Adolescence

• “RP-1664 exhibited deep tumor growth inhibition and regressions in multiple TRIM37-high solid tumor and neuroblastoma xenograft models, both internally and in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
• After evaluating safety in the LIONS clinical trial, we expect to move rapidly into a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in high risk, recurrent pediatric neuroblastoma, in which patients have a high prevalence of TRIM37-altered tumors and limited treatment options,” said Maria Koehler, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Repare.
• “RP-1664 is Repare’s third internally-developed clinical therapeutic candidate, a testament to the productivity of our platform.”
  The LIONS clinical trial ( NCT06232408 ) is a first-in-human, multicenter, open-label Phase 1 study to investigate safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and the preliminary efficacy of RP-1664.
• The clinical trial is expected to enroll approximately 80 patients with molecularly selected advanced solid tumors, including those with gain or amplification of TRIM37, among other genetic alterations.

• It’s easy to see why taking selfies could be considered inappropriate in such cases.
• When considered alongside a rise in toxic influencer culture and widespread body-image insecurity, it could be argued banning gym selfies is a positive step.

Self-obsession in the digital age

• One of the most famous Greek myths is that of Narcissus, who gave us the word “narcissist”.
• This is the tale of a young man captivated by his own image.
• Yet research shows narcissism is not only very prevalent in the modern age, in many cases it’s lucratively rewarded.

Gyms push back against selfies

• Gym selfies can be tied particularly closely to influencer culture.
• Influencers posting gym selfies will typically gain a lot of views and likes, and in some cases may attract mass followings.
• Research shows gym selfies can also influence people’s motivations for exercising.
• Study participants reported becoming more conscious of their own bodies when they saw gym selfies online.

Self-care in the social media age

• And social media are a potent driver of the latter.
• This promotes an obsession with self-image and pushes us to reach social media-worthy levels of muscularity or leanness.
• Research shows adolescents in particular can have negative mental health outcomes as a result of self-image comparisons on social media.

Exercising for ourselves

• At the same time, these individuals wield significant power within communities (both online and offline) and have an opportunity to shape norms around fitness and body image.
• It might just be the beginning of people exercising for themselves and nobody else.

Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is also supported by a UNSW University Postgraduate Award funded by the Australian Government. Timothy Piatkowski is a Lecturer and Researcher at Griffith University. He is also affiliated with Queensland Injectors Voice for Advocacy and Action.

• The recent charges against five members of Canada’s gold medal-winning 2018 world junior hockey team in connection with an alleged sexual assault has thrust Hockey Canada and its issues back into the public eye.
• A woman sued Hockey Canada in 2022, alleging she had been sexually assaulted in a hotel room by eight Canadian Hockey League players, some of whom were members of the 2018 world junior team.
• While coverage of this case continues to raise important questions about the systemic failures within Hockey Canada, many have been left wondering what can be done to prevent gender-based and sexual violence in the future.

Hockey Canada lacks accountability

• But, as some critics have already articulated, their plans lack transparency, accountability and foresight in preventing violence.
• In November 2023, Hockey Canada said they would not release their third-party report on the alleged 2018 sexual assault to the public.

The spectrum of violence

• This Hockey Canada issue is not isolated; there have been many high-profile domestic and sexual violence cases in professional and competitive sports, including claims of hazing, harassment and sexual violence all the way down to the amateur level.
• Gender-based violence doesn’t occur in a vacuum; it thrives in environments that facilitate it — particularly the normalization of hazing that is predicated on sexism, racism and homophobia.
• Practices like hazing also create an environment where misogyny, homophobia and racism can escalate into tangible forms of violence outside the locker room.

Violence prevention programs

• In my experience running gender-based violence prevention programs with young male athletes, many initially balk at violence prevention programs as they are seen as vilifying boys and men.
• These findings contradict current models of violence prevention in professional or competitive sport, such as the OHL’s mandatory Onside training, which is a two-hour workshop for new players on sexual violence.

Addressing violence in sport

• To meaningfully address violence in sport, gender-based violence programs must be ongoing and dynamic instead of being treated like a mere checkbox.
• Investing in violence prevention that is evidence-based and sustainable is the key to ensuring that this violence stops.

Maddie Brockbank works at Interval House of Hamilton in the MentorAction program. Maddie is a Vanier Scholar and received doctoral funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

• The Intractable Disease Research Center at Juntendo University will conduct broader analyses of mitochondrial genetic data to confirm genetic diagnosis.
• Unfortunately, mitochondrial disease is the most common congenital metabolic condition, with one case detected for every 5000 live births.
• In terms of testing, Juntendo University screens many babies diagnosed with mitochondrial disease each year.
• In this regard, Prof. Murayama's team commenced mitochondrial disease outpatient care at Juntendo Medical Center's Pediatric and Adolescent Department in July 2023.