Results of a VHIO led study show that up to 90% of chronically hypoxic patients have an EPAS1 alteration in their tumor, a gene critical for adapting to lack of oxygen in populations living at high-altitude such as Tibetans and Sherpas. EPAS1-driven adaptation mechanisms enable tumor cells to proliferate under hypoxia and similarly, allow high-altitude dwellers to survive low-oxygen conditions. Convergent evolution is a central concept in evolutionary biology, showing how different organisms can develop convergent traits independently when facing similar environmental challenges, in this instance hypoxia. Published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), findings from this study suggest that achieving a deeper understanding of the links between natural adaptation and tumorigenesis could enhance cancer driver discovery and pave the way for identifying novel therapeutic targets.

BARCELONA, Spain, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Results of study directed by Rodrigo Toledo, Head of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology’s (VHIO) Biomarkers and Clonal Dynamics Group, show convergent genetic adaptation under hypoxia (lack of oxygen) between populations living at high-altitude in the Himalayan region such as Tibetans and Sherpas, and the development of oxygen-starved cancer cells.

Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) are chronically hypoxic and have an estimated six-fold higher risk of developing pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) which is associated with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the adrenal glands and/or paraganglia, respectively. These cancers can continue to grow and proliferate under chronic hypoxia.

“With this study, we aimed to achieve deeper insights into how tumors can survive, grow, and even metastasize under low oxygen conditions, known as hypoxia. Our findings reveal a broad convergence in genetic adaptation in tumors that continue to develop and grow under hypoxia, and in high-altitude populations who thrive in such a challenging environment,” said Rodrigo Toledo, corresponding author of this present article.

A shared gene for survival

Sherpas have a unique variant of the EPAS1 gene, which is critical for hypoxia adaptation in high-altitude environments, such as the summit of Mount Everest.

Toledo’s team analyzed the genomic profile of PPGL tumor samples from chronically hypoxic patients with CCHD and discovered that, among the 20,000 protein-coding genes of the human genome, the EPAS1 gene—found altered in Sherpas—was mutated with a frequency of up to 90% in these hypoxic cancer cells.

 “It was fascinating to observe how these tumors, which can proliferate and even metastasize under a lack of oxygen, used exactly the same gene that enables Sherpas to adapt to hypoxia,” added Rodrigo Toledo.

Convergent evolution: nature’s shared adaptations

Convergent evolution is a process where unrelated species independently develop similar traits to overcome comparable environmental challenges. For example, both whales and bats developed echolocation to move around in pitch darkness. Despite their evolutionary distance, these species share the use of the same gene (SLC26A5) to develop echolocation.

“Similarly, cancer genome projects have shown that different tumor types often share the same mutations in specific sets of genes, such as TP53, KRAS and BRAF, among others, which boost their growth. This suggests that, in addition to natural populations, tumors also have degrees of genetic convergence,” observed Toledo.

“The most innovative aspect of this study is our discovery that when natural populations and tumors face similar environmental stresses such as lack of oxygen, they both depend on the same gene to survive. This level of convergence shows that nature shares successful solutions, whether it be in the Himalayan mountains or in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment,” said Carlota Arenillas, a PhD Student of Toledo’s group and first author of the article.

These results could open new directions in using genetic adaptations of natural environments as a starting point to analyze datasets from cancer genomic studies and existing preclinical models toward identifying key genes for cancer survival and novel therapeutic targets.

“Our findings could help guide future studies exploring the links between natural adaptation and tumorigenesis, facilitating the identification of new cancer drivers and therapeutic vulnerabilities. As an example, we aim to identify the genes responsible for adaptation to regions with high levels of ultraviolet rays and analyze them in aggressive skin cancers such as melanoma,” concluded Toledo.

This research has been possible thanks to the support received from the Paradifference Foundation, the PHEiPAS Patient Association, the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), and the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT). Rodrigo Toledo also has the support of the “la Caixa” Foundation through a CaixaImpulse grant, a Miguel Servet research contract, a grant from the National Plan of the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, a CaixaImpulse scholarship from the “la Caixa” Foundation and a start-up grant from the FERO Foundation.

