ROCHESTER, Minn. — Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells may benefit otherwise healthy older women but are not a "one-size-fits-all" remedy, Mayo Clinic researchers have found. Specifically, these drugs may only benefit people with a high number of senescent cells, according to findings published today in Nature Medicine.

Senescent cells are malfunctioning cells in the body that lapse into a state of dormancy. These cells, also known as "zombie cells," can't divide but can drive chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction linked to aging and chronic diseases. Senolytic drugs clear tissues of senescent cells.

In the 20-week, phase 2 randomized controlled trial, 60 healthy women past menopause intermittently received a senolytic combination composed of FDA-approved dasatinib and quercetin, a natural product found in some foods. It is the first randomized controlled trial of intermittent senolytic treatment in healthy aging women, and the investigators used bone metabolism as a marker for efficacy.

Researchers found that this combination, known as D+Q, had beneficial effects on bone formation but did not reduce bone resorption or the breakdown and removal of bone tissue. Furthermore, D+Q mainly benefited people with evidence of a high number of senescent cells. This group had more robust increases in bone formation, decreases in bone resorption, and an increase in bone mineral density at the wrist.

"Our findings argue against what many people are already doing — using commercial products like quercetin or related compounds like fisetin that may show some senolytic properties," says senior author Sundeep Khosla, M.D., an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "They're using them as anti-aging agents without knowing if they have high enough senescent cell numbers to benefit, or what dose or dosing regimen is needed to be effective yet safe."

Dr. Khosla says more research is needed to better identify people who may benefit from senolytic treatments and to develop more specific and potent senolytic drugs that may show efficacy in more people. People who have experienced "accelerated aging" -- such as cancer survivors after chemotherapy, or those with progeroid syndromes – may have increased numbers of senescent cells.

Besides their application to aging, senolytic drugs may be useful against certain diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, dementia, diabetes, heart disease and others, Dr. Khosla says. However, these drugs will likely need to be customized according to their potency and the amounts of senescent cells in the diseased tissues.

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant nos. R21 AG065868, P01 AG062413, R01 AG 076515, R01 DK128552, R01 AG055529, R37 AG13925 and R33 AG61456.

Co-authors are Joshua Farr, Ph.D., Elizabeth Atkinson, Sara Achenbach, Tammie Volkman, Amanda Tweed, Stephanie Vos, Ming Ruan, Jad Sfeir, M.D., Matthew Drake, M.D., Ph.D., Dominik Saul, M.D., Madison Doolittle, Ph.D., Irina Bancos, M.D., Kai Yu, M.D., Tamara Tchkonia, Ph.D., Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D., James Kirkland, M.D., Ph.D., and David Monroe, Ph.D.

Drs. LeBrasseur, Tchkonia and Kirkland have financial interests related to this research, including Mayo Clinic patents and pending patents covering senolytic drugs and their uses. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Drugs that kill “zombie” cells may benefit some older women, but not all, Mayo Clinic study finds appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A generous $20 million gift from Dwight and Dian Diercks will fuel key elements of Mayo Clinic’s vision for the future of healthcare, including Mayo Clinic Platform and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection and intervention in cancer. In honor of their support, Mayo Clinic will establish the Dwight and Dian Diercks President, Mayo Clinic Platform, and create the Heidi Diercks Krause Fund in AI Innovation for Cancer, named in honor of Mr. Diercks’ late sister.

"The Dierckses’ visionary investment will bolster Mayo Clinic’s efforts through the Platform to curate the world's de-identified data, empower solution developers and transform healthcare around the world," says John Halamka, M.D., the inaugural Dwight and Dian Diercks President, Mayo Clinic Platform.

“Through the reach of Mayo Clinic Platform, the Dierckses’ remarkable generosity will accelerate new innovations that fundamentally change how health systems and care teams provide care to improve patients' lives,” says Dr. Halamka, who also holds the Michael D. Brennan, M.D., President’s Strategic Initiative Professorship.

Mayo Clinic Platform is a key focus of Mayo Clinic’s Bold. Forward. strategy to transform healthcare globally. Disrupting the traditional pipeline paradigm, Mayo Clinic Platform brings together solution developers, data partners and healthcare organizations to collaborate around secure, de-identified clinical data to create, validate and scale digital health solutions. It currently offers access to a diverse dataset of 46 million de-identified and longitudinal patient records, AI model validation for accuracy and removal of bias, and streamlined clinical integration. This transformative model is expediting a new era of revolutionary diagnostics and treatments that redefine the frontiers of patient care and well-being.

The Heidi Diercks Krause Fund in AI Innovation for Cancer will enable Mayo Clinic’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Program and Mayo Clinic’s Comprehensive Cancer Center to advance answers for cancer. An example of this work includes developing advanced generative AI tools to gain deep insights into a person’s risk of developing cancer. This forecasting will allow clinicians to intervene earlier than ever before — even before cancer can be diagnosed.

“We are profoundly grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Diercks for their support, which will help us bring the promise of AI to patients at the earliest phases of their care journeys,” says Matthew Callstrom, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic’s medical director for Strategy, chair of Radiology in Rochester and leader of the Generative Artificial Intelligence Program. “Cancer affects people from all walks of life, and leveraging AI to tackle and treat this devastating disease will be critical for improving outcomes for all patients.”

As senior vice president of software engineering at NVIDIA, Mr. Diercks has been involved in AI innovation since the company’s inception.

“We can't afford to wait years or decades for new AI breakthroughs in healthcare. People need new therapies and cures now,” says Mr. Diercks. “Dian and I truly believe that Mayo Clinic Platform and AI innovation will be the keys to better predicting diseases like cancer, so physicians can intervene sooner with more effective treatments that save, extend or improve the quality of patient lives. It gives me comfort knowing my sister’s legacy will live on through these efforts to transform cancer care for everyone. Heidi lived for her family, and having additional time with her husband, Scott, and daughter, Kate, meant the world to her. In the future, we hope that extension of time can be amplified tenfold for others.”

Mr. Diercks grew up in Red Wing, Minnesota, less than 50 miles from Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus, where he worked on his family’s farm as a teenager. His close family, including his late father and sister, trusted Mayo Clinic for their most complex health needs.

“I tell my friends that receiving care at Mayo Clinic is like being at the intersection of medicine and hardcore engineering. Everyone is focused on finding the right tests and data to solve the most personal, important health challenges in your life,” says Mr. Diercks. 

Mr. Diercks earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering with a minor in business from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). The Dierckses have provided transformational support to MSOE that has resulted in a nation-leading computer science program in applied AI and supercomputing. With their latest gift to Mayo Clinic, they aim to provide the same accelerant to AI innovation, now within healthcare.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mayo Clinic Platform
Founded on Mayo Clinic's dedication to patient-centered care, Mayo Clinic Platform enables new knowledge, new solutions and new technologies through collaborations with health technology innovators to create a healthier world. To learn more, visit Mayo Clinic Platform at www.mayoclinicplatform.org.

About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining new boundaries in possibility, focusing on patient-centered care, developing novel treatments, training future generations of cancer experts and bringing cancer research to communities. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs that are changing approaches to cancer prevention, screening and treatment, and improving the lives of cancer survivors.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post $20 million gift from Dwight and Dian Diercks to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s strategy for transformational healthcare AI and innovation appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

The free podcast, hosted by Cathy Wurzer, features visionaries from across the field of medicine

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic is launching "Tomorrow's Cure," a new podcast that will highlight medical innovations transforming healthcare and feature the visionaries who make them possible.

"Tomorrow's Cure" is brought to listeners in collaboration with PRX, a Pulitzer and Peabody Award-winning public media organization and one of the world's top podcast distributors.

Key Details:

Release date: "Tomorrow's Cure" debuts on June 26.

Frequency: New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays.

Seasons: The first season comprises eight episodes, with seasons two and three set to resume in early 2025.

How to listen: The podcast is free on all significant on-demand audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. Episodes will also feature a video component, which can be viewed on Mayo Clinic's YouTube channel.

"This is an exciting new initiative for Mayo Clinic," says Molly Biwer, chair of Brand Strategy, Mayo Clinic. "'Tomorrow's Cure' will explore the cutting-edge research, technology and breakthroughs that are revolutionizing the future of medicine. We are excited to showcase the physicians, clinicians, researchers and thought leaders driving these transformative advancements."

"Mayo Clinic is the trusted resource on what impacts us all: our health," says Jason Saldanha, chief operating officer at PRX. "We're proud to collaborate with the team to help bring listeners everywhere their expertise, innovation and commitment to opening the possibilities of medicine."

The show is hosted by Cathy Wurzer, a renowned broadcaster, journalist and author known for her work on Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Edition and Twin Cities PBS. Wurzer will conduct in-depth interviews with experts from Mayo Clinic and industry leaders. The episodes will emphasize the importance of collaboration in driving innovation and inspiring possibilities. Through her engaging storytelling, Cathy will distill complex topics into meaningful lessons and takeaways.

"Tomorrow's Cure" will cover various topics such as 3D printing models, artificial intelligence, mixed reality and personalized medicine. Guests will include Jonathan Morris, M.D., radiologist, Mayo Clinic; Beth Ripley, M.D., Ph.D., deputy chief, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Konstantinos Lazaridis, M.D., gastroenterologist and Carlson and Nelson Endowed Executive Director, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic; Gary Miller, Ph.D., vice dean of Research Strategy and Innovation, director of the Exposomics Laboratory and Core, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; and more.

To learn more and to see the complete list of episode topics and featured experts, visit tomorrowscure.com.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About PRX
Celebrating more than 20 years as a nonprofit public media company, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations, and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners' lives. PRX is one of the world's top podcast publishers, public radio distributors, and audio producers, serving as an engine of innovation for public media and podcasting to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX's portfolio of broadcast productions, podcast partners, and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, and more, including in 2022 when Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize. Visit PRX.org for more.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic launches ‘Tomorrow’s Cure’ podcast to spotlight medical innovations transforming healthcare appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

LA CROSSE, Wis. ― Parkinson's disease touches every aspect of a person's life, from the physical to the emotional, often leaving individuals feeling isolated and overwhelmed. However, amid the challenges, there is a beacon of hope—new treatments and simple lifestyle changes are making a significant difference, empowering those diagnosed to lead fuller, more vibrant lives.

What is Parkinson's disease?

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that profoundly affects movement and other functions. Over 15,000 in Wisconsin and nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson's disease and this number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. 

"Parkinson's disease, in the simplest terms, is a neurodegenerative condition which affects the neurons that produce dopamine in your brain," explains Prashant Natteru, M.D., assistant professor of neurology and neurologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse. "So, you don't have enough dopamine in your body, and that manifests with some of the features of Parkinson's disease."

Dopamine is essential for regulating movement and emotional responses.

"Imagine taking your grandkids out for ice cream and seeing the smile on their faces—that’s dopamine at work," Dr. Natteru adds. "You require dopamine to emote better, work better and exercise better. In Parkinson's patients, this 'happy hormone' is primarily low in quantity."

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease symptoms can vary from person to person and often start gradually. Dr. Natteru shared some key signs to watch for including:

• Tremor: Rhythmic shaking, often beginning in a limb, such as a hand or fingers. This is known as a "pill-rolling tremor."
• Bradykinesia (Slowed movement): Simple tasks may become difficult and time-consuming. You may experience shorter steps or shuffle your feet when walking.
• Muscle rigidity: Stiff muscles can limit your range of motion and cause pain.
• Impaired posture and balance: This can lead to a stooped posture and increased risk of falls.
• Loss of automatic movements: Decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, such as blinking or smiling.
• Speech changes: You may speak softly, quickly or hesitate before talking. Your speech may also become monotone.
• Writing changes: Writing may become smaller and harder to read.

"There are also non-motor symptoms that can predate the motor symptoms by 20 to 30 years, such as constipation, sleeping problems, loss of smell, or even depression," notes Dr. Natteru. "It's important to understand that it's not just one symptom by itself, but a combination of symptoms that lead to a diagnosis."

Diagnosis and treatment

"Parkinson's disease is more of a clinical diagnosis," says Dr. Natteru. "If you have a family member or friend dealing with tremors, slow walking or a blank expression, it's important to see a neurologist or a movement disorder specialist for a proper diagnosis."

