Glucagon-like peptide-1 ( MannKind Corporation)

A portfolio of trials will be provided by the hub, inclusive of those assessing the GLP-1 agonist effects on cancer subjects’ immune responses and results. Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock. The Weill Cancer Hub East, a collaborative initiative formed by Weill Cornell Medicine, Princeton University, The Rockefeller University and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, has been established to explore the interplay between nutrition, metabolism and immunotherapy in cancer treatment. The initiative was launched with a $50m gift from the Weill Family Foundation. The Weill Cancer Hub East brings together experts from the four institutions to improve immunotherapy, a therapeutic strategy that uses a patient’s immune cells for treatment. It aims to drive cross-field partnerships, combining cancer biology, immunology, trials, metabolism and nutrition experts. With philanthropy from each partner institution, total funding will exceed $125m. Up to 2034, the hub will explore the connection between solid tumours and their environment. It also aims to understand how diet and beneficial microbes that help metabolise food can influence cancer treatment effectiveness. The initiative will investigate how emerging therapeutics such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are used in diabetes and anti-obesity treatments, which may affect cancer progression and treatment. The Weill Cancer Hub East will leverage metabolomics, computational analysis, immunology and AI to study how metabolism impacts the immune system’s cancer-controlling ability. It will provide seed funding for collaborative projects focusing on reprogramming the tumour microenvironment and augmenting cell function through patients’ metabolisms and microbiomes. The hub will provide a portfolio of trials, including assessment of the GLP-1 agonist effects on cancer subjects’ immune responses and results. The outcomes may also apply to metabolic, autoimmune and cardiovascular conditions. The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, a cancer research sponsor, is funding studies in cancer metabolism and immunotherapy, providing additional support to the hub’s efforts. A scientific steering committee, with leaders from each academic institution, will oversee the hub’s activities. The scientific strategy of the hub will be directed by a leadership committee, including representatives from partner institutions and the Weill Family Foundation. The adaptable structure of the hub will allow it to respond to upcoming directions in cancer research. The hub is the second collaborative entity established by the Weill family and the Weill Family Foundation through their philanthropy. Weill Family Foundation founder and Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows chair emeritus Sandy Weill stated: “The Weill Cancer Hub East will offer doctors and scientists a tremendous opportunity to revolutionise the treatment of cancer, a disease that complicates so many lives.”

ROSEMONT, Ill., March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- (AANA) - Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists such as Ozempic® or Wegovy® (semaglutide), Saxenda® (liraglutide), or Zepbound™ (tirzepatide), have become increasingly popular in promoting weight loss. To support the safety of patients and the knowledge of anesthesia professionals, such as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), also known as nurse anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) has published "Anesthesia Care of the Patient on a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist." These evidence-based perioperative considerations can be used to develop facility policies and procedures that align with the best available evidence on treating patients taking GLP-1 agonists. GLP-1 agonists, designed initially to manage type 2 diabetes, bind and activate receptors located throughout the body, eliciting a biological response similar to naturally occurring GLP-1, a gut-derived hormone usually released after eating fats and carbohydrates. Patients feel full sooner and tend to eat less. In addition to appetite suppression, these medications also slow gastric emptying. Clinical guidelines call for a patient to fast prior to anesthesia because food remaining in a patient's stomach can cause serious complications such as vomiting and food aspiration. "These medications have exploded in popularity, and CRNAs need to be prepared to see more patients actively take them," says Micah Walden, DNP, CRNA, a member of the AANA Practice Committee. "This means additional preparation for patients, anesthesia providers, and the surgical team to help minimize risks of complications during a procedure." Because of these risks, providers may need to do additional screenings such as a point-of-care ultrasound of a patient's stomach contents before surgery. If the ultrasound indicates that gastric contents are present or imaging is inconclusive, the surgical team may consider delaying an elective procedure or proceeding as "full stomach" to mitigate the risks of regurgitation and aspiration while intubated for anesthesia care. The length of time various GLP-1 medications continue to impact a patient were considered in developing these recommendations. Example recommendations include: If daily dose: Consider holding day of surgery/procedure. If weekly dose: Consider holding one week before surgery/procedure. "Open communication between patients and the surgical team is important with regard to recommendations for withholding GLP-1 agonist medications prior to surgery," says Walden. "As providers, we take that information into account to perform an individualized, case-by-case assessment and create a care plan that will keep the patient safe and comfortable before, during, and after the procedure." CRNAs are highly educated, trained, and qualified anesthesia experts. They provide 50 million anesthetics per year in the United States, working in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered. CRNAs are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural settings, enabling facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, pain management, and trauma stabilization services. SOURCE American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology