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Scientists Use AI to Create Drug Regime for Brain Cancer in Children

A 5-year old boy with a brain tumor, lies on a stretcher as he arrives with his parents. Reuters
A 5-year old boy with a brain tumor, lies on a stretcher as he arrives with his parents. Reuters
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Scientists Use AI to Create Drug Regime for Brain Cancer in Children

A 5-year old boy with a brain tumor, lies on a stretcher as he arrives with his parents. Reuters
A 5-year old boy with a brain tumor, lies on a stretcher as he arrives with his parents. Reuters

Scientists have successfully used artificial intelligence to create a new drug regime for children with a deadly form of brain cancer that has not seen survival rates improve for more than half a century, The Guardian reported.

The breakthrough, revealed in the journal Cancer Discovery, is set to usher in an "exciting" new era where AI can be harnessed to invent and develop new treatments for all types of cancer, experts say.

"The use of AI promises to have a transformative effect on drug discovery," said Prof Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, where a team of scientists, doctors and data analysts made the discovery.

"In this study, use of AI has identified a drug combination which appears to have promise as a future treatment for some children with incurable brain cancer. It's exciting to think that it could become one of the first examples of a treatment proposed by AI going on to benefit patients," he added.

Computer scientists and cancer specialists at the ICR and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust used AI to work out that combining the drug everolimus with another called vandetanib could treat diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and fast-growing type of brain tumor in children.

Currently, DIPG and other similar types of tumors are incredibly difficult to remove surgically from children because they are diffuse, which means they do not have well-defined borders suitable for operations.

But after crunching data on existing drugs, the team found everolimus could enhance vandetanib's capacity to "sneak" through the blood-brain barrier and treat the cancer.

The combination has proved effective in mice and has now been tested in children. Experts now hope to test it on a much larger group of children in major clinical trials.

The research found that combining the two drugs extended survival in mice by 14% compared with those receiving a standard control treatment.

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European Countries Close Schools, Cancel Trains as Heatwave Set to Intensify

In France, temperatures have already reached into the 40s. ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP
In France, temperatures have already reached into the 40s. ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP
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European Countries Close Schools, Cancel Trains as Heatwave Set to Intensify

In France, temperatures have already reached into the 40s. ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP
In France, temperatures have already reached into the 40s. ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP

Much of Europe was preparing Monday for an already fierce heatwave to intensify even further in the coming days, with some countries taking special measures to mitigate its effects.

France recorded heat-related deaths over the weekend. A leading researcher reiterated that human-driven climate change had contributed to the recent record-breaking heatwave, said AFP.

In France, 49 of the country's 96 mainland departments were on a red alert weather warning, up from 35 over the weekend.

Officials announced the closure of 845 schools Monday with another 1,800 set to let students leave earlier than normal.

On Sunday, several towns had cancelled the annual music festival and the government banned alcohol consumption in public places on health and public order grounds in departments already under the weather red alert.

Some parts of France recorded temperatures past 40 degrees -- extreme for June. In the southwest Gironde region, local officials said the deaths of three people, aged between 80 and 95, were in part due to the intense heat.

French forecasters say the current heatwave could end up being as serious as the one in August 2003 that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 in France.

- 'Intense and early' -

Both France and Belgium announced cuts to their rail services: in France, mainly commuter lines in and around Paris.

Belgium's national rail company SNCB announced that some rush hour trains had been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday to reduce the risk of breakdowns blocking the tracks.

Temperatures in Belgium are expected to be "the hottest ever recorded" there in the coming week, warned David Dehenauw, head of forecasting at the IRM meteorological institute.

France's junior minister for ecology Mathieu Lefevre said this heatwave was "particularly intense and particularly early". In May, several European countries reported record temperatures for that time of year.

Akshay Deoras, a senior researcher at the University of Reading's National Center for Atmospheric Science, in England, said it was clear what was behind the rash of heat records.

"Human-driven climate change has provided the springboard for this event, loading the atmosphere with extra heat and making extreme temperatures far more intense than they would have been in the past," he said.

Spain's weather service Aemet on Sunday warned of "extremely high" temperatures for the season, day and night, until Wednesday. Temperatures are forecast to reach 44C in some areas.

"Temperatures will drop Thursday, but the heat will remain intense," it added.

On Sunday, officials in Madrid cancelled a public screening on a giant screen of Spain's victory over Saudi Arabia at the World Cup because of the extreme heat.

- UK records 'annihilated' -

In Britain, Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, predicted that existing UK heat records for June would be "annihilated" -- as had already happened in May.

"The coming week will bring an unprecedented heatwave with temperatures likely to reach 38-39 degrees Celsius," she predicted. "The current June record is 35.6 degrees Celsius.

"This will lead to two consecutive months, May and June, in which the UK temperature records have been annihilated by well over 2C," she added.