Diagnosis involves looking at a constellation of symptoms.

"People can have tremors when they're resting a hand on the table or while watching TV," describes Dr. Natteru. "A commonly described walking pattern is a shuffling gait. Along with that, there's a lack of emoting, such as a blank expression on the face, or being slow to move."

While there is no cure for Parkinson's disease currently, treatments can significantly improve symptoms and give you a better quality of life. According to Dr. Natteru, medications often help manage symptoms by increasing or substituting dopamine. In some cases, surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation may be recommended to regulate certain regions of the brain and improve symptoms in patients who are not getting the benefit from the medications or are having side effects.

Risk factors and prevention

Men are 1.5 times more likely to have Parkinson's disease than women. Other factors that could increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease include:

• Age: Risk increases with age, typically affecting those around 60 or older.
• Heredity: Having a close relative with Parkinson's slightly increases your risk.
• Exposure to toxins: Ongoing exposure to herbicides and pesticides may slightly increase the risk.

Although the cause of Parkinson's is unknown, some research suggests that regular aerobic exercise might reduce the risk. Additionally, consuming caffeine may be associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's, though more research is needed to confirm this.

Managing Parkinson's disease

Exercise plays a vital role in managing Parkinson's disease.

"Staying active can slow down the neurodegeneration process," emphasizes Dr. Natteru. "A pilot study from Yale School of Medicine showed that structured high-intensity exercise not only slowed down neurodegeneration but also possibly caused neuroregeneration, meaning the dopamine stores that were being lost were being regenerated."

Dr. Natteru encourages patients to stay optimistic.

"Having a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is not a death sentence," Dr. Natteru shares. "You can change the course of the disease if you want to, and you can do that by staying physically active and exercising, especially now that there is evidence that exercise can be a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson’s disease."

When to seek help

For more information on Parkinson's disease and available treatments, visit Mayo Clinic Health System.

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About Mayo Clinic Health System

Mayo Clinic Health System consists of clinics, hospitals and other facilities that serve the healthcare needs of people in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The community-based healthcare professionals, paired with the resources and expertise of Mayo Clinic, enable patients in the region to receive the highest-quality physical and virtual healthcare close to home.

Media contact:

• Rick Thiesse, Mayo Clinic Health System Communications Department, 608-392-9435, thiesse.ricky@mayo.edu

The post Empowering Lives: Navigating Parkinson’s disease with hope appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Dr. Zadeh joins Mayo Clinic from the University of Toronto, where she is the University of Health Network's division head of Neurosurgery, the medical director of the Krembil Neuroscience Program, the co-director of the Krembil Brain Institute, a senior scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and the Dan Family Chair and professor of Neurosurgery. 

"Dr. Zadeh is an excellent neurosurgeon-scientist with deep experience leading high-performing surgical teams," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic president and CEO. "We're honored to have her join Mayo Clinic to lead the Department of Neurosurgery in Rochester as we continue our work to transform healthcare."

Dr. Zadeh has a dedicated skull-base and neuro-oncology practice with a number of multidisciplinary specialized programs, including brain metastases, pituitary and neurofibromatosis clinics. She has a research laboratory focused on molecular analysis of brain tumors and understanding the molecular response to targeted therapies.

Dr. Zadeh's extensive and influential research has advanced clinical care and has been published in several journals, including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, and Cancer Cell, among others. She has consistent, peer-reviewed funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Department of Defense, the Brain Tumour Charity, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Brain Canada Foundation, the Terry Fox Research Institute and more.

Her academic, clinical and research contributions have been recognized through many awards, such as the prestigious Canada Gairdner Momentum Award, the William E. Rawls Prize from the Canadian Cancer Society, and the American Brain Tumor Translational Research Award, as well as through her leadership in multiple international organizations, including the Society of Neuro-Oncology, the World Federation of Neurological Societies and the International Consortium on Meningiomas, which she co-founded.

