A phase 2b clinical trial found that zanidatamab, an antibody targeting the HER2 protein, shrank tumors in 41% of patients with HER2-positive disease. The treatment was well-tolerated and showed encouraging results, highlighting the importance of molecular profiling for precision medicine.
A new study in mice reveals that pancreatic cancer's emergence is fