Biomedicine Daily · Monday, 26 October 2026
CBA FRONTIER INSIGHTS
Moderna/Merck’s melanoma vaccine shows 42% reduction in mortality or recurrence
The Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial showed that Moderna's personalized neoantigen vaccine intismeran autogene, combined with Merck's Keytruda, reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42% (HR 0.58), and reduced the risk of metastasis by 38%.
Clinical readouts and safety
14-day versus 28-day trifluridine-tipiracil plus bevacizumab for refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (PRABITAS): a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3, non-inferiority trial in Japan.
The phase 3 non-inferiority PRABITAS trial, conducted at 178 hospitals in Japan, randomly assigned 972 patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. It showed that a simplified 14-day schedule of trifluridine-tipiracil (FTD-TPI) plus bevacizumab was non-inferior to the conventional 28-day schedule for overall survival (median 11.3 months vs 10.3 months).
Relatlimab plus nivolumab versus nivolumab for advanced melanoma: 5-year survival and biomarker analyses of the phase 3 RELATIVITY-047 trial.
The 5-year analysis of the phase 3 RELATIVITY-047 trial (NCT03470922) shows that relatlimab combined with nivolumab improved PFS, OS, and melanoma-specific survival compared with nivolumab monotherapy in advanced melanoma.
STAT+: After a cancer vaccine’s first success, the race is on to expand the impact
A late-stage trial presented by Merck and Moderna at the ESMO meeting showed that the personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran combined with Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% in melanoma compared with Keytruda alone. Experts say the approach could in principle extend to other tumor types, marking a breakthrough for the cancer vaccine field.
news.google.comESMO: Amgen’s Imdelltra drives massive survival benefit in ‘watershed moment’ for small cell lung cancer - Fierce Pharma
FiercePharma reports that at the ESMO congress Amgen presented data on Imdelltra in small cell lung cancer, showing a large survival benefit and being called a watershed moment for the field.
Retatrutide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: retatrutide resulted in significantly greater decreases in OSA than placebo.
Eli Lilly's unapproved triple-target agonist retatrutide, in two phase 3 studies published in NEJM (dated 2026-10-22, DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2611477), reduced the AHI in OSA significantly more than placebo. Commenters note that only Zepbound currently carries an OSA indication, and debate whether weight loss fully explains the AHI reduction, along with long-term efficacy and safety.
Tarlatamab–Durvalumab Maintenance for Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer
NEJM published the DeLLphi-305 study online, evaluating the efficacy and safety of tarlatamab plus durvalumab as maintenance therapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer.
GPRC5D TCE Competition Reaches a Generational Turning Point as Focus Shifts to Durable Tumor Control
The GPRC5D/CD3 bispecific antibody LBL-034 showed a median PFS of 21.8 months in a Phase I RRMM trial presented at ESMO, roughly double the figures for talquetamab in a comparable population. In 56 heavily pretreated patients with a median of 4.5 prior lines, ORR was 80.5% and the ≥CR rate 56.1%, with a 15-month PFS rate of 62.0%; the median PFS data are not yet mature. Grade ≥3 CRS occurred in 1.8%, and 2 ICANS cases both fully resolved.
Neoadjuvant nivolumab with or without visugromab in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: the phase 2a GDFATHER-NEO trial.
In the phase 2a GDFATHER-NEO trial, visugromab plus nivolumab as neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer achieved a pCR of 33% versus 8% with nivolumab plus placebo. The study enrolled N=31 newly diagnosed MIBC patients ineligible for or refusing cisplatin; 95% CIs for pCR were 12-62% and 0-36%. After three cycles, major pathologic response was 60% versus 23%, and RECIST v1.1 radiographic overall response was 60% versus 15%.
[Articles] Neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy followed by camrelizumab and chemotherapy versus standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (UNION): a prespecified interim analysis of a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial
A prespecified interim analysis of the multicentre, open-label, phase 3 UNION trial showed that neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy plus camrelizumab and CAPOX significantly improved 3-year event-free survival in locally advanced rectal cancer compared with standard long-course chemoradiotherapy plus CAPOX, with a similar safety profile. The investigators consider this new approach promising and worth comparing with contemporary total neoadjuvant therapy strategies.
medicalxpress.comInvestigational vaccine generates immune response to KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer study
The Mayo Clinic-led randomized phase 2 AMPLIFY-7P trial showed that an off-the-shelf, lymph node-targeting amphiphile vaccine against seven common KRAS mutations induced KRAS-specific T-cell responses in 98.9% of 96 vaccinated participants, but median disease-free survival across the full population (23.8 vs 21.2 months) did not reach statistical significance.
news.google.comBayer's Nubeqa scores phase 3 win in high-risk prostate cancer - Fierce Pharma
FiercePharma reports that Bayer's Nubeqa (darolutamide) achieved positive results in a phase 3 trial in high-risk prostate cancer. The original article provides only the headline, without disclosing key data such as the trial name, sample size, hazard ratio, or confidence intervals.