Reference

Carlota Arenillas, Lucía Celada, José Ruiz-Cantador, Bruna Calsina, Debayan Datta, Eduardo García-Galea, Roberta Fasani, Ana Belén Moreno-Cárdenas, Juan José Alba-Linares, Berta Miranda, Ángel M. Martínez-Montes, Cristina Álvarez-Escolá, Beatriz Lecumberri, Elvira Ana González García, Shahida K. Flores, Emmanuel Esquivel, Yanli Ding, Mirko Peitzsch, José-Ángel Robles-Guirado, Rita Maria Regojo Zapata, Jose Juan Pozo-Kreilinger, Carmela Iglesias, Trisha Dwight, Christopher A. Muir, Amelia Oleaga, Maria Elvira Garrido-Lestache Rodríguez-Monte, Maria Jesús Del Cerro, Isaac Martínez-Bendayán, Enol Álvarez-González, Tamara Cubiella, Delmar Muniz Lourenço Jr., Maria Adelaide A. Pereira, Nelly Burnichon, Alexandre Buffet, Craig Broberg, Paxton V. Dickson, Mario Fernandez Fraga, José Luis Llorente Pendás, Joaquín Rueda Soriano, Francisco Buendía Fuentes, Sergio P.A. Toledo, Roderick Clifton-Bligh, Rodrigo Dienstmann, Josep Villanueva, Jaume Capdevila, Anne-Paule Gimenez-Roqueplo, Judith Favier, Paolo Nuciforo, William Young Jr, Nicole Bechmann , Alexander R. Opotowsky, Anand Vaidya, Irina Bancos, Donate Weghorn, Mercedes Robledo , Anna Casteràs, Laura Dos-Subirà, Igor Adameyko, María-Dolores Chiara, Patricia L.M. Dahia, Rodrigo A. Toledo. Convergent genetic adaptation in human tumors developed under systemic hypoxia and in populations living at high altitudes. Cancer Discovery, April 9th https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-24-0943

About VHIO

The Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), established in 2006 and located within the Vall d’Hebron Campus, is a reference comprehensive cancer center for personalized medicine in oncology. Through our purely translational and multidisciplinary research model, we aim to improve the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer by transforming the latest scientific discoveries made in the laboratory into early phase clinical trials for the development of more effective therapies to improve the quality of life and survival  of cancer patients.

VHIO forms part of the CERCA – Research Centres of Catalonia system and is accredited as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence.

Research at VHIO would not be possible without the support received from our patrons –Generalitat de Catalunya, Fundació Privada CELLEX, “La Caixa” Foundation, Fundación FERO, Fundación BBVA and the CRIS Cancer Foundation– and the public funding it receives as well as the generous support from institutional supporters, private institutions, companies, associations, societies, and individual donors. Only with such continued support will VHIO continue to advance personalized and targeted therapies against cancer.

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New AI Agents, Agent Builder and community tools will help accelerate academic workflows while keeping humans in control.

LONDON, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Clarivate, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announced the expansion of its Academic AI Platform, helping institutions harness agentic AI to accelerate productivity, save time for researchers, students and staff, and engage users in the digital environments they already use. Beginning in April 2025, Clarivate will introduce AI Agents to support key academic workflows. As part of this expansion, we are initiating the development of an Agent Builder and community-driven AI tools, supported by a Development Partner Program set to launch in 2025.

As the Academic AI Platform evolves, it continues to focus on academic needs and be guided by the Clarivate AI principles, keeping integrity and human oversight at the center of decision-making.

AI Agents: Going beyond generative AI

AI Agents, powering the next wave of AI innovation, are advanced software programs capable of reasoning, planning, and taking actions to achieve specific goals. They integrate contextual understanding, decision-making, and iterative learning, enabling to accomplish complex multi-step tasks across multiple data sources through a single point of interaction. While generative AI excels at producing text and answering queries in a transactional manner, AI Agents go further by proactively guiding workflows, facilitating nuanced conversations, and executing actions.

