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COVID-19 Vaccines may Help some Cancer Patients Fight Tumors

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The most widely used COVID-19 vaccines may offer a surprise benefit for some cancer patients – revving up their immune systems to help fight tumors.

COVID-19 Vaccines may Help some Cancer Patients Fight Tumors

People with advanced lung or skin cancer who were taking certain immunotherapy drugs lived substantially longer if they also got a Pfizer or Moderna shot within 100 days of starting treatment, according to preliminary research being reported recently in the journal Nature.

And it had nothing to do with virus infections.

Instead, the molecule that powers those specific vaccines, mRNA, appears to help the immune system respond better to the cutting-edge cancer treatment, concluded researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Florida.

The vaccine “acts like a siren to activate immune cells throughout the body,” said Dr. Adam Grippin, lead researcher of MD Anderson.

“We’re sensitizing immune-resistant tumors to immune therapy.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health Secretary  has raised skepticism about mRNA vaccines, cutting $500 million in funding for some uses of the technology.

But this research team found its results so promising that it is preparing a more rigorous study to see if mRNA coronavirus vaccines should be paired with cancer drugs called checkpoint inhibitors — an interim step while it designs new mRNA vaccines for use in cancer.

A healthy immune system often kills cancer cells before they become a threat.

But some tumors evolve to hide from immune attack.

Checkpoint inhibitors remove that cloak. It’s a powerful treatment – when it works. Some people’s immune cells still don’t recognize the tumor.

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is naturally found in every cell and it contains genetic instructions for our bodies to make proteins. While best known as the Nobel Prize-winning technology behind COVID-19 vaccines, scientists have long been trying to create personalized mRNA “treatment vaccines” that train immune cells to spot unique features of a patient’s tumor.

The new research offers “a very good clue” that maybe an off-the-shelf approach could work, said Dr. Jeff Coller, an mRNA specialist at Johns Hopkins University who wasn’t involved with the work.

“What it shows is that mRNA medicines are continuing to surprise us in how beneficial they can be to human health.”

Grippin and his Florida colleagues had been developing personalized mRNA cancer vaccines when they realized that even one created without a specific target appeared to spur similar immune activity against cancer.

Grippin wondered if the already widely available mRNA coronavirus shots might also have some effect, too.

So the team analyzed records of nearly 1,000 advanced cancer patients undergoing checkpoint inhibitor treatment at MD Anderson – comparing those who happened to get a Pfizer or Moderna shot with those who didn’t.

Vaccinated lung cancer patients were nearly twice as likely to be alive three years after beginning cancer treatment as the unvaccinated patients.

Among melanoma patients, median survival was significantly longer for vaccinated patients – but exactly how much isn’t clear, as some of that group were still alive when the data was analyzed.

Non-mRNA vaccines such as flu shots didn’t make a difference, he said.


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Ebere Melum-Nwogbo is a trained and practicing journalist. She is passionate about ICT and business journalism. She has over a decade experience spanning money and capital market as well as information technology

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NAHCO Signs New Ground Handling Deals

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The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc has announced the signing of a chain of contracts with major airlines for the provision of total handling solutions.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company announced the signing of contract renewals with Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic, as well as the African operator, RwandAir.

NAHCO also signed fresh contracts with United Nigeria – Regional, Bellagio and Malaikair.

According to the statement, the contracts with Air France and KLM are for three years and will run till 2028, respectively. The duration of the contract with Virgin Atlantic was also put at three years.

The duration for the RwandAir contract is for three years, effective 1 October 2025.

The statement read, “The new contract with United – Regional would be for a period of five years, effective from 1 August 2025. For Bellagio and Malaikair, the contracts are for three and five years, respectively.

“Bellagio Air, Nigeria’s rising star in aviation, is redefining air travel with a blend of luxury, efficiency, and reliability. Headquartered in the vibrant city of Ikeja, Lagos, Bellagio Air is committed to providing world-class service across key domestic and regional routes.”

The Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, NAHCO Plc, Saheed Lasisi, who expressed his delight with the new contracts, said NAHCO is already ready to exceed customers’ expectations.

