ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic today unveiled separate groundbreaking collaborations with Microsoft Research and with Cerebras Systems in the field of generative artificial intelligence (AI), designed to personalize patient care, significantly accelerate diagnostic time and improve accuracy.

Announced during the 43^rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the projects focus on developing and testing foundation models customized for various applications, leveraging the power of multimodal radiology images and data (including CT scans and MRIs) with Microsoft Research and genomic sequencing data with Cerebras. The innovations have the potential to transform how clinicians approach diagnosis and treatment, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. 

Foundation AI models are large, pre-trained models capable of adapting to and carrying out many tasks with minimal extra training. They learn from massive datasets, acquiring general knowledge that can be used across diverse applications. This adaptability makes them efficient and versatile building blocks for numerous AI systems.

Mayo Clinic and Microsoft Research advance AI for chest X-rays

Mayo Clinic and Microsoft Research are collaboratively developing foundation models that integrate text and images. For this use case, Mayo and Microsoft Research are working together to explore the use of generative AI in radiology using Microsoft Research’s AI technology and Mayo Clinic’s X-ray data.

"Multimodal foundation models hold immense promise in tackling significant roadblocks across the radiology ecosystem. The innovations we’re creating with Microsoft Research will help unlock valuable insights for the future of medical imaging to improve how radiologists work and how patients are cared for," says Matthew Callstrom, M.D. Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic Radiology in the Midwest and medical director for Generative AI and Strategy. "Focusing on chest X-ray reports, Mayo's clinical teams and Microsoft researchers will collaborate to advance the state-of-the-art in multimodal AI radiology, helping bring innovation to real-world application faster and at scale, which is key to making exemplary healthcare more accessible." 

Empowering clinicians with instant access to the information they need is at the heart of this research project. Mayo Clinic aims to develop a model that can automatically generate reports, evaluate tube and line placement in chest X-rays, and detect changes from prior images. This proof-of-concept model seeks to improve clinician workflow and patient care by providing a more efficient and comprehensive analysis of radiographic images.

"This collaboration is a crucial step towards our mutual goal of developing generative AI that improves patient outcomes and the clinician experience," says Jonathan Carlson, Ph.D., managing director, Health Futures at Microsoft Research. "The fusion of Microsoft's recognized research innovations in biomedical AI and Mayo Clinic's radiology excellence will empower clinicians with the tools they need to deliver more precise and accessible care and furthers Microsoft’s commitment to bringing the power of emerging AI to clinical researchers worldwide."

Mayo Clinic and Cerebras create a world-leading genomic foundation model

Mayo Clinic and Cerebras have created a genomic foundation model that combines publicly available human reference genome data that represents an ideal version of the human genome, with Mayo's comprehensive patient exome data and the power of its Mayo Clinic Platform. Exome data focuses on the protein-coding region of the genome where several disease-causing mutations take place. Cerebras's high-powered computing and generative AI capabilities make it possible to train and develop the model at scale, positioning it to be further refined for more specific uses.

"The genomic foundation model represents a significant advancement in personalized medicine," says Dr. Callstrom. "Its ability to analyze genomic data and compare them in almost real-time with patients with similar traits allows for more precise prediction of disease and treatment response, leading to faster diagnoses and the selection of targeted therapies for patients."

For example, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating autoimmune disease, and the standard treatment approach often requires trials of different therapies to achieve disease remission. It can take several months to know if a therapy is working. A new genomic model developed by Mayo Clinic and Cerebras offers a potential solution to shorten the time to identify effective treatment and avoid long-term morbidity associated with the untreated disease. Early findings demonstrate high performance against benchmarks and show early promise in identifying patient response to therapy. As more patient data is added, the model's predictive power is expected to increase, leading to faster, more effective personalized treatment for RA patients.   

"Mayo’s genomic foundation model sets a new bar for genomic models, excelling not only in standard tasks like predicting functional and regulatory properties of DNA but also enabling discoveries of complex correlations between genetic variants and medical conditions," says Natalia Vassilieva, Field CTO at Cerebras Systems. "Unlike current approaches focused on single-variant associations, this model enables the discovery of connections where collections of variants contribute to a particular condition."

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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:

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

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Against the backdrop of the 43^rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Mayo Clinic announced the formation of Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology, designed on a platform architecture to boldly unlock the power of its extensive archive of digital slides to revolutionize pathology and accelerate medical breakthroughs.

Mayo Clinic's expertise, de-identified clinical data, and its Platform architecture, combined with technical expertise and resources of NVIDIA, a world leader in accelerated computing, is powering the ability to accelerate this transformation. In addition, to improve performance and scalability of generative AI in pathology, Mayo Clinic is collaborating with Aignostics, an industry leader in building artificial intelligence (AI) models for digital solutions in precision medicine in a way that mirrors its established approach to patient care. This collaborative, multidisciplinary effort leverages both medical and technological strengths, and the early achievements are promising.

"Mayo Clinic is reimagining what is possible in disease detection and prediction, both within its own system and globally. We are doing this by using large, diverse datasets to build powerful artificial intelligence models in pathology. This will make diagnoses faster, more accurate, and more efficient, improving treatment approaches and speeding new cures to patients," says Jim Rogers, CEO, Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology.

"AI-driven insights can accelerate diagnostics, enhance precision medicine and revolutionize patient care," said Kimberly Powell, VP of Healthcare and Life Sciences, NVIDIA. "By digitizing and harnessing the power of vast datasets through its Digital Pathology platform, powered by NVIDIA's accelerated computing, Mayo Clinic is helping pave the way for a future with faster medical breakthroughs, better treatments and improved outcomes for patients across the globe."

"Merging Mayo Clinic's data and expertise with our advanced machine learning capabilities will produce breakthrough foundation models and AI products that advance the field of precision medicine and meaningfully improve patient care," says Viktor Matayas, CEO of Aignostics.

The vast majority of pathology practices remain tethered to analog processes, hindering access to critical diagnostic data that could be used to expand diagnostics and treatments and speed the development of new therapies to benefit patients. To address this challenge, Mayo Clinic has moved quickly, investing in digitizing its pathology practice and by scanning its extensive archive of pathology slides, as well as prospectively scanning pathology slides from current patients. To date, Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology has leveraged 20 million digital slide images linked to 10 million patient records that incorporate treatments, medications, imaging, clinical notes, genomic data and more.

In less than two months, Mayo Clinic and Aignostics developed a leading foundation model built on 1.2 million deidentified slides from Mayo Clinic and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, findings of which were published in a paper on Jan. 9. Current efforts include developing and deploying new solutions enabled by this model. Future plans are focused on building new models, including one being trained on 5 million slides.   

The NVIDIA collaboration will create a first-in-class infrastructure for building and deploying foundation models to accelerate generative AI advances in pathology and beyond. With NVIDIA's healthcare-specific full stack computing architecture for artificial intelligence, NVIDIA Clara, Mayo Clinic is building models that will open new frontiers in medicine and lay the foundation for more personalized patient experiences.      

The development of Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology has been a planned process over many years. The pathology platform takes advantage of the portfolios of Mayo Clinic Platform, a global network that drives digital innovation around diagnosis, treatment and operational improvements worldwide, and Mayo Clinic Laboratories, which provides advanced testing and pathology services for healthcare organizations worldwide. Continuing its efforts to transform healthcare, Mayo Clinic is working with investors and data providers to continue building a pathology platform that spurs innovation and transforms the medical practice for the benefit of healthcare systems and patients worldwide.

"These new capabilities using digital pathology data will unlock this critically important clinical information for building AI solutions for advanced diagnosis and care of patients and that will improve the lives of patients globally," says Matthew Callstrom, M.D. Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic Radiology in the Midwest and medical director for Generative AI and Strategy.

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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:

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

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ROCHESTER, Minn., and PALO ALTO, Calif. — Mayo Clinic Laboratories, a global leader in advanced laboratory testing, and Lucence, a pioneering molecular diagnostics company, announced a strategic collaboration today to expand international access to cutting-edge cancer testing services. This collaboration aims to leverage the strengths of both organizations to drive better outcomes for patients worldwide.

Lucence, with its CLIA-licensed and CAP-accredited laboratories in California and Singapore, will provide access to its innovative LiquidHALLMARK® technology through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. LiquidHALLMARK® is an ultra-sensitive, next-generation sequencing liquid biopsy that analyzes circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor RNA (ctRNA) for clinically relevant biomarkers across various cancers.

“We look forward to making LiquidHALLMARK available so physicians and their patients have access to important insights that can inform treatment decisions,” said William Morice, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. “Incorporating this test into our catalog supports our goal of offering comprehensive testing options for serious or complex cases.”

The Medicare-covered LiquidHALLMARK® test provides actionable findings by offering targeted therapies based on genomic results, including detailed descriptions of each finding and associated clinical trials. The test reports include graphical maps for understanding cancer genomic profiles and tracking tumor changes over time, while delivering comprehensive information on each genomic finding, highlighting its role in the patient’s cancer type and existing functional evidence.

"Working with Mayo Clinic Laboratories will advance our shared goal of making innovative cancer tests available to benefit everyone globally," said Min-Han, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P., Ph.D., founding CEO and medical director of Lucence. "Combining Lucence's liquid biopsy testing with Mayo Clinic Laboratories' broad reach and expertise means that healthcare providers everywhere can be empowered with important information to improve personalized cancer care."

The collaboration between Mayo Clinic Laboratories and Lucence represents a significant step forward in the field of oncology diagnostics. By integrating their respective strengths, the two organizations aim to provide healthcare providers with the tools they need to make informed decisions and deliver personalized treatment plans for their patients.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories is a for-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of Mayo Clinic. Therefore, Mayo Clinic has an indirect financial interest in the technology referenced in this press release. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.

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About Mayo Clinic Laboratories 
Mayo Clinic Laboratories, the global leader in turning test results into clinical answers, provides advanced testing and pathology services for 3,400 healthcare organizations in partnership with Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. Mayo Clinic Laboratories offers more than 4,400 tests and pathology services and performs more than 26 million tests annually.

About Lucence 
Lucence is a precision oncology company committed to improving cancer care through innovative testing solutions. With CLIA-licensed and CAP-accredited laboratories in California and Singapore, Lucence offers advanced liquid biopsy technologies that provide critical insights into cancer biology. The company's flagship product, LiquidHALLMARK®, is designed to detect clinically relevant biomarkers in ctDNA and ctRNA, enabling precise and personalized cancer treatment.

Media contact:

• Mayo Clinic Laboratories: newsbureau@mayo.edu
• Lucence: inquiry@lucence.com

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Findings will help identify patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer who may benefit from targeted therapies

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Findings from a multi-institutional, international study led by researchers from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center have significantly advanced the understanding of genetic alterations in the BRCA2 gene, a key player in hereditary cancer risk. The researchers completed a comprehensive functional assessment of all possible variants within the crucial DNA-binding domain of BRCA2, resulting in the clinical classification of 91% of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in this part of the gene. This finding dramatically improves the accuracy of genetic testing and will allow healthcare professionals to offer more precise risk assessments and personalized treatment plans for people carrying these variants.

The study, published in Nature, utilized CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to analyze the functional impact of almost 7,000 BRCA2 variants, definitively identifying those that increase cancer risk and those that do not. This new information will eliminate much of the uncertainty surrounding VUS, allowing for more informed decisions regarding cancer screening, preventive measures and treatment strategies.

"This research is a major advancement in understanding the role of many BRCA2 variants in cancer predisposition," says Fergus Couch, Ph.D., the Zbigniew and Anna M. Scheller Professor of Medical Research at Mayo Clinic. "Until now, patients who carried VUS often worried if they would develop cancer, but now with the classification of these variants, we can provide a clearer picture of cancer risk and tailor both prevention strategies as well as breast cancer treatment accordingly."

The findings have immediate implications for genetic testing laboratories and healthcare professionals, aiding them in offering more precise and personalized care to patients with VUS. Many people with VUS may be notified about the reclassification of their VUS as the ClinVar BRCA1/2 expert panel and testing laboratories use the new information in testing reports and updates.  In addition, this new insight will aid in identifying patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer who might benefit from targeted therapies such as PARP inhibitors.

 "We now have a catalog of every possible VUS in this part of BRCA2 that can be used to guide clinical care," says Dr. Couch.

The researchers say that this research lays the groundwork for future studies characterizing and classifying all BRCA2 variants across diverse populations and cancer types, improving risk assessment for everyone.

The study involved collaborators at Ambry Genetics Inc., Duke University, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, the University of Pennsylvania and several contributing studies from the CARRIERS consortium. The study was supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer SPORE (P50 CA116201) and R35 Outstanding Investigator Programs, the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

For a full list of funding, disclosures and contributing authors, 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.

About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.

Media contact:

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

The post Researchers resolve uncertainty in BRCA2 testing, improving cancer risk assessment and patient care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics (MNP) has announced its four research awardees for 2024. MNP is funded by the State of Minnesota and provides support for innovative research conducted by teams from the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Mayo Clinic.

Totaling $3 million, this year's awards support innovative projects on cognitive aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer and pulmonary hypertension.

They are:

An essential role for complement signaling in microglia on diet-induced hypothalamic neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and aging-associated cognitive impairment.

Co-Principal Investigators: Alessandro Bartolomucci, Ph.D. (UMN), Darren J. Baker, Ph.D. (Mayo Clinic)

Obesity increases a patient's risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanisms linking obesity to AD remain unclear. Research has shown that obesity drives inflammation in the brain by activating a type of neuro-specific immune cell called microglia. Complement 3a receptor 1 (C3aR1) has been shown to mediate immune responses in many cell types, including microglia, in many disease states, including obesity. This project aims to determine whether blocking C3aR1 can reduce obesity-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive decline. If successful, the findings could identify a potential new drug target for AD.

Macrophage networks and checkpoints in cardiovascular disease.

Co-Principal Investigators: Esther Lutgens, M.D., Ph.D. (Mayo Clinic), Jop van Berlo, M.D., Ph.D. (UMN)

Inflammation is a key driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with macrophages being one of the primary cell types responsible for this inflammation. Immunotherapies that reduce macrophage activation may help lower the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients. There are various subtypes of macrophages, and this project aims to identify which subtypes contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis and heart failure. Specifically, the team will investigate whether immunotherapies targeting macrophage subtypes expressing immune checkpoints can inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis and heart failure. If successful, the project could lead to the discovery of new drug targets for CVD.

Identifying T cell subsets contributing to immune related adverse events caused by immunotherapy.

Co-Principal Investigators: Vaiva Vezys, Ph.D. (UMN), Laura M. Rogers, Ph.D. (Mayo Clinic)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are groundbreaking cancer treatments and are now widely used as the first option for many types of cancer. However, there's no way to predict which patients will respond well to ICIs, and serious side effects — called immune-related adverse events (irAEs) — occur in about 55% of patients. These side effects happen because ICIs activate T cells, a type of immune cell, which can mistakenly attack healthy parts of the body while targeting cancer. This project will use a new mouse model, developed by the team, to study how specific subtypes of T cells contribute to the side effects caused by ICIs. If successful, the research could lead to new tools to predict and reduce side effects, improving cancer treatments for many patients.