Varieties

Europe Braces for Prolonged Heatwave as Temperatures Approach 40C

People wait in the heat the arrival of guests of the Prada's Spring/Summer 2027 men's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
People wait in the heat the arrival of guests of the Prada's Spring/Summer 2027 men's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
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Europe Braces for Prolonged Heatwave as Temperatures Approach 40C

People wait in the heat the arrival of guests of the Prada's Spring/Summer 2027 men's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)
People wait in the heat the arrival of guests of the Prada's Spring/Summer 2027 men's collection presented in Milan, Italy, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP)

A severe heatwave gripped much of Europe on Sunday, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), prompting nationwide warnings, transport disruption and signs of strain on wildlife and at tourist hotspots.

The heat surge on June 21, the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and typically the start of the three hottest months of the year, raised concerns of an early and persistent onset of extreme conditions.

After several days of temperatures above 35C, Italian authorities issued a red alert for June 21 in eight cities, including Bologna, Florence, Milan, and Turin.

In Rome, pilgrims in St Peter's Square used parasols and umbrellas to shield themselves from the blazing sun as the ‌Pope led a traditional ‌Sunday prayer from a window of the Apostolic Palace.

The spike in ‌temperatures ⁠is being driven ⁠by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara, fueled by a strong high-pressure system known as the "African anticyclone."

Meteorologists say the system is creating a so-called "heat dome," trapping hot air over western and central Europe and allowing temperatures to build day after day. Madrid residents and tourists used fans and drank plenty of cold drinks as they browsed the city's famous El Rastro flea market.

“I'm dressed all in white because it's so hot, and I'm carrying my little electric fan everywhere ⁠I go,” said Haily San Cesario, a 22-year-old engineer from Miami.

Spain's ‌AEMET weather agency issued red and orange alerts across several ‌regions, warning of temperatures exceeding 39 to 40 C across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula and ‌Mallorca, and said the heatwave would last at least until midweek.

TRAINS CANCELLED IN FRANCE

The extreme ‌heat has begun to disrupt infrastructure.

Speaking from Paris’ Gare Montparnasse station, SNCF chief Jean Castex said the rail network was “strongly impacted” by high temperatures that risk damaging overhead power lines and expanding tracks.

He said 3,500 staff had been mobilized to monitor the network and 2,000 more would conduct emergency repairs. He urged vulnerable ‌passengers to delay travel. The operator has cancelled 71 intercity trains until Monday on key routes.

In Germany, where temperatures have already reached ⁠as high as 38C, ⁠the DWD weather service warned of severe thunderstorms in eastern regions including Berlin, where heavy rain disrupted the open-air Fete de la Musique festival.

Organizers had to evacuate the grounds of the Berlin Open as heavy rain and strong winds set in, and as fans awaited the tennis tournament's singles final between Jessica Pegula of the US and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

HEAT STRESS ON NESTLINGS

Wildlife rescuers are also reporting mounting pressure.

A center near the Belgian city of Namur said it had taken in around 150 heat-stressed animals in recent days, with young birds particularly at risk.

“Nestlings prefer to jump rather than let themselves die and literally cook in their nests,” said CREAVES founder Romain De Jaegere, adding that centers across Belgium were overwhelmed.

Experts say the situation reflects a broader trend, with heatwaves in Europe becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Varieties

France Presses Ahead with Music Festivals Despite Extreme Heat

Two women walk in front of the sea at the beginning of the "Promenade des Anglais" on the French riviera city of Nice, on June 20, 2026. (AFP)
Two women walk in front of the sea at the beginning of the "Promenade des Anglais" on the French riviera city of Nice, on June 20, 2026. (AFP)
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France Presses Ahead with Music Festivals Despite Extreme Heat

Two women walk in front of the sea at the beginning of the "Promenade des Anglais" on the French riviera city of Nice, on June 20, 2026. (AFP)
Two women walk in front of the sea at the beginning of the "Promenade des Anglais" on the French riviera city of Nice, on June 20, 2026. (AFP)

France on Sunday prepared to host its annual street music festival in boiling heat, with a third of the country placed on red alert and alcohol consumption banned.

Every year on June 21, musicians take over France, filling street corners and rooftops as revelers celebrate midsummer late into the night.

This year, however, the Fete de la Musique coincides with a ferocious heatwave, with a record 35 departments -- roughly a third of the country -- placed under the highest heat alert.

Weather service Meteo-France warned that temperatures could reach as high as 41C in some places.

While some cities have cancelled street events, celebrations in others - including Paris, Lyon and Strasbourg - will go ahead.

Last year, around two million people attended the festival in Paris alone, many of them travelling from Britain.

To ensure public safety, authorities will deploy 4,800 police officers and gendarmes, along with 2,500 firefighters, in and around the capital.

Gatherings along the lower banks of the Seine will be prohibited to reduce the risk of people falling into the water.

According to AFP estimates, around 53 million people in France will be affected by the heat on Sunday, with a further 45 departments under orange alert.

The number of departments on red alert has reached a record high, surpassing the previous peak of 20 recorded on July 24-25, 2019.

The Atlantic port city of Nantes is offering free access to swimming pools and museums until the end of the red alert period.