Health - Sunday, May 31, 2026

ASCO Day 3: A huge advance for pancreatic cancer, a let down for Akeso and Summit, and a new approach to immunotherapy.

Low-dose, low-cost immunotherapies may help patients in poorer countries access high-tech cancer treatments.

Scientists at Scripps Research have uncovered a molecular “switch” that appears to fuel the damaging brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease. They found that a protein called STING becomes chemically altered in a way that keeps the brain’s immune system stuck in overdrive, harming the connections between nerve cells.

Melanoma may not become steadily more dangerous with age as scientists once assumed. In a surprising discovery, researchers found that cancer spread was lowest in young mice, surged in middle-aged mice, and then dropped again in very old mice. The key appears to be a special type of immune cell that helps keep cancer dormant and prevents it from spreading.

By doing hormone therapy up front in prostate cancer cases, the hope was to shrink the relapse rate after surgery. Results were encouraging.

Much-awaited results at ASCO show that scientists have indeed found a way to drug a "greasy ball" involved in pancreatic cancer.

A lung cancer drug developed in China was a highlight of ASCO but doctors want to see follow-up in a more diverse population.

Losing weight may involve rewiring the gut and the brain at the same time. In a study of obese adults, an intermittent fasting-style diet led to significant weight loss, healthier metabolic markers, and notable shifts in gut bacteria. Brain scans also revealed changes in regions tied to appetite, cravings, and self-control. The results suggest the gut microbiome and brain may work together to influence weight-loss success.

A new study suggests fish oil may help reduce insulin resistance even in people who aren't obese. In diabetic rats, omega-3 supplementation improved blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and inflammation by shifting immune cells into a more anti-inflammatory mode.