Dr. Zadeh succeeds Robert Spinner, M.D., who has been chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic since 2015. During his tenure, Dr. Spinner led the department with a clear vision to improve the care of neurosurgery patients worldwide and fostered a culture that empowered creativity and innovation.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Susan Barber Lindquist, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic names new Department of Neurosurgery chair in Rochester appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Researchers from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center are set to present key research findings, including two late-breaking abstracts, during the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago May 31-June 4. These studies shed light on critical aspects of cancer treatment and management. Below are the highlights:

The impact of adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) omission in estrogen receptor (ER)-low (1%-10%) early-stage breast cancer (Abstract: 513)

• Presenter: Grace Choong, M.D., medical oncologist
• Key Insight: In patients with ER-low breast cancer, omission of AET in patients treated with chemotherapy is associated with a 25% higher risk of death than those who receive AET. The impact of AET omission was most pronounced in patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore, AET should be recommended in patients with ER-low breast cancer until further studies can be performed.
• Day and Time: May 31, 3:15–3:21 p.m. CDT
• Location: E451 | On Demand

Final results of a phase 2 study of tucatinib and trastuzumab for HER2-positive mCRC (MOUNTAINEER) (Abstract: 3509)

• Senior Author: Tanios Bekaii-Saab, M.D., medical oncologist
• Key Insight: This presentation includes the final analysis of the MOUNTAINEER trial and reaffirms the clinically meaningful anti-tumor activity and favorable tolerability of tucatinib plus trastuzumab, a chemotherapy-free treatment option for patients with HER2+ mCRC, the first regimen to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this indication.
• Day and Time: June 3, 1:15–1:21 p.m. CDT
• Location: Arie Crown Theater | Live Stream

Phase 3 randomized trial of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) versus intensity-modulated photon therapy (IMRT) for the treatment of head and neck oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) (Abstract: 6006)  

• Senior Author: Robert Foote, M.D., radiation oncologist
• Key Insight: Intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) is non-inferior to intensity modulated-photon therapy (IMRT) as measured by progression-free survival at three years and has emerged as a standard of care chemoradiotherapy treatment for oropharyngeal cancer. More patients treated with IMPT maintained their weight and fewer required gastrostomy tubes compared to patients treated with IMRT. IMPT is recommended for oropharyngeal cancer because it minimizes radiation to important organs while effectively treating the cancer.
• Day and Time: June 4, 11:45–11:57 a.m. CDT
• Location: S100a | Live Stream

Late-breaking abstract: Alliance A222001: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study of oxybutynin versus placebo for the treatment of hot flashes in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (Abstract: LBA12004)

• Presenter: Brad Stish, M.D., radiation oncologist, will share the results during the Symptom Science and Palliative Care track.
• Key insights: The abstract becomes available at the time of the presentation.  
• Day and Time: June 2, 9:12–9:24 a.m. CDT
• Location: S100a | Live Stream

Late-breaking abstract: Primary outcomes of the enhanced, EHR-facilitated cancer symptom control (E2C2) cluster-randomized, stepped wedge, pragmatic trial (Abstract: LBA12006)

• Presenter: Andrea Cheville, M.D., pain, rehabilitation and palliative care physician, will share findings during the Symptom Science and Palliative Care track.
• Key insights: The abstract becomes available at the time of the presentation.  
• Day and Time: June 2, 10–10:12 a.m. CDT
• Location: S100a | Live Stream

In addition, Dr. Cheville's research extends to the following posters presented by Mayo Clinic researchers, all based on data from the E2C2 trial:

• SPPADE symptom prevalence and severity in a diverse sample of patients living with metastatic cancers, presented by Deirdre Pachman, M.D., palliative fellow. (Abstract: 11108 / Poster: 303)

• Symptom burden in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A subgroup analysis of the enhanced, EHR-facilitated cancer symptom control (E2C2) trial, presented by Michael Storandt, M.D., internal medicine resident. (Abstract: 12065 / Poster: 194)

• Proactive, automated monitoring of uncontrolled symptoms in prostate cancer survivors across the cancer control continuum (Abstract: 12079 / Poster: 208)

Additional abstracts, posters and presentations featuring Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers can be found here.

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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining new boundaries in possibility, focusing on patient-centered care, developing novel treatments, training future generations of cancer experts and bringing cancer research to communities. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs that are changing approaches to cancer prevention, screening and treatment, and improving the lives of cancer survivors.