Understanding Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) in Vascular Remodeling of Pulmonary Hypertension.

Co-Principal Investigators: Aleksandra Babicheva, Ph.D. (UMN), Christina Pabelick, M.D. (Mayo Clinic)

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious, progressive disease defined by high arterial pressure in the lungs and has limited treatment options aside from a lung transplant. One type of PH, called Group 3 PH, is linked to low oxygen levels (hypoxia) and affects the largest number of patients. Unfortunately, these patients tend to have the poorest survival rates, and there are currently no effective medications to treat it. In PH, the blood vessels in the lungs become narrowed and damaged over time, making it harder for blood to flow, which is known as vascular remodeling. One process involved in vascular remodeling is called endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), where endothelial cells take on characteristics of mesenchymal cells (smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts), which are more pro-fibrotic. This study aims to mechanistically evaluate how hypoxia and specific vascular remodeling processes play a role in Group 3 PH. If successful, this research could help identify a new treatment to prevent or slow down the damage to lung blood vessels in PH patients

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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 the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics (MNP)

MNP is a unique, collaborative venture among Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota. MNP seeks to position Minnesota as a world leader in biotechnology and medical genomics applications that will result in important new medical discoveries, thereby improving healthcare for patients while supporting the development of new business and jobs in Minnesota.

Media contact:

• Vincent Jacobbi, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Minnesota Partnership awards four collaborative research grants for 2024 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic Healthcare expert offers strategies for identifying, neutralizing a common barrier to success

LONDON — There is a common culprit behind many broken New Year's resolutions and other unrealized goals, and it can influence your thoughts and actions without your awareness, says Safia Debar, M.B.B.S., a general practitioner and resiliency expert at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. If you are having difficulty achieving goals to exercise more, eat nutritious meals and take other steps toward a healthier lifestyle, it may be worth considering whether a self-limiting belief is to blame, Dr. Debar says.

In this expert alert, Dr. Debar offers strategies for identifying and neutralizing this barrier to success.

A self-limiting belief is a thought or belief that you see as the truth about yourself or the world around you and that restricts you from your full potential, she explains.

"It's fundamentally a truth you hold about yourself that's not serving you," Dr. Debar says. "Some self-limiting beliefs can be that you can't lose weight, that you have a sweet tooth. Well, really no one has a sweet tooth. Other self-limiting beliefs can be that you're lazy, you can't exercise, you hate the gym. Well, you can leave the gym to exercise."

The first step toward eliminating a self-limiting belief is becoming aware of it, Dr. Debar says. That may require reflection, because self-limiting beliefs tend to be present without your conscious knowledge, and your mind is remarkably good at seeking, and sometimes even creating, evidence to confirm them, she adds.

"For example, if somebody feels that they want to eat healthier or incorporate more movement into their day, but then underlying this, they feel that they're not good enough or they're not worthy of self-care or they're not worthy of prioritizing their health, and that other people's needs are more important, then they will sabotage the positive lifestyle changes that would serve them," Dr. Debar says. "They will sabotage those behaviours because it makes sense: 'Why would I eat well if I'm not worth it? Why would I set a boundary or put myself first if I'm not worth it?'"

Because underlying beliefs may heavily influence behavioural changes that you want to make, the ideal is to know what those beliefs are and to question whether they are serving you or not, Dr. Debar says. Writing thoughts in a journal or talking it through with a trusted person can help, she suggests.

"Whenever anything happens, a dynamic, anything that has an emotional load, it's always a really good opportunity to ask and to journal: What is the story you are telling yourself? What do you believe about yourself?" she says. "I call this a thought dump, or a stream of consciousness. When something happens, just write what's in your head. Then when you reread it, if there are known thought distortions, that will tell you whether this is a limiting belief. Then you start to get to know your internal narrative."

For example, questioning a belief that you can't lose weight could include considering:

• Where did I learn that I can't lose weight?
• Where did I see that?
• Am I fully informed about the actual process of losing weight?
• What emotion am I trying to feel, or what emotion am I trying to avoid?

Often, people find that their self-limiting beliefs didn’t originate with themselves at all, but instead came from teachers, caregivers, family members, society, culture or other sources, Dr. Debar says.

Then, identify small steps that you can take to achieve your goal, she recommends. The brain doesn't like change. So it's about taking small, regular, consistent actions and being aware of your internal dialogue so that you expect resistance but remember why you want to make the change, and question the beliefs that are blocking you," Dr. Debar says.

"We start off saying we're going to exercise every day, cut our alcohol, wake up at 5 a.m., meditate for 45 minutes, be the nicest person ever, and then two weeks later, we realize all of these emotions are coming up and all of this resistance is coming up," she explains. "A better approach would be to ask what the most important goal is, and then to approach it in tiny steps. If you want to exercise, for example, then start with a few minutes a day, where you don't think that it's a significant change from what you were doing before. Five minutes a day will mean that you have set up a habit, so that will then foster the belief that you follow through: You have kept your promise, you are consistent."

Dr. Debar recommends breaking down a range of healthy lifestyle changes by starting with the easiest thing you can do. If your goal is to eat healthier meals, start by trying to eat an extra portion of fruit or vegetables each day, and when you've done that for a few weeks, you can then think of yourself as a person who eats fruits and vegetables, who enjoys fruits and vegetables.

"It's a very different approach from the person who starts trying to do everything and then two weeks later is feeling very demoralized, and, paradoxically, will just go deeper into the things that they don't want to do and make them feel bad about themselves," Dr. Debar says.

A good thing about the new year is that it gives people momentum and a little rise in willpower, she says.

"But we can't rely on willpower to change behaviour," Dr. Debar adds. "It has to start with a tiny, incremental, consistent change."

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About Mayo Clinic Healthcare
Mayo Clinic Healthcare, located in London, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit academic medical center. Mayo Clinic is top-ranked by U.S. News & World Report in more specialties than any other hospital for a reason: quality of care. Mayo Clinic Healthcare is the U.K.'s front door to that unparalleled experience. Visit Mayo Clinic Healthcare for more information.

Media contact:

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

The post The culprit behind many broken New Year’s resolutions appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Growing mini-organs to find new treatments for complex disease

Mayo Clinic investigators are growing three-dimensional human intestines in a dish to track disease and find new cures for complex conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. These mini-organs function like human intestines, with the ability to process metabolites that convert food into energy on a cellular level and secrete mucus that protects against bacteria. These 3D mini-intestines in a dish, known as "organoids," provide a unique platform for studying the intricacies of the human gut.

"We think this has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach disease research. We hope to save time and resources and avoid the development of therapies that fail upon translation into patients," says Charles Howe, Ph.D., who leads the Translational Neuroimmunology Lab. "Understanding which treatments show potential for success in human organoids could dramatically accelerate the rate of new therapies for patients with unmet needs."

Brain stimulation shows promise in treating drug addiction

Physicians use neurostimulation to treat a variety of human disorders, including Parkinson's disease, tremor, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. A Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon and his colleagues believe one form of that treatment, called deep brain stimulation (DBS), is poised to solve one of the most significant public health challenges: drug addiction.

"Drug addiction is a huge, unmet medical need," says Kendall Lee, M.D., Ph.D., who has published nearly 100 journal articles on DBS along with his colleagues. Key to treating it, he says, is cutting off the pleasurable "high" that comes with the addiction — which DBS potentially can do.

A new class of AI aims to improve cancer research and treatments

Mayo Clinic researchers have invented a new class of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms called hypothesis-driven AI, which is a significant departure from traditional AI models that learn solely from data. The researchers note that this emerging class of AI offers an innovative way to use massive datasets to help discover the complex causes of diseases, such as cancer, and improve treatment strategies.

"This fosters a new era in designing targeted and informed AI algorithms to solve scientific questions, better understand diseases and guide individualized medicine," says co-inventor Hu Li, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic systems biology and AI researcher. "It has the potential to uncover insights missed by conventional AI."

What's lurking in your body? Mayo probes health risks of tiny plastic particles

Similar to natural elements like iron and copper, people can ingest, absorb, or even inhale microplastics and nanoplastics and their chemical additives. A landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine links microplastics and nanoplastics found in plaques of human blood vessels to a potential increased risk of heart attack, stroke or death.

"Plastics have made our lives more convenient and spurred many medical advances, but we must understand their impact on human health for the years to come," says Konstantinos Lazaridis, M.D., the Carlson and Nelson Endowed Executive Director for Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine.

Mayo Clinic researchers' new tool links Alzheimer's disease types to rate of cognitive decline

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a series of brain changes characterized by unique clinical features and immune cell behaviors using a new corticolimbic index tool for Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia. The tool categorizes Alzheimer's disease cases into three subtypes according to the location of brain changes and continues the team's prior work, demonstrating how these changes affect people differently. Uncovering the microscopic pathology of the disease can help researchers pinpoint biomarkers that may affect future treatments and patient care.

"Our team found striking demographic and clinical differences among sex, age at symptomatic onset and rate of cognitive decline," says Melissa Murray, Ph.D., a translational neuropathologist at Mayo Clinic.

Mayo scientists explore swabs for early endometrial, ovarian cancer detection

Early detection improves treatment outcomes for endometrial and ovarian cancers, yet far too often, women are diagnosed when in advanced stages of these diseases. Unlike many other cancers, there are no standard screenings for early detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers. Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered specific microbial signatures linked to endometrial and ovarian cancers, and they are working toward developing innovative home swab tests for women to assess their susceptibility.

"This research not only brings us closer to understanding the microbial dynamics in cancer, but also holds the potential to transform early detection and treatment strategies to positively impact women's health globally," says Marina Walther-Antonio, Ph.D., an assistant professor of surgery leading this research.

Reversing racism's toll on heart health

People who experience chronic exposure to racism may be affected by factors such as intergenerational trauma, reduced access to healthcare, differential treatment in healthcare settings and psychological distress. These negatively affect heart health and can have a cumulative effect throughout a person's life. Researchers from Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota published a paper which provides a new framework describing how racism affects heart health among people of color in Minnesota. The researchers are focused on reversing these disparities.

