.
Clinical readouts and safety
BeiGene HERIZON-GEA-01: Zanidatamab Plus Tislelizumab and Chemo Extends OS in HER2-Positive Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma, Difference Versus Zanidatamab Plus Chemo Not Significant
In the Phase 3 HERIZON-GEA-01 trial from BeiGene, zanidatamab combined with tislelizumab and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma achieved a median overall survival of 27.0 months. The difference versus the zanidatamab plus chemotherapy group did not reach statistical significance.
Baili-Ballentine's Izalontamab Brengitecan Phase 3 PANKU-Breast01 Results Published in The Lancet, cORR 40.5%, mPFS 8.2 Months
Baili-Ballentine's bispecific ADC izalontamab brengitecan showed a cORR of 40.5% and mPFS of 8.2 months in the phase 3 PANKU-Breast01 study in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. The comparator cORR was 20.2%, mPFS was extended by 4.2 months, and the risk of progression or death was reduced by 59% (HR=0.41); ILD occurred in 1.1% of patients, all grade 1-2. The marketing application for this new indication has been accepted, and the results were published in The Lancet and presented at the ESMO congress.
CTTQ Reports Phase II First-Line Data for TQB2102 Plus Benmelstobart and Capecitabine in HER2-Positive Advanced Gastric Cancer at ESMO, Triplet ORR 84.2%
Chia Tai Tianqing (CTTQ) presented Phase II results at ESMO 2026 for TQB2102 combined with benmelstobart and capecitabine as first-line therapy for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, with the triplet regimen achieving an ORR of 84.2%. As of September 3, 2026, the TQB2102-II-04 study (NCT06767800) had enrolled 86 patients; the 6 mg/kg triplet arm showed an ORR of 95.8% (23/24), a cORR of 91.7% and a DCR of 100%, and this dose was selected as the recommended dose for the subsequent Phase III study.
STAT+: The ESMO presentation everyone’s been waiting for
At ESMO 2026, the intismeran INTerpath-001 results showed a 42% reduction in melanoma recurrence risk and a 38% reduction in distant metastasis-free survival risk. In DeLLphi-305, 563 patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer receiving Imdelltra plus Imfinzi had a 58% reduction in death risk; median OS was slightly above 21 months versus under 13 months with Imfinzi alone, and nearly half developed cytokine release syndrome, mostly mild to moderate.
NATALEE Six-Year Follow-up Shows Kisqali Plus Endocrine Therapy Cuts Death Risk 19% in High-Risk HR+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer
Novartis announced six-year follow-up results from the phase 3 NATALEE trial. In patients with high recurrence risk HR+/HER2- early breast cancer, Kisqali (ribociclib) plus endocrine therapy reduced the risk of death by 19% compared with endocrine therapy alone (HR=0.809, 95% CI 0.661-0.989).
Interim Analysis of a Phase 3 Trial of Povetacicept in IgA Nephropathy.
In an interim analysis of the phase 3 RAINIER AIS-D08 trial, povetacicept reduced the 24-hour urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio at week 36 by 49.8 percentage points more than placebo in patients with IgA nephropathy (95% CI -58.6 to -39.2, P<0.001).
Sibeprenlimab in IgA Nephropathy - Final Phase 3 Trial Analysis.
In the final Phase 3 analysis, sibeprenlimab stabilized the 24-month eGFR slope in IgA nephropathy and significantly reduced composite kidney end-point events.
Ravulizumab in IgA Nephropathy - Interim Analysis of a Phase 3 Trial.
In an interim analysis of a phase 3 trial in IgA nephropathy, ravulizumab produced a 24-hour urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio at week 34 that was 43.4% lower than placebo. Of 485 randomized patients, 352 were included in the interim analysis; the geometric mean ratio fell 46.6% from 1.56 at baseline to 0.83 with ravulizumab, versus a 5.6% decline from 1.60 to 1.48 with placebo.
Atacicept in IgA Nephropathy - Phase 3 Trial Final Efficacy Analysis.
The final efficacy analysis of the phase 3 ORIGIN 3 trial showed that atacicept slowed the decline in eGFR compared with placebo in patients with IgA nephropathy and reduced composite kidney-disease progression events.
medicalxpress.comOnce-daily oral icotrokinra outperforms placebo in ulcerative colitis
A Cedars-Sinai-led phase 2 double-blind trial found that oral IL-23 receptor blocker icotrokinra achieved 12-week clinical response rates of 63%, 58%, and 55% at doses of 400, 200, and 100 mg in ulcerative colitis patients, versus 27% with placebo. The 400 mg group showed clinical remission of 30% versus 11% and endoscopic improvement of 37% versus 14%.
Regulatory and policy
gov.ukMHRA approves new oral treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis
On 23 October 2026, the UK's MHRA approved icotrokinra hydrochloride (Icotyde) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kg.
medicalxpress.comFDA approves hepatitis B shot that may let some patients stop all treatment
The FDA has approved GSK's Hibsago (bepirovirsen) for adults with chronic hepatitis B who have no cirrhosis, have received antiviral treatment for at least 6 months, have suppressed virus, and have low HBsAg levels. In two clinical trials, 24% of patients given Hibsago met the criteria for stopping treatment (0% on placebo), and 6 months after stopping, 19% still maintained virologic control with undetectable HBsAg, which GSK calls a functional cure. The drug carries a boxed warning for severe liver reactions and thrombocytopenia that can cause life-threatening bleeding, requiring frequent blood monitoring.
gov.ukMHRA approves deuruxolitinib (Leqselvi) to treat severe alopecia areata in adults
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved deuruxolitinib (brand name Leqselvi) for treating severe alopecia areata in adults, and says it will keep the drug's safety and effectiveness under close review.
Research papers
Programmable design of functional proteins from natural language.
A Nature paper introduces Pinal, a 16-billion-parameter foundation model that generates candidate protein sequences from natural-language descriptions of desired function. Trained on 1.7 billion synthetically annotated protein-text pairs, the model produced candidates that, in computational evaluations, combined high predicted foldability, functional-description alignment and sequence diversity.
PARP1 directly disassembles nucleosomes to regulate DNA repair.
A research team found that PARP1 directly and asymmetrically evicts histone dimers near DNA strand breaks, disassembling nucleosomes into oriented hexasomes. In the presence of HPF1, PARP1 forms stable PARylated hexasomes that promote recruitment of DNA- and PAR-dependent factors. In human cells, PARP activity directly increases chromatin accessibility and generates subnucleosomal species.
medicalxpress.comOverlooked 'off switch' in lung tumors may explain why immunotherapy doesn't work for everyone
A Jackson Laboratory team publishing in Science used long-read RNA sequencing to identify thousands of previously unknown STAT2 splicing variants in lung cancer. An intron-retaining STAT2 variant was associated with longer survival on the anti-PD-L1 drug atezolizumab, validated against data from two large clinical trials. The splicing signature could potentially identify patients likely to benefit from immunotherapy, and the team has filed a provisional patent for correcting splicing errors and predicting response (DOI: 10.1126/science.aea7156).
doi.orgIntratumoral Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes ferroptosis resistance and a disulfide-stress-associated vulnerability under glucose restriction
Intratumoral Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) infection raises SLC7A11 expression and weakens Era- and RSL3-induced ferroptosis, leaving cells relatively resistant to ferroptosis when glucose is ample. H2S produced during Fn infection helps drive SLC7A11 upregulation and the downstream GSH/GPX4 axis response, while lipid-peroxide and Fe2+ accumulation fall, ACSL4 is downregulated, and FTH1 is upregulated.
medicalxpress.comHow psilocybin reshapes brain circuits
A University of California, Santa Cruz team reports in Nature Neuroscience (DOI: 10.1038/s41593-026-02490-y) that two-photon microscopy in mouse brains shows psilocybin rapidly promotes dendritic spine formation and maturation within 24 hours, and in chronically stressed mice it also suppresses excessive loss of preexisting connections.
medicalxpress.comStandard kidney function tests underestimate chronic kidney disease in people with cancer
Researchers at the University of São Paulo Medical School in Brazil, presenting at ASN Kidney Week 2026, compared measured GFR (mGFR) with creatinine- and cystatin C-based estimated GFR in 1,200 patients with solid tumors. CKD prevalence was 18.9% by mGFR versus 10.2% by creatinine-based estimation and 15.7% by combined estimation; among patients with mGFR 45–59, 72.1% were classified as normal by creatinine-based estimation, and adding cystatin C improved but still showed poor agreement. Using cisplatin as an example, the authors note that GFR estimation errors may lead to inadequate anticancer drug dose adjustment and increased toxicity risk.
Regulation by partition predicts enhancer target selection in mammalian genomes
A research team proposed the RbP model, which allocates an enhancer's regulatory output among target promoters according to genomic distance, contact level, and intrinsic promoter features to predict enhancer target gene selection in mammalian genomes. Using piggyBac-mediated SPIE-seq, the team analyzed 29,954 mapped insertions across 724 clonal lines and detected enhancer-dependent expression changes at 18,440 enhancer-gene pairs.
Single-nucleotide polymorphism-directed design of allele-specific antisense oligonucleotides for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.
Researchers used SNP genotyping from 79 SCA3 patients to design 17 candidate ASOs, of which 7 reduced mutant ATXN3 expression by more than 65% and preferentially targeted the mutant allele. Nearly 200 polymorphisms were grouped into three haplotype blocks, and modeling suggested that targeting two SNPs from different blocks could cover most European SCA3 patients; a single ASO reduced mutant ATXN3 by up to 90% in AX1 and AX2 iPSC-derived cortical neurons.
medicalxpress.comHow cancers evade chemotherapy by entering a 'zombie-like state'
A Trinity College Dublin team reports in Science Advances that inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) neutralize death receptors activated by chemotherapy, driving cancer cells into a premature-senescence 'zombie state' and recruiting immune cells that aid tumor recovery; IAP antagonists can selectively clear these senescent cells (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aed4541).
Nonsense-mediated decay constrains transposable element-driven evolutionary innovation
Plowman et al. used long-read RNA sequencing to build an NMD-extended transcriptome after NMD inhibition (~217,000 transcripts, 80% unannotated), revealing that NMD buffers transposable element-driven transcriptomic innovation by degrading TE-exonized transcripts containing premature termination codons.
A polysynaptic hypothalamuspelvic-ganglion circuit regulates prostate tumor growth via WNT3A
A mouse study found that a polysynaptic PVN-DMV-MPG circuit regulates prostate tumor growth: PVN activity suppresses tumors while DMV activity promotes them. MPG ablation abolished the DMV-mediated pro-tumor effect. LMD combined with Smart-seq2 showed increased Wnt3a expression in tumor-innervating, activated MPG neurons under upstream neural control; neutralizing WNT3A released by MPG explants suppressed explant-induced cancer cell proliferation.
medicalxpress.comCancer cells' own carbon monoxide fuels anticancer drug production in lab tests
RIKEN researchers published a proof-of-concept study in Nature Communications describing an albumin-palladocycle complex that, once inside cancer cells, uses their excess carbon monoxide to catalyze production of cytotoxic phenanthridinone. Drug products were detected in liver, cervical, breast and lung cancer cell lines but not in normal cell lines; carbon monoxide in blood, bound to hemoglobin, did not trigger the reaction. Next step is validation in animal models. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-77616-8
Maternal E-cigarette Exposure Augments Murine Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Maternal e-cigarette nicotine exposure increased offspring AAA growth in two mouse models and raised AAA incidence in ApoE-/- males. Pregnant ApoE-/- and C57BL/6J females were exposed to e-cigarette vapor during gestation; AAAs were induced in adult offspring with elastase or angiotensin II and tracked by ultrasound for 4 weeks. Effects were overall stronger in males.
Dissecting cellular and molecular networks of aging and senescence in the human hippocampus
A study finds that cell type, anatomical layer, and sex jointly shape aging and cellular senescence signatures in post-mortem adult human hippocampi. Using spatial transcriptomics, single-nucleus transcriptomics, and multiplex immunofluorescence imaging (DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.23.761418), the authors show that inhibitory neuron synaptic genes in the CA4 layer decline with age. A microglial and neurovascular program highly expressed in females contains senescence-associated genes including CDKN1A/p21, and candidate senescence phenotypes defined by p16 and p21 also differ.
Methods and resources
A stratified human colon model reveals SCFA cross-feeding-driven host-microbe dynamics associated with epithelial and immune responses
Researchers developed the Mm 3D-HaeMan oxygen-stratified colon co-culture platform, which reproduces the human colonic oxygen gradient and supports co-culture of epithelial cells, hPBMCs, and obligate anaerobes, enabling analysis of SCFA cross-feeding. Co-culture with the AcBb consortium was associated with enhanced epithelial mitochondrial respiration, maintained transepithelial electrical resistance, tight junction protein expression, and rebalanced cytokine profiles, with no barrier disruption.
ONT-LibQC: rapid quality control of chromatin assay libraries using shallow nanopore sequencing
ONT-LibQC uses about 3,000 shallow ONT sequencing reads to reconstruct finished CUT&RUN or Micro-C library molecules before deep Illumina sequencing, identifying adapters and indexes and assessing fragment sizes and enrichment of biological signal.
Robust Chromosome Segmentation in Sparse Single-Cell Whole-Genome Sequencing Using a k-Segment Constrained Hidden Markov Model
Ridgley et al. propose a k-segment constrained hidden Markov model that limits the maximum number of state transitions, enabling robust LOH (loss of heterozygosity) chromosome segmentation in sparse single-cell whole-genome sequencing. Benchmarked against sci-L3-Strand-seq segmentation, which resolves all seven mitotic crossover outcomes, the method achieved 86% LOH recall and 88% precision.
Opinion and commentary
Ebola: Nigeria announces first Bundibugyo case, as numbers continue to rise in Kenya and DRC.
Nigeria has announced its first Bundibugyo ebolavirus case, as case numbers continue to rise in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. BMJ reported the outbreak developments, DOI 10.1136/bmj-2026-101225.