According to Lasisi, NAHCO’s more than 46 years of unblemished excellent service delivery puts it heads and shoulders above any other service provider in the industry.

“This is what we have been doing for almost half of a century. We will continue to delight our customers and make our stakeholders happy by exceeding expectations in all aspects of our service offerings. We are always willing and ready to do more,” Lasisi added.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NAHCO Plc, Olumuyiwa Olumekun, added that with the new fleet of equipment the company is deploying, service delivery will only be better.

 


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Nigeria Targets Satellite-to-Mobile Services in Draft Spectrum Roadmap

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a forward-looking strategy that places satellite-enabled mobile connectivity at the heart of the country’s drive to bridge its long-standing coverage gaps.

Nigeria Targets Satellite-to-Mobile Services in Draft Spectrum Roadmap

The draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector for 2025 to 2030 lays out how satellite technologies could help deliver reliable voice and data services to millions of Nigerians who live beyond the reach of conventional mobile networks.

The direction is outlined in the Commission’s draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector covering the period.

The proposed approach highlights non-terrestrial networks as a complement to existing mobile infrastructure, especially in areas where terrain, insecurity, or high costs limit the deployment of base stations.

The NCC said D2D satellite technology, which allows standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites, is gaining traction globally as a means of delivering voice and data services without reliance on ground towers.

According to the regulator, the technology could help close persistent coverage gaps in rural, riverine, and border communities that remain outside the reach of conventional networks.

It also noted that satellite-backed connectivity could improve network reliability by providing alternative links during fibre cuts, power failures, or other disruptions affecting terrestrial systems.

The Commission added that wider adoption of D2D services could support emergency communications, public safety operations, Internet of Things applications, and services such as smart agriculture in underserved regions.

It also pointed to potential investment opportunities through partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, including more efficient use of shared spectrum resources.

Beyond D2D services, the roadmap places emphasis on Low-Earth Orbit satellites to expand broadband access to remote parts of the country.

It also proposes better utilisation of Geostationary Orbit satellites and the exploration of high-altitude platforms, such as stratospheric balloons, to support mobile backhaul and rural connectivity.

The policy signals come shortly after Airtel Africa announced an agreement with SpaceX to introduce Starlink-powered direct-to-cell services in Nigeria.

The NCC’s roadmap is expected to shape future spectrum allocation, licensing decisions, and technology adoption across the telecommunications sector.


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House of Reps Releases Certified Copies of Tax Reform Acts amid Gazette Discrepancy Claims

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House of Representatives has released certified true copies of the four tax reform Acts signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, addressing public concerns over alleged discrepancies between legislative versions and circulated gazetted documents.

House of Reps Releases Certified Copies of Tax Reform Acts amid Gazette Discrepancy Claims

Tax Reform Acts

House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, disclosed this in a statement, noting that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas directed the immediate publication of the Acts—including endorsement and presidential assent pages—for public verification, in collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The move followed allegations raised by Rep. Abdulsamad Dasuki on the House floor, highlighting inconsistencies between Bills passed by the National Assembly and executive gazetted versions, which he warned could erode legislative integrity and public trust.

Abbas constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Rep. Aliyu Betara, with members including Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson, to investigate the alleged alterations, unauthorised circulation and preventive measures.

The committee’s mandate includes probing circumstances around the discrepancies, while Abbas ordered internal verification and public release of certified copies to dispel doubts and safeguard legislative records. Legal experts, tax professionals and civil society had demanded clarification and implementation suspension amid heated debates triggered by Dasuki’s intervention.

The released laws comprise the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service Establishment Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Act, 2025, described as foundational to modernising Nigeria’s tax system.

These reforms aim to enhance compliance, curb inefficiencies, eliminate overlaps and bolster fiscal coordination across federal, state and local tiers, following extensive stakeholder consultations, committee reviews and plenary debates under Abbas’s leadership.

Rotimi reassured Nigerians: “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.”

He emphasised that only National Assembly-certified versions hold authority, urging the public, institutions and stakeholders to disregard all other circulating documents as unofficial.


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