"This framework will help scientists explore and measure how chronic exposure to racism, not race, influences health outcomes," says Sean Phelan, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic health services researcher. "This will help enable researchers to design interventions that address the root causes of these disparities and improve heart health for people of color everywhere."

Teamwork and research play a key role in Mayo Clinic's first larynx transplant

A team of six surgeons and 20 support staff combined expertise from the Department of Otolaryngology and the Department of Transplantation in an extraordinary 21-hour operation at Mayo Clinic. The team transplanted a donor larynx to a 59-year-old patient with cancer whose damaged larynx hampered his ability to talk, swallow and breathe. This groundbreaking surgery was only the third larynx transplant in the U.S., and the world's first known successful total larynx transplant performed in a patient with an active cancer as part of a clinical trial.

"All transplants are complex, but there are more tissue types and moving parts with laryngeal transplantation than other transplants," says David Lott, M.D., lead surgeon. "Mayo Clinic's team science approach made it possible for us to offer this type of transplant on a scale that was previously unattainable."

Space: A new frontier for exploring stem cell therapy

Two Mayo Clinic researchers say that stem cells grown in microgravity aboard the International Space Station have unique qualities that could one day help accelerate new biotherapies and heal complex disease. The research analysis by Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., a laboratory medicine expert and medical director for the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics at Mayo Clinic in Florida, and Fay Abdul Ghani, Mayo Clinic research technologist, finds microgravity can strengthen the regenerative potential of cells. 

"Studying stem cells in space has uncovered cell mechanisms that would otherwise be undetected or unknown within the presence of normal gravity," says Dr. Zubair. "That discovery indicates a broader scientific value to this research, including potential clinical applications."

Mayo Clinic’s largest-ever exome study offers blueprint for biomedical breakthroughs

Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine has achieved a significant milestone with its Tapestry study. It generated Mayo's largest-ever collection of exome data, which includes genes that code for proteins—key to understanding health and disease.  

Researchers analyzed DNA from over 100,000 participants of diverse backgrounds, providing important insights into certain genetic predispositions to support personalized and proactive medical guidance.  "The implications of the Tapestry study are monumental," says Konstantinos Lazaridis, M.D., the Carlson and Nelson Endowed Executive Director for the Center for Individualized Medicine. "As this study continues to inform and transform the practice of personalized medicine, it also sets a new standard for how large-scale medical research can be conducted in an increasingly digital and decentralized world."   

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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:

• Colette Gallagher, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post 10 Mayo Clinic research advances in 2024, spanning stem cell therapy in space to growing mini-organs appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Mayo Clinic surgeons recently performed 10 organ transplants within 24 hours, setting a record for both the hospital and the state of Arizona.

On Nov. 19, Mayo Clinic teams worked around the clock to complete seven kidney transplants and three liver transplants. Transplant center colleagues rose to the challenge with one goal in mind: Saving as many lives as possible, says Bashar Aqel, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic Transplant Center in Arizona.

"Ten people received a second chance at life in a single day," Dr. Aqel says. "This milestone would not have been possible without the generous gift of organ donation, advances in technology and the dedication of our highly specialized team."

Heading into the record-setting day, three living-donor kidney transplants were already scheduled. But by evening, the team realized the magnitude of the day ahead of them as precious organs continued to become available. Organ perfusion devices proved critical, enabling the livers and some of the kidneys to be kept viable outside the donor's body for a longer period of time prior to transplant. The team also had to overcome logistical hurdles, ensuring enough operating room space was available to perform all the surgeries.

"Every day, an estimated 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant," Dr. Aqel says. "We are doing what we can to try to reverse that trend with innovation and organ perfusion to save more lives."

John Churan is among the 10 patients celebrating a second chance — one he never thought he would get. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 16 years ago, and when his kidney began to fail in 2020, his diagnosis appeared grim. But thanks to a stem cell treatment at Mayo Clinic, he went into full remission from the cancer, and he was eligible for a kidney transplant. His wife of 36 years, Julia Churan, stepped forward to donate her kidney and was a match.

"I would not be here without Mayo Clinic," John Churan says. "I am so grateful for the care I have received and the incredible gift my wife has given me."

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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:

• Heather Carlson Kehren, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post 10 patients receive the ultimate gift in a single day at Mayo Clinic appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

There is new hope in the fight against glioblastoma, the deadliest and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer.

Currently there is no cure, but results of a new study conducted at Mayo Clinic show patients experienced improved overall survival while maintaining quality of life after undergoing a novel approach to treatment.

Watch: Breakthrough in the fight against glioblastoma

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:45) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Richard Casper was one of the study participants. The Arizona man enrolled in the clinical trial at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix after his diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2019. Richard was given only months to live, but his family says thanks to his strength, perseverance, and innovative medical care, he survived nearly double the amount of time.

"To be almost two and a half, three years in after being told you only have a few months, it's quite remarkable," says Susan Casper, Richard's daughter.

Richard succumbed to the disease in 2023. During the treatment, his family says he had little to no side effects. In the months before his passing, Richard stated, "I feel great. If someone didn't tell me I have the glioblastoma, I wouldn't even know it."

The clinical trial was led by Dr. Sujay Vora, a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. The small, single-arm study incorporated the use of advanced imaging technology combined with cutting-edge radiation therapy in patients over the age of 65 with newly diagnosed World Health Organization (WHO) grade 4 malignant glioblastoma.

"The patients lived longer than we expected. This patient population is expected to live six to nine months. Our average survival was 13.1 months. There were some patients that were out closer to two years. The results exceeded our expectations. We are very pleased," says Dr. Vora.

The study is published in The Lancet Oncology.

Why is glioblastoma so deadly?

Glioblastoma is among the most challenging cancers to treat. The disease is aggressive and invades healthy brain tissue with hairlike tentacles. "That is why doing a complete surgery is very difficult, as compared to say breast cancer, where a lumpectomy can be performed to remove not only the tumor, but a healthy rim of tissue around it," explains Dr. Vora.

Surgery for glioblastoma presents a different set of obstacles. "When it comes to glioblastoma, it is challenging to do that level of surgery. You try to surgically remove whatever you can safely without leaving the patient worse off after surgery."

Another factor that makes glioblastoma so lethal is that it can be fast- growing and unresponsive to treatment.

"These cancer cells are quite challenging to overcome," says Dr. Vora. "There are some patients we see after their surgery, and by the time we are ready to start their treatment, they've already had a recurrence of the disease."

An estimated 14,500 people will be diagnosed with glioblastoma in the U.S this year. "In the best of circumstances the average survival rates are in the 14-15 month range. But for patients 65 and older, the group that was the focus of our study, patients do even worse. The prognosis for this population is between six and nine months," says Dr. Vora.

Symptoms of glioblastoma

• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion or decline in brain function
• Memory loss
• Personality changes
• Vision changes
• Speech difficulties
• Trouble with balance
• Muscle weakness
• Seizures

Attacking glioblastoma with a triad

For the clinical trial, Dr. Vora and his team mapped out a plan that would allow them to be more intentional and precise with treating the location of the glioblastoma.

The imaging incorporated the use of ¹⁸F-DOPA PET and contrast-enhanced MRI. "¹⁸F-DOPA PET is an amino acid tracer that can cross the blood brain barrier, and it can accumulate within the glioblastoma cells itself," says Dr. Vora.

Researchers combined these images to determine the location of the most metabolically active "hot spots" of the cancer in the brain.

Taking aim with proton beam therapy

Study investigators used one of the most advanced forms of radiation treatment, called proton beam therapy.

"With standard radiation, the beams go through the brain tissue, so there's an entrance dose and the exit dose. But with proton beam therapy, we dial up how deeply we want the radiation to go," explains Dr. Vora. "It drops off its energy in the tumor, and then there's basically no radiation after that. It allows us to be more preferential into the delivery of radiation and protect more of the healthy surrounding tissue."

During proton beam therapy, a patient lies on a table while the machine rotates around the patient's head targeting the tumor with an invisible beam. The patient is awake for the procedure. It is painless with many patients reporting fewer to no side effects.

Unlike traditional radiation for glioblastoma, which is typically delivered over the course of three to six weeks, treatment with proton beam therapy for the study was conducted in one to two weeks.

"I am hopeful that this is the first step of many where we can continue to move the needle and allow patients to live longer and live well," says Dr. Vora. "The goal is to improve the outcomes for our patients allowing them to spend more time with their families."

Nadya's story

2022 was a tough year for Nadya El-Afandi. She was on the verge of celebrating a long but successful battle with breast cancer.

"Out of the blue, I had a seizure. I went to the hospital, they did an MRI. After additional tests they told me the news: 'You have a glioblastoma,'" recalls Nadya. She asked her doctor if she should continue her breast cancer treatment. "He said, 'No'-meaning the glioblastoma would kill me before the breast cancer."

Nadya was not about to give up.

Nadya is a wife and mother of four children. She lives just outside of Rochester, Minnesota. "My children said to me, 'Mom, you're a unicorn. Of course you'll live.' My mother has had a number of medical conditions and we never expected her to live this long. And she's still alive and with us," says Nadya. "My children have also said, 'You've got grandma's blood in you. You will live.'"

Nadya is receiving care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. That's where she learned about a new clinical trial called SAGA, or stereotactic ablative radiation treatment for glioblastoma. The phase 2 clinical trial is building upon Dr. Vora's research and studying a larger group of patients. The study is being led by Dr. William Breen, radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

It has been 15 months since Nadya began treatment for glioblastoma. So far, there is no sign the glioblastoma has returned. "Nadya has already exceeded the time that's expected time to have a tumor recurrence, and she continues to do well," says Dr. Breen. "Nadya is beyond some measures of what the average, overall survival time would be."

While Nadya's progress in encouraging, Dr. Breen says it is important to note that it is too early to draw any conclusions about safety or efficacy of this approach to treatment until the study is completed.

Meanwhile, Nadya is focused on living her life to the fullest. Fifteen months after undergoing treatment, Nadya embarked on an adventure to Hawaii, where she spent time taking helicopter tours, snorkeling and hiking.

