DR Congo launches Ebola vaccination campaign in eastern region KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo / RankWire.AI / – Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched a targeted Ebola vaccination campaign in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province, in an effort to curb the country’s deadliest outbreak of the disease on record. Frontline healthcare workers, emergency response personnel, and individuals who have had direct contact with confirmed cases are being prioritized during the initial phase of the deployment. Health Minister Roger Kamba confirmed that the government initiated the immunization campaign utilizing doses of the Ervebo vaccine to safeguard frontline personnel operating across impacted eastern provinces.

The agreement covers open-platform tests that laboratories can use with existing systems. Shipments are due to start in August as health teams confront a large outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and affecting parts of the wider region. The World Health Organization will receive the tests through its Hub for Global Health Emergencies Logistics in Dubai. PCR testing allows laboratories to confirm infections and support surveillance around known cases. The latest supply package adds laboratory resources at a time when authorities continue to monitor transmission across several provinces and health zones in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Australian researchers from Adelaide University and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute have identified a novel molecular switch that drives the spread of aggressive tumors. Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the breakthrough study reveals that Australian researchers uncover a promising new way to tackle triple-negative breast cancer by restoring a critical regulatory molecule known as miR-342. The discovery opens new avenues to prevent life-threatening secondary cancers in organs such as the lungs and bones. Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10% to 15% of Australia’s approximately 21,000 annual breast cancer diagnoses but causes a disproportionate number of deaths. Lead investigators demonstrated that when miR-342 levels fall, a cancer-driving pathway called E2F becomes overactive, allowing dormant cancer cells to spread throughout the body and form dangerous secondary tumors. Diagnostic Biomarker Testing May Identify Patients Most Likely to Benefit. In pre-clinical models, scientists demonstrated that restoring miR-342 levels markedly reduced the spread of cancer cells to distant organs. Furthermore, researchers discovered that palbociclib, an existing CDK4/6 inhibitor drug currently approved for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, significantly halted metastatic tumor growth in models exhibiting low miR-342 levels. The findings suggest measuring miR-342 levels could allow doctors to repurpose existing therapeutics to treat high-risk patients. Co-senior author Associate Professor Philip Gregory from Adelaide University’s Centre for Cancer Biology confirmed that preventing metastasis remains the primary challenge in treating aggressive breast cancers. Gregory emphasized

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive 70,000 Ervebo Ebola vaccine doses as the Bundibugyo outbreak expands. Congolese authorities reported 5,208 confirmed cases and 2,476 deaths as of Aug. 18. The outbreak now affects 56 health zones across six provinces in the east and northeast. Authorities also listed 1,115 recoveries, while 730 patients remained in isolation or hospital care.

The latest official report recorded 5,021 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths through Aug. 16. Cases now span 55 health zones across six provinces, while the case fatality ratio has reached 47.4%. The toll makes this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. It is also the second-largest Ebola epidemic recorded globally. WHO incident manager Thierno Baldé said the three-month timeline depends on securing the resources required for the response. The agency has received about $69.3 million of the $115 million it says it needs, or roughly 60%. Teams added more than 400 treatment beds during the past two weeks. They also deployed 100 additional epidemiologists and more than 500 community health workers for surveillance and contact tracing. The response requires vehicles, ambulances, medical supplies and personnel across a growing affected area.