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Oxygen-starved cancer cells develop similar survival strategies as the Sherpa population of the Himalayan region

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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.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2660597/VHIO.jpg

 

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Galaxy Digital Inc. Announces Pricing of $3.507 Billion of Senior Secured Notes

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NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Galaxy Digital Inc. (NASDAQ: GLXY) (“Galaxy” or the “Company”), a global leader in digital assets and data center infrastructure, today announced that its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, Galaxy Helios Data Centers II LLC (the “Issuer”), has priced a $3.507 billion private offering (the “Offering”) of 9.875% senior secured notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Offering is expected to close on July 28, 2026, subject to market and other conditions.

The Issuer intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to finance a portion of the development and construction of two buildings containing eight data halls with a combined total of 400 megawatts (“MW”) of utility capacity and 260 MW of critical IT capacity (the “Project”) to be built on an approximately 260-acre property in Dickens County, Texas and to fund debt service reserves.

The Notes will bear interest at a rate of 9.875% per annum payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on February 1, 2027 and will mature on August 1, 2031. The Notes will amortize at a rate of 4.00% per annum of the original principal amount subject to adjustment, with amortization payments payable semi-annually with the first payment date to occur at least ten months after the completion of the Project.

The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Galaxy Helios II LLC, a wholly owned direct subsidiary of the Issuer (the “Guarantor”), and will constitute the senior secured obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantor. The Notes and related note guarantee will be secured by first-priority liens on (i) substantially all assets of the Issuer and the Guarantor, other than certain excluded property and (ii) all equity interests of the Issuer held by the direct parent company of the Issuer.

The Offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether, when or on what terms the Offering may be completed.

The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and the Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. The Notes will be offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A under the Securities Act and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Galaxy

Galaxy Digital Inc. (Nasdaq: GLXY) is a global leader in digital assets and data center infrastructure, delivering solutions that accelerate progress in finance and artificial intelligence. Our digital assets platform offers institutional access to trading, advisory, asset management, staking, self-custody, and tokenization technology. In addition, we develop and operate cutting-edge data center infrastructure to power AI and HPC workloads. Our 1.63 GW Helios campus in Texas positions Galaxy among the largest and fastest-growing data center developers in North America. The Company is headquartered in New York City, with offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the completion, size and timing of the Offering, the terms of the Notes and the intended use of proceeds. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements represent the Company’s current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are market conditions, including market interest rates, the satisfaction of the closing conditions related to the Offering and risks relating to the Company’s business, including those described in periodic reports that the Company files from time to time with the SEC. The Issuer may not consummate the proposed Offering described in this press release and, if the proposed Offering is consummated, cannot provide any assurances regarding the final terms of the Offering or the Notes or its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds as described above. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update the statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

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SOURCE Galaxy Digital Inc.

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The Finish Line that Changed China: Retracing the Long March to Yan’an

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BEIJING, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on the Long March, and what it means for China today:

 

Every journey has a destination.

But some destinations become the beginning of something even greater.

This is Yan’an.

Over 90 years ago, an army of soldiers embarked from Yudu, Jiangxi Province, on a journey that would go down in history.

They crossed snow-capped mountains, vast grasslands and raging rivers, eventually arriving in northern Shaanxi.

Across this grueling 12,500-kilometer journey, they wrote a magnificent epic in human history with willpower and courage.

Here, their Long March came to a victorious end. But a new chapter of history was only beginning.

In Yan’an, the Red Army found time to recover and rebuild, and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China regrouped, gathering strength for the next chapter.

Here, new ideas were debated, new strategies were shaped, and a vision for China’s future gradually took form.

Today, while preserving its revolutionary legacy, Yan’an has grown into a vibrant, modern city — with a greener environment, thriving industries and happier lives for its people.

Nearly 90 years ago, American journalist Edgar Snow came to northern Shaanxi, seeking to uncover a story that few outside China knew. He later chronicled it in his book “Red Star Over China,” which carried the story of the Long March to the world.

Today, people from around the world are once again retracing those steps.

As part of China International Communications Group (CICG)’s “Together on the Long March” international communication project, participants have spent more than a month retracing the route across six key regions.

From Jiangxi to Shaanxi, they followed the Red Army’s journey and witnessed the remarkable changes that have taken place along the way.

I asked them one simple question: What does this journey mean to you?

Zhavier Harris, marketing and communications manager at the Springfield Urban League, said conversations with local residents and descendants of the Red Army made history feel far more immediate than he had expected.

He said history isn’t as distant as we often think. “We’re only one or two generations from these great sacrifices that led to the development and the greatness that we see from the Communist Party of China and China as a whole.”

David Ferguson, honorary chief English editor at Foreign Languages Press under CICG and a recipient of the 2021 Chinese Government Friendship Award, said the journey deepened his understanding of the Long March.