Clarivate brings AI Agents into academia through the Academic AI Platform, building upon its suite of AI-powered research, analytics and metadata assistants introduced in 2024 and already adopted by over 3,000 institutions. Purpose-built AI Agents leverage curated data and workflow tools from Clarivate, enabling librarians, administrators, academics, and students to achieve more with greater efficiency and precision while ensuring academic values remain central.

Clarivate is working toward developing a portfolio of pre–built AI agents. The first series of AI Agents will include:

Literature review: Guiding researchers through the literature review process by optimizing queries, retrieving and analyzing data from data sources, and summarizing key insights. The agent will simplify what is often a labor-intensive and time-consuming process of synthesizing literature to help researchers identify themes, gaps and hot topics. It will launch on April 10, 2025 through the Web of Science Research Assistant.

Research Intelligence: Web of Science Research Intelligence will provide powerful analytics for university leaders and research managers to support data-driven decision-making. AI agents will address core priorities such as connecting researchers with potential collaborators, providing comparative insights into research performance, and matching researchers with relevant funding opportunities. These AI agents will be available to Web of Science Research Intelligence development partners and early adopters by August 2025.

Agent Builder: A flexible development environment requiring little to no coding expertise

In addition to the pre-built AI agents, Clarivate is initiating the development of an Agent Builder—a flexible environment that enables institutions to create, customize and deploy their own AI-powered tools. The new Agent Builder will democratize the creation of AI agents and will help institutions reach users where they are, such as by integrating AI into institutional and library portals, learning and discovery services, and other environments.

To simplify the development process, the Agent Builder will include capabilities such as a prompt builder, workflow orchestration, and system connectors, making it easier for institutions to implement AI solutions without extensive technical expertise. Institutions will be able to integrate Clarivate curated content sources and software solutions into their AI agents as well as their local data sources and applications through an intuitive low-code/no-code conversational interface. These same tools will power the development of Clarivate pre-built AI Agents, ensuring a seamless and scalable approach across the platform.

Community-built AI tools

Libraries have long thrived on collaboration—and AI should be no different. The Clarivate Academic AI Platform will offer new opportunities to support that tradition, enabling institutions to contribute, share and build on each other’s AI solutions. With community-built templates, workflows, and tools libraries can accelerate development together and ensure that AI solutions evolve in ways that reflect their academic priorities.

Oren Beit-Arie, senior vice president of Strategy & Innovation at Clarivate, said: “With the expansion of the Clarivate Academic AI Platform, we’re introducing AI Agents and the Agent Builder to foster a collaborative ecosystem where institutions can develop, refine, and share AI-powered solutions built on curated content. This approach builds on past community-led innovation—such as Cloud Apps and the Developer Network—ensuring that AI supports institutional priorities. By working together, we can shape AI in ways that are transparent, responsible, and deeply aligned with academic values.”

To accelerate innovation and adoption of the Academic AI Platform, Clarivate is introducing a Development Partner Program, inviting academic libraries to co-create and refine AI-driven solutions. To learn more or explore partnership opportunities, contact the Clarivate Academic AI group.

About Clarivate
Clarivate™ is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com 

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Dubai-based TFSF Ventures launches spring discount campaign while spotlighting advanced crypto, AI, and payment gateway solutions for global businesses.

DUBAI, UAE, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC, a trailblazing Dubai-based software development firm specializing in fintech and cryptocurrency innovations, proudly showcases its robust portfolio of advanced solutions designed to empower businesses across the globe. Renowned for its forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence, TFSF Ventures delivers bespoke products and services that address the dynamic demands of the financial technology landscape, serving everyone from agile startups to multinational enterprises. In celebration of the spring season, the company is rolling out an exclusive promotion: all development packages signed in April 2025 will receive a 10% discount, offering businesses a prime opportunity to elevate their operations at a reduced cost.

Pioneering Solutions for a Digital-First World

TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC stands at the intersection of traditional finance and emerging technologies, offering a versatile array of services tailored to drive growth and innovation. Drawing from a review of their offerings at http://www.tfsf.io, the company’s key solutions include:

Bespoke Software Development: Crafting custom applications from the ground up, TFSF ensures solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned with each client’s specific business goals—whether for fintech platforms, operational tools, or customer-facing applications.Cryptocurrency Ecosystem Tools: Beyond basic integration, TFSF provides sophisticated services like blockchain development, smart contract creation, and a groundbreaking card-issuing program linking Visa debit cards to crypto wallets, enabling users to spend digital and fiat currencies seamlessly.Pulse Payment Gateways: Through its Pulse division (http://www.tfsfpulse.com), TFSF offers white-label, custom-built payment gateways that support over 200 global processors, multiple currencies, and cryptocurrency transactions—ideal for both traditional and high-risk industries such as gaming or e-commerce.E-Commerce and Web Development: Building visually stunning, fully integrated e-commerce platforms and websites with advanced shopping cart functionality optimized for performance, security, and user engagement.AI-Driven Program Management: Leveraging artificial intelligence, TFSF provides strategic planning, implementation frameworks, and ongoing optimization for businesses integrating AI into their operations, ensuring compliance and maximum impact.Mobile App Innovation: Delivering secure, scalable mobile applications with intuitive interfaces, enabling fintech firms and merchants to connect with customers and adapt to market shifts effortlessly.

These offerings underscore TFSF Ventures’ dedication to bridging the gap between conventional financial systems and the digital economy. By combining deep technical expertise with a client-centric approach, the company empowers businesses to streamline processes, enhance security, and unlock new revenue opportunities in an increasingly competitive market.

Spring Promotion: 10% Off Development Packages

In a bid to fuel business growth this spring, TFSF Ventures is launching an exciting promotion valid throughout April 2025. Clients signing up for any development package—spanning custom software, payment gateways, e-commerce platforms, or AI solutions—will receive a 10% discount on their entire project cost. This limited-time offer reflects TFSF’s commitment to making high-quality, innovative technology accessible to businesses ready to take their next step.

“Our spring promotion is a chance for us to partner with more businesses and help them achieve their vision,” said a spokesperson for TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC. “We’re passionate about delivering transformative solutions, and this discount makes it boosted for companies to invest in the tools they need to succeed in today’s digital-first world.”

Why TFSF Ventures Stands Out

Strategically headquartered in Dubai, TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC harnesses its prime location to serve a diverse, global clientele. The company’s team of seasoned developers, blockchain experts, and industry strategists collaborates closely with clients to deliver solutions that are not only innovative but also practical and results-driven. Recent enhancements, such as AI-powered program management and expanded cryptocurrency payment options, position TFSF as a leader in the fintech space, capable of addressing both current challenges and future opportunities.

Whether a business seeks to launch a new payment system, integrate blockchain technology, or revamp its online presence, TFSF Ventures provides end-to-end support—from ideation to deployment and beyond. This holistic approach ensures clients remain agile and competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

To explore TFSF Ventures’ full range of services or secure the 10% spring discount, visit http://www.tfsf.io or reach out to the team at support@tfsf.io. Act fast—the promotion ends April 30, 2025!

About TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC

TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC is a Dubai-based software development firm specializing in fintech, cryptocurrency, and AI-driven solutions. Operating under the motto “If you can dream it, we can build it,” the company delivers custom-built, high-performance products that empower businesses in the digital age. With a skilled team of developers and blockchain experts, TFSF serves clients across industries including e-commerce, gaming, payments, and DeFi. Its strategic location in Dubai positions it at the forefront of global tech innovation. Committed to excellence, agility, and client success, TFSF Ventures continues to shape the future of financial technology through cutting-edge, scalable solutions.

Media Contact

Media Relations, TFSF Ventures FZ-LLC, +971 4 123 4567, support@tfsf.io, https://www.tfsf.io/

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