Regulatory and policy
youtube.comMedical Marijuana Rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III, Research Rules Eased but Funding Remains a Bottleneck
In April 2026, under a December 2025 executive order, the Trump administration rescheduled medical marijuana and future FDA-approved cannabis products from Schedule I to Schedule III. A 2023 HHS review found credible scientific support for cannabis in pain, anorexia, and nausea and vomiting, but mixed evidence for chronic pain. Before rescheduling, the United States already had more than 33,000 prescribers and 41 states allowing medical marijuana.
Research papers
A virus that infected chimps (but not humans) 4 million years ago left DNA that switches off a gene helping young brain cells grow and connect. Turning it off in lab-grown human mini-brains stunted neurons, and using CRISPR to remove the viral DNA from chimp stem cells switched the gene back on.
Gerdes, Jakobsson and colleagues at Lund University report in Science Advances (DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aeg5791) that PTERV1, which infected chimpanzee ancestors roughly 5–7 million years ago, left an insertion on chromosome 19 that silences LINC00662 through methylation.
Single-cell-level digital twins for preterm birth prevention strategies.
A study in Science Advances introduces SIMCO, a single-cell-level digital twin framework that uses mass cytometry atlas data to simulate the immunomodulatory effects of nine candidate drugs on labor timing. In validation with an independent cohort, tetrahydrofolate and aspirin combined with lansoprazole emerged as top candidates, delaying labor onset through enhanced mTOR signaling in innate immune cells and attenuated JAK/STAT signaling in naive CD4+ T cells. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aed2741
Sustained antidepressant-like effects of psychedelics through 5-HT2AR–β-arrestin signaling | Nature Neuroscience
A structure-based, β-arrestin–biased 5-HT2AR agonist, IHCH-8134, produced sustained antidepressant-like effects in mice, with cumulative, AUC-dependent β-arrestin signaling identified as the key driver.
Magic mushroom compound psilocybin grows new brain connections within 24 hours and repairs circuits damaged by chronic stress in mice. Scientists found the brain rewiring runs on a different pathway than the trip itself, opening the door to fast-acting depression drugs without the hallucinations.
A mouse study at UC Santa Cruz found that psilocybin accelerates the formation and maturation of new dendritic spines within 24 hours and enhances circuit repair in brains damaged by chronic stress. Yi Zuo's team showed that 5-HT2A receptor signaling in layer 5 pyramidal neurons is necessary and sufficient for synaptic remodeling but not required for the head-twitch response, a proxy for hallucinogenic behavior, suggesting neuroplastic and hallucinogenic effects can be separated via distinct cellular pathways.
Multimodal functional characterization of the LDLR noncoding landscape
A research team used saturation CRISPR nuclease screening, CRISPR activation and inhibition screens, and a massively parallel reporter assay to systematically dissect noncoding cis-regulatory regions at the LDLR locus. Each method identified previously unrecognized regions affecting LDLR expression, but the CRE sets overlapped without being identical and also diverged from computational predictions. DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.22.761041.
Suicide attempts, ideation spiked significantly among older U.S. adults after COVID-19 pandemic. Research found suicidal ideation increased 42.6%, suicide planning by 256.2% and suicide attempts by 263.3%
A UCLA Health and UC San Diego study found that after the COVID-19 pandemic, suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among U.S. adults over 50 rose by 42.6%, 256.2%, and 263.3%, respectively. Yang et al. published the work in the Journal of Affective Disorders, drawing on NSDUH survey data from 2021–2024 covering about 42,500 adults aged 50 and older. The increases were concentrated among people without traditional risk factors such as depression or alcohol use.
Gene-poor, repeat-rich Y chromosomes in two Neotropical malaria vectors, Anopheles cruzii and Anopheles aquasalis
Using the Y chromosome Genome Scan (YGS) and chromosome quotient (CQ) methods, researchers identified Y-linked sequences in two Neotropical malaria vector mosquitoes, Anopheles cruzii and Anopheles aquasalis.
About 1 in 7 US adults starting semaglutide were given an off-label high first dose, and those patients had a 25% higher rate of stopping the drug early and were less likely to still be on it a year later
In a peer-reviewed real-world retrospective cohort by Belalcazar et al., 48,658 US adults initiated injectable semaglutide, and 14.5% started at an off-label high dose (at least 1 mg per week). That group had a 25% higher risk of stopping the drug early.
From Splicing to Survival: Understanding the Molecular Basis of Prognostic Differences in advanced Small Intestine Neuroendocrine Tumors
In advanced small intestine neuroendocrine tumors, patients with short survival (<5 years, n=17) and long survival (≥5 years, n=26) showed distinct patterns of splicing events. Expression of core spliceosome components and splicing factors differed between the two groups, and high CPSF2 expression was associated with worse survival, vascular invasion, and perineural invasion. CPSF2-related changes may contribute to tumor plasticity, pointing to greater aggressiveness and treatment resistance, and suggest CPSF2 as a candidate biomarker or therapeutic target.