Media Contacts:

• Onsite at ASCO: Audrey Laine Seymour, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu
• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center to highlight key studies at ASCO 2024 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Brain cancer is difficult to treat when it starts growing, and a prevalent type, known as a glioma, has a poor five-year survival rate. In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Mayo Clinic researchers report on a new surgical platform used during surgery that informs critical decision-making about tumor treatment within minutes. Time is of the utmost importance when dealing with aggressive malignant tumors.

The platform uses mass spectrometry to identify a key gene mutation in brain cancer, known as isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations, in real time. Mass spectrometry is a sensitive technique used to analyze substances in tissue samples, including those altered in cancer.

The study involved more than 240 small tissue biopsies from patients undergoing asleep and awake brain surgery for suspected glioma at Mayo Clinic between 2021 and 2023, and an additional 137 biopsies from an international collaborator. Neurosurgeons collected biopsy samples from the core of the tumor to identify the mutations, as well as from areas around it, to assess if the tumor had spread.

Each tissue sample was placed on a glass slide steps away from the patients during ongoing surgery. The samples were analyzed through the mass spectrometer, which allowed researchers to rapidly assess — within two minutes — whether an IDH mutation was present.

The researchers say that, in addition to enabling real-time diagnosis, the platform allows surgeons to determine a patient's prognosis and perform tumor resection to improve patient outcomes. In the future, the new platform will help surgeons take advantage of the window of opportunity in the operating room to tailor treatment to the molecular features of a tumor, a more personalized approach to medicine.

Researchers hope new therapies developed to target IDH mutations can be delivered in the operating room at the time of surgery.

"The ability to identify this mutation during brain surgery means that one day in the future we may be able to treat patients with this specific mutation locally before they leave the operating room," says the study's senior author, Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, M.D., dean of research and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

"Therefore, we will be able to bring the fight against cancer to the operating room, before chemotherapy and radiation treatments begin, and before the disease has progressed and invaded further." Dr. Quiñones-Hinojosa is also director of the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Research Laboratory.

In the study, researchers were able to diagnose IDH gene mutations with 100% accuracy. They are conducting more research to find other signatures in tumors where the mutation is absent. In addition, they plan to broaden their discoveries to include other types of brain cancers.

This study was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number R33CA240181. For a full list of authors, funding and disclosures, see the paper.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post New research platform assesses brain cancer mutations during surgery appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Decades of data can now be used to pinpoint diseases earlier and transform healthcare.

ROCHESTER, Minn. and ST. LOUIS — Mayo Clinic and Mercy are making a significant advancement in their global, first-of-its-kind 10-year collaboration agreement signed in the summer of 2022. As founding members of Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect, the two organizations will now be working together to analyze de-identified patient data as they search for new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent disease, providing better outcomes and lower costs of care.

Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect is a distributed data network that provides secure access to de-identified clinical data. Previously, Mercy and Mayo Clinic could use Connect to analyze data from their own organizations, but as of today, each organization can safely and securely analyze de-identified patient data from either health system. This significantly larger data set allows researchers and innovators to better identify risk factors, predict illnesses and provide earlier treatment with the potential to positively impact millions of patients' lives. 

"Mayo Clinic Platform is enabling innovation to change how care is provided. At its core, Platform relies on our distributed data network to make available data that has depth, breadth and spread, and which can help create new ways to diagnose, treat and care for patients no matter where in the world they might live. Today represents a significant milestone, demonstrating the power of collaboration in transforming healthcare," said John Halamka, M.D., president of Mayo Clinic Platform.

Mayo Clinic Platform recently announced the addition of three healthcare organizations to its global collaboration: Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea, Singapore's SingHealth and UC Davis Health in California. This expansion brings the total number of Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect members to eight, including founding members Mayo Clinic and Mercy, Brazil's Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Israel's Sheba Medical Center and Canada's University Health Network, who joined in 2023. The alliance now spans seven countries across three continents, representing diversity in genetics, demographics and lifestyles to provide a massive repository of analyzable data.

