Medics running miles for the NHS

During May, Cambridge medical students are joining a UK-wide team of medical students taking part in a nationwide charity challenge called ‘EVERY MILE FOR OUR NHS’.

This challenge supports frontline NHS workers who have worked through the pandemic. The team is made up of over 100 students from 18 medical schools across the UK.

The team has chosen to raise funds for three charities: The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, Cavell Nurses’ Trust and Doctors in Distress.

All students (both medical and non-medical) can get involved in the challenge by being active in ways such as running, walking, cycling, rowing, swimming and sharing their activities using the hashtag #everymileforourNHS.

The Cambridge Medical School is also marking their achievements online.

Students can sign up here at any point this month. Donations can be made on the Cambridge Team page.

C-Sunday lost property

After the events of C-Sunday (02/05), students noted a number of possessions left behind on Jesus Green. These included phones, driver’s licenses, AirPods, speakers and CamCards - many listed on Ticketbridge afterwards.

Although a lot of litter was left behind as students left Jesus Green, some students stayed behind to clean up afterwards, earning Kindbridges thanking them for their efforts.

One student took to Kindbridge to thank students who helped to clear up the litter left behind after the gatherings on Sunday.

New algorithm to help personalise cancer therapies

Cambridge researchers have developed a new algorithm that identifies tumours sensitive to particular immunotherapies. The MMRDetect clinical algorithm enables scientists to identify tumours that have “mismatch[ed] repair deficiencies” and then target treatment.

Researchers believe this algorithm could transform cancer treatments and save lives. The algorithm could be used as soon as the patient’s cancer is diagnosed.

The researchers used data from thousands of NHS cancer patient samples sequenced through the 100,000 Genomes Project, a national genome sequencing endeavour. The study identified nine DNA repair genes that guard the human genome, and suggests that signatures of repair pathway effects could be essential biomarkers in precision medicine.

The study was led by researchers from the Department of Medical Genetics and MRC Cancer Unit, and was funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Wellcome, Medical Research Council, Dr Josef Steiner Foundation and was supported by the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Campus. It was published in the journal Nature Cancer (28/04).

Cancer rates in medieval Britain ten times higher than previously estimated

A study led by a team at the University was the first to use x-rays and CT scans to detect evidence of cancer. It has found that 9-14% of adults in medieval Britain had cancer when they died.

The team studied the remains of 143 skeletons of the pre-industrial population dating from the 6th to the 16th century, with sites include a former charitable hospital, now part of St John’s College. The results of the study are published in the journal Cancer.

This suggests that cancer was around 10 times more dominant than previously thought, even before exposure to industrial tumour-inducing chemicals and tobacco.

“Until now it was thought that the most significant causes of ill health in medieval people were infectious diseases such as dysentery and bubonic plague, along with malnutrition and injuries due to accidents or warfare,” co-author of the study Dr Jenna Dittmar said.

“Until now it was thought that the most significant causes of ill health in medieval people were infectious diseases such as dysentery and bubonic plague, along with malnutrition and injuries due to accidents or warfare.”