He said the journey helped him understand not only the historical facts, but also what the Red Army endured. “If you see the Long March merely as a military campaign, it ended in Yan’an. But as a spirit, it has never truly come to an end.”

We came to retrace history. We leave with something more: a deeper understanding of China’s past, a clearer view of its present, and perhaps a greater appreciation for the stories that connect us across cultures.

Edgar Snow called the Long March “an Odyssey unequalled in modern times.” He believed that what sustained it was a flame — consisting of an undimmed ardor, an undying hope and an amazing revolutionary optimism.

Ninety years later, that flame still burns.

Passed down through generations, the spirit of the Long March continues to light China’s path forward.

And as it crosses borders and cultures, it offers the world a glimpse of a nation defined by resilience, perseverance and an enduring drive to move forward.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

The Finish Line that Changed China: Retracing the Long March to Yan’an
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2026-07/23/content_118614941.shtml

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SOURCE China.org.cn

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Visa and Lianlian Advance Trusted B2B Agentic Commerce Through LoopXPay’s First Live B2B Agentic Transaction

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First live B2B agentic transaction in Greater China highlights how AI-enabled commerce can help SMBs streamline purchasing and payments, supported by Visa’s Agentic Directory for trusted AI agent interactions

SINGAPORE, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, and Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd. (“Lianlian”), an AI-native global financial infrastructure provider, today announced the first live B2B agentic transaction completed using LoopXPay, Lianlian’s AI agent. 

Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) often lack dedicated procurement teams and spend valuable time sourcing, purchasing and making payments themselves. In the transaction, the LoopXPay agent was used to source a product sample from a supplier and complete the purchase in a single workflow. The agent identified the purchasing requirement, recommended suitable suppliers, compared options, placed the order and securely executed the payment within a single workflow, while operating within pre-defined spending controls and approval parameters.

The milestone highlights how AI-powered commerce experiences can help SMBs simplify purchasing and payment activities while maintaining appropriate controls and oversight. By enabling AI agents to operate within pre-defined spending parameters and approval controls, businesses can reduce manual effort while retaining visibility into commercial decision-making.

As AI agents become more involved in purchasing and payment activities, businesses will require confidence that transactions are being executed by verified participants, within approved parameters and with appropriate oversight. Capabilities aligned with Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol can help provide the identity, transparency and controls needed to support these interactions.

As part of the collaboration, LoopXPay has been registered in Visa’s Agentic Directory, enabling participating businesses and merchants to identify verified AI agents within the ecosystem. Supporting the implementation of Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol, the Agentic Directory helps provide greater transparency into agent-driven interactions and confidence that participating agents have met Visa’s requirements.

“AI-powered commerce experiences can help businesses simplify purchasing and payments while maintaining the controls and oversight they require,” said Darren Parslow, Global Head, Visa Commercial Solutions, Visa. “For SMBs, that means less complexity in managing day-to-day commercial activities and more time focused on growth. As businesses increasingly look to embed intelligence into purchasing and payment experiences, trust will become a critical enabler of adoption. Through our collaboration with Lianlian, we are helping advance the trusted foundations that businesses will need to participate in this next era of commerce with confidence.”

Building on this milestone, Visa and Lianlian are exploring how AI agents can support a broader range of commercial activities, including procurement, digital advertising optimisation and B2B platform payments, helping advance trusted commerce through greater efficiency, transparency and control.

Zhang Zhengyu, Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Lianlian DigiTech, said, “AI is reshaping the entire commercial value chain, where a growing number of business activities will be autonomously executed by AI agents, with payments serving as the critical infrastructure connecting them to global commerce. Leveraging its experience in global cross-border payments, compliance, as well as payment network, LianLian is actively building AI-native financial infrastructure, delivering an integrated suite of capabilities for the Agent Economy, spanning identity verification, transaction authorisation, intelligent payment, and global fund settlement. Through this collaboration with Visa, we aim to combine Lianlian’s AI-native capabilities with Visa’s trusted global network and commercial payment expertise to help businesses transact more securely, intelligently and efficiently in an increasingly agent-driven commerce environment.”

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

About Lianlian

Lianlian DigiTech Co., Ltd. (“Lianlian DigiTech” or “Lianlian”) was founded in 2009 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024 (stock code: 2598.HK). As China’s leading global provider of digital and intelligent payment services, Lianlian adheres to its mission of “Connecting the world, empowering global commerce” and pursues an “AI-Native + Globalization” strategy. The Company is committed to building a trusted global intelligent financial infrastructure, enabling seamless connectivity between Chinese enterprises and global businesses.  As of now, Lianlian has established a global licensing portfolio comprising 68 payment licenses and related qualifications, and holds a VATP license issued by the Hong Kong SFC. It supports services in more than 200 countries and regions and enables transaction settlement in over 140 currencies, connecting over 180 global e-commerce platforms and serving a cumulative total of over 13.3 million customers. Learn more at www.lianlian.com.

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SOURCE Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited

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