"This is a major step toward moving healthcare from being reactive to proactively addressing the biggest concerns of patients and the communities we serve," said Joe Kelly, executive vice president, chief transformation officer for Mercy. "This unprecedented data set allows us to harness the power of artificial intelligence to develop algorithms and validate treatment plans effectively for complex patient populations. These algorithms, integrated directly into everyday clinical workflows, can help us predict the likelihood of chronic diseases and help to better proactively assist patients earlier in their care, improving outcomes and reducing costs for both patients and health systems."

Each organization will be able to look for trends, indicators, risk factors and more while retaining control over its de-identified outcomes through Mayo Clinic Platform's Data Behind Glass^[1] approach. Mayo Clinic and Mercy will develop products, algorithms and tools for their health systems that can be made available to other health systems for use in the same transformative way, potentially impacting the practice of medicine across the globe.

"After more than a year in development, we now have a platform that permits insights from Mercy's own data and that of Mayo Clinic. This data will improve patients' lives by helping us find diseases earlier and supporting more personalized care," said Byron Yount, chief data and AI officer for Mercy. "This will significantly deepen partnerships, broaden the scope of discovery, quicken the speed of innovation and ultimately improve care for patients everywhere. We are already learning with our new health care collaborators and reimagining how we approach health care challenges and opportunities. The way we produce the world’s most impactful solutions is evolving, and Mayo Clinic Platform is going to enable it."

^[1] Trademark Pending

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About Mayo Clinic Platform
Founded on Mayo Clinic's dedication to patient-centered care, Mayo Clinic Platform enables new knowledge, new solutions and new technologies through collaborations with health technology innovators to create a healthier world.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

About Mercy
Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation’s largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state healthcare system including more than 50 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has over 900 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities, more than 4,500 physicians and advanced practitioners and 50,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In fiscal year 2023 alone, Mercy provided more than half a billion dollars of free care and other community benefits, including traditional charity care and unreimbursed Medicaid.

Media contacts:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu
• Nancy Dixon, Mercy Media Relations, nancy.dixon@mercy.net

The post Mayo Clinic and Mercy reach first major milestone in data collaboration appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

MANKATO, Minn. ― After two years of construction, Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato celebrated the grand opening of its $155 million hospital expansion on May 14. 

"The expanded and modernized Mankato bed tower is not only adding needed capacity to our Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato but, importantly, it is also adding new capabilities," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. "With these state-of-the-art, flexible care spaces, combined with digitally integrated tools, we are expanding the scope and reach of our staff and enhancing collaboration across our sites, including with Mayo Clinic in Rochester. This digital and physical integration is helping us to blur lines between inpatient and outpatient care into a seamless care experience for patients and their families."

The project includes the addition of three new floors atop an existing two-story building on the Mankato campus that houses the Emergency Department, Andreas Cancer Center and Specialty Clinic foyer. The new structure features 121 additional hospital beds and numerous other improvements. Staff and patients began moving into the addition in April. 

"Our Bold. Forward. strategy is to establish Mayo Clinic Health System as a Category of One in community and rural healthcare nationally by 2030," says Prathibha Varkey, M.B.B.S., president of Mayo Clinic Health System. "The opening of the re-imagined Mankato hospital tower gets us closer to this goal and aims to provide a compassionate, seamless and integrated digital and physical Mayo experience, improving patient outcomes and fostering healing in its truest sense."

The project includes a new and expanded Intensive Care Unit and Progressive Care Unit; a new Medical-Surgical Unit; and a new Family Birth Center. Technological advancements include expansion of telehealth capabilities, digital technology and design elements to enhance efficiencies and support innovative care models.

"We are excited to announce the opening of a beautiful new facility that not only expands and modernizes our hospital but represents an ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of our community," says James Hebl, M.D., regional vice president, Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Minnesota. "The new hospital will ensure timely access to care while keeping patients close to home ― whether they need routine medical care, an advanced surgical procedure or emergency care."