Differential k-mer distributions enable identification of tetrapod subterminal heterochromatin
Researchers developed a k-mer based algorithm that identifies satellite repeat sequences in tetrapod subterminal heterochromatin. The algorithm detected low-density satellites in diploid primates and Xenopus tropicalis, and in the allotetraploid Xenopus laevis it revealed that subterminal heterochromatin contains ancestral subgenome-specific repeat sequences. This finding challenges the model that ectopic recombination drives non-homologous chromosomes to share repeat sequences in primates.
Thelaziasis
Effects of panitumumab on the proteome of treated EGFRvIII glioblastoma cells and on their extracellular vesicles
Panitumumab significantly reduced surface EGFRvIII on extracellular vesicles derived from EGFRvIII-positive glioblastoma cells, but no significant decrease was seen in cell lysates. Proteomic analysis showed far more protein changes in vesicles than in parental cells after treatment, mainly involving extracellular matrix organization and collagen-related proteins. The study suggests these vesicles could serve as circulating biomarkers for assessing treatment efficacy and preventing resistance.
Methods and resources
youtube.comTim Lu on Synthetic Biology: Digital and Analog Gene Circuits and DNA Memory
In an expert commentary, MIT's Tim Lu notes that DNA sequencing and synthesis capacity are growing exponentially, providing a foundation for programming biological systems. But genetic circuits are limited by chemical specificity and the lack of a formal language, and the field remains at an early stage.
medicalxpress.comCreating 'satellite maps' of thousands of proteins across tissue could transform drug therapies
A University at Buffalo team published a study in PNAS developing hexagonal micro-scaffold assisted spatial proteomics (hex-MASP), which uses a 3D-printed scaffold of hexagonal wells to divide tissue sections into microsamples and, through ultrasensitive mass spectrometry, reconstruct whole-tissue distribution maps of thousands of proteins (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2532946123).
medicalxpress.comUpdated cancer treatment framework offers new guidance on actionability and resistance biomarkers
ESMO has published ESCAT v2 in Annals of Oncology (DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2026.09.008), with A. El Helali as first author.
Open Microcosm 0.1.0 is out: a free, open-source microscope simulator of real microbial life
Open Microcosm 0.1.0 is a free, open-source microscope simulator of real microbial life. It runs on Windows and Linux, with biological entities defined in TOML files. Commenters saw uses in undergraduate teaching and fermentation modeling and noted the lack of a macOS version; the project is positioned as a teaching/visualization tool, not a research-grade simulation, and its biological fidelity awaits community validation.
youtube.comCZI Imaging Team Builds Open-Source Tools for 100 TB of Daily Imaging Data
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative imaging technology team builds and maintains open-source tools to handle the roughly 100 TB of data that advanced imaging generates each day. The team works across the full pipeline, from microscope acquisition to post-processing, helping scientists visualize, explore and analyze complex imaging data. Software engineer Nathan Clack stresses collaboration with developers worldwide to provide tools for researchers who lack access to resources, in order to accelerate science.
youtube.comNursing Pharmacology: Workflow for Reconstituting Powder Vial Medications
An Osmosis expert explainer covers the reconstitution workflow for powder vials, diluent choice, and safe handling. Before use, check the label or consult a pharmacist to confirm diluent and volume; after injection, roll the vial as the label directs, and most must not be shaken. Single-dose vials are discarded after use; multi-dose vials are labeled with reconstitution date and time, expiry, and concentration. Methylprednisolone reconstituted with 2 ml bacteriostatic water yields 125 mg/2 ml and is used within 48 hours; oral suspensions must be shaken before use.
Opinion and commentary
youtube.comDavid Sancho Lecture: NGR1 Marks CDC1 Dendritic Cell Cross-Presentation and Macrophage Metabolic Adaptation
David Sancho of CNIC found that the C-type lectin NGR1 (PlxnA), via Syk signaling, marks the CDC1 dendritic cell subset responsible for MHC I cross-presentation. Loss of NGR1 impairs cross-presentation of OVA and vaccinia antigens in vitro and in vivo.
Microsoft’s Sequential Diagnosis with Language Models Outperform Physicians
Reddit's r/medicine discusses Microsoft's MAI-DxO, which achieved higher accuracy than generalist physicians on an interactive diagnostic benchmark: 83.2% and 80.3% versus 36.1% and 46.8%. The system starts from the chief complaint, asks follow-up questions, selects tests, and assesses diagnostic cost; the paper was published in Science on 2026-10-22, DOI 10.1126/science.aeh7930.
Peking University's Yuan Li on What Universities Can Research in the AI Boom
Yuan Li of Peking University argues that universities need not chase leading companies in compute and data; they can explore new architectures around real problems and advance AI research through open source and industry collaboration. Open-Sora Plan emphasizes opening its architecture, code and training methods and documenting trial-and-error experience, not replicating Sora's final results; Helios explores streaming video generation, and OpenAI4S lets code run in persistent Python or R environments while keeping intermediate objects and version records.