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The post (VIDEO) Breakthrough in the fight against glioblastoma appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic announces the results of an innovative treatment approach that may offer improvement in overall survival in older patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma while maintaining quality of life. Glioblastoma is the most lethal type of primary brain cancer due to its aggressive nature and its treatment-resistant characteristics. It is the most common form of primary brain cancer. Each year an estimated 14,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease. Results of Mayo Clinic's phase 2, single-arm study are published in The Lancet Oncology.  

Sujay Vora, M.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic, led a team of researchers investigating the use of short-course hypofractionated proton beam therapy incorporating advanced imaging techniques in patients over the age of 65 with newly diagnosed World Health Organization (WHO) grade 4, malignant glioblastoma.

Results showed that 56% of participants were alive after 12 months and the median overall survival was 13.1 months." As compared to prior phase 3 studies in an older population having a median survival of only six to nine months, these results are promising," says Dr. Vora. "In some cases, patients with tumors that have favorable genetics lived even longer, with a median survival of 22 months. We are very excited about these results."

Glioblastoma is among the most challenging cancers to treat. The disease invades healthy brain tissue with hairlike tentacles, making surgical removal intricate. Surgeons must carefully balance removing as much of the tumor as possible while avoiding harm to critical areas of the brain responsible for essential functions such as movement and speech. Additionally, the tumor's cellular composition and its ability to evade therapies further challenge treatment efforts.

Standard radiation therapy is commonly used to treat glioblastoma and can be effective. However, a limitation is that it also exposes healthy brain tissue to radiation, potentially causing collateral, unintended damage. For the Mayo Clinic study, investigators used one of the most innovative and advanced forms of radiation treatment, called proton beam therapy. The cutting-edge, nonsurgical form of radiation therapy destroys cancer cells with targeted precision while minimizing side effects to surrounding healthy tissue.

Mayo investigators mapped the target area in the patient's brain by combining the advanced imaging technologies, including ¹⁸F-DOPA PET and contrast-enhanced MRI. "Combining advanced imaging allowed us to determine the most metabolically active, or aggressive, regions of the glioblastoma," says Dr. Vora.

Treatment was completed in one to two weeks instead of the traditional three to six weeks. "The advanced imaging along with the proton beam therapy allowed us to be more focused with radiation and protect surrounding healthy brain tissue from the effects of radiation. We were able to see that patients tolerated the treatments well and lived longer than we expected."

According to Dr. Vora, the study at Mayo Clinic is the first clinical trial of its kind investigating the use of short-course hypofractionated proton beam therapy incorporating advanced imaging technology, including ¹⁸F-DOPA PET and contrast-enhanced MRI targeting, for patients 65 and older with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

The study included patients from Arizona and Minnesota. One of the study participants, Richard Casper, lived nearly two years longer than his prognosis. "I feel great. If someone didn't tell me I had the glioblastoma, I wouldn't even know it," reported Casper after undergoing treatment. He succumbed to the disease in 2023. "We miss our dad dearly," says his daughter, Susan Casper. "We will forever be grateful for the extra time we had with our father. The time gave us a chance to make memories that will last us a lifetime. It was also important to my father to participate in this study in hopes of helping others fight glioblastoma."

A larger, randomized clinical trial is now underway at Mayo Clinic. One of the study participants is Nadya El-Afandi, a wife and mother of four, who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022. El-Afandi is now 15 months post-treatment with no sign of glioblastoma. "I feel wonderful," says El-Afandi. "I've had my fourth MRI, and we're not seeing any return of the glioblastoma."

El-Afandi is back to her regular activities and just returned from a trip to Hawaii, where she spent time snorkeling and hiking. "We are living on the edge of medical miracles, and we are riding that tide. There's no cure for glioblastoma yet, but I've been able to take advantage of this medical opportunity, and it has given me a quality of life that is just outstanding," adds El-Afandi.

While El-Afandi's results are encouraging, William Breen, M.D., radiation oncologist and principal investigator of the current study says it is too early to draw any conclusions about the safety and efficacy of the treatment until the study is complete. "Our goal is to transform the way we treat glioblastoma using shorter courses of radiation to minimize the burden on patients and their families and help them complete safe and effective treatment in a shorter amount of time."

The clinical trial, known as SAGA, or stereotactic ablative radiation treatment for glioblastoma, includes patients from Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. "We are now adding another component that builds upon Dr. Vora's work to help us best visualize the tumor," says Dr. Breen.

Meanwhile El-Afandi is focusing on living her life to the fullest. "I'm so grateful," says El-Afandi. "Every day is the best day, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

The study was funded by The Kemper and Ethel Marley Fund in Cancer Research and the Lawrence W. and Marilyn W. Matteson Fund in Cancer Research. For a detailed list of the authors and disclosures, see the full paper here.

Press kit, including b-roll, photos and interviews, available here.

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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:

• Marty Hames, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Related content:

• (VIDEO) Breakthrough in the fight against glioblastoma
  

The post Breakthrough in treatment approach showing promise in the fight against glioblastoma, the deadliest and most aggressive type of brain cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.