The new hospital layout includes:

Cornerstone Building (preexisting bed tower)

Third floor: 

• Cardiac Medical and Progressive Care Unit (PCU) 
• Pediatric General Care Unit 
• Patients with unique needs related to neurotrauma, hospice/palliative medicine and interventional radiology
  

Fourth floor: 

• General medical care unit 
• Behavioral Health Unit
  

Marsh Building (new bed tower)

Fourth floor: 

• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 
• Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
  

Fifth floor: 

• General Medical and Surgical Care Unit 
  

Sixth floor:

• Family Birth Center 
• Level II Nursery
  

Mayo Specialty Building 

• Outpatient clinic

"Our patients and staff are loving the new space. This modernized hospital has greatly improved workflow and efficiencies and served to enhance patient experience by bringing together many new technologies," says Travis Paul, regional chair of administration, Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Minnesota. "Patients experience large, private rooms with access to interactive systems involving their hospital staff, as well as the ability to control many room features. We're so proud to see our staff feel even more empowered to provide exceptional patient care to our communities."

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About Mayo Clinic Health System

Mayo Clinic Health System has a physical presence in 44 communities and consists of 53 clinics, 16 hospitals and other facilities that serve the healthcare needs of people in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The community-based providers, paired with the resources and expertise of Mayo Clinic, enable patients in the region to receive the highest-quality physical and virtual healthcare close to home.

Media contact:

• Amanda Dyslin, Mayo Clinic Health System Communications, 507-327-7510, dyslin.amanda@mayo.edu

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Editor's Note: May 28 is World Blood Cancer Day

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Chemotherapy is usually the first treatment doctors try to treat lymphoma, including the two most common forms: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin. But alternatives to chemotherapy are developing, as first-line treatments and as backup options, explains Stephen Ansell, M.D., Ph.D., hematology chair and hematologic oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Lymphoma is a blood cancer that begins when a germ-fighting white blood cell, called a lymphocyte, mutates and rapidly multiplies. There were roughly a half-million new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 82,409 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022, making them the 10^th and 26^th most commonly diagnosed cancers that year, respectively, according to the most recent statistics from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. 

Symptoms may include swollen lymph nodes, itchy skin, night sweats, fever, persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss and shortness of breath.

Developing novel therapies to improve lymphoma outcomes for patients is a high priority for Dr. Ansell.

"It's about improving outcomes while minimizing side effects — using treatments that can specifically target the cancer and have less of an impact on the body's healthy, normal cells," Dr. Ansell says. "There is a high percentage of patients whose lymphoma is cured. When people are cured, they may have to deal with long-term complications. Our idea is to have the best outcomes and minimize long-term problems."

Dr. Ansell's studies have included work as part of Mayo's Early Cancer Therapeutics Group. The therapeutics research group offers patients whose cancers haven't responded to chemotherapy the opportunity to join early phase clinical trials of potential new treatments.

People with lymphoma may receive chemotherapy alone or a combination of chemotherapy and nonchemotherapy treatments, Dr. Ansell says. Nonchemotherapy options include immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy), targeted therapy, bone marrow transplant and radiation therapy, he explains:

• Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer, blocking cancer cells' ability to hide from the body's attempts to attack it. There are several types of immunotherapy. Dr. Ansell's research contributed to the treatment of lymphoma with immune checkpoint therapy, drugs that help the immune system fight cancer cells without destroying healthy cells.

• In CAR-T cell therapy, some of a patient's white blood cells, including T cells, are removed and treated in the lab to produce chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs, that activate T cells' ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. The CAR-T cells are then infused back into the patient. This form of immunotherapy is considered one of the most promising areas of cancer treatment. Dr. Ansell is a member of the CAR-T Cell Therapy Program at Mayo Clinic.

• Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances — alone or in combination — to identify and attack abnormalities within cancer cells with less harm to normal cells. Dr. Ansell is currently researching potential new drug combinations and their side effects.

• A bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body to replace bone marrow that's not producing enough healthy blood cells.

• Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells. For certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, radiation therapy may be the only treatment you need, particularly if your lymphoma is slow growing and located in just one or two spots. More commonly, radiation is used after chemotherapy to kill any lymphoma cells that might remain.

Unfortunately, there is no known way to prevent lymphoma, but a healthy diet and exercise are important. They can help patients better cope with cancer treatments and have better outcomes, Dr. Ansell says.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.   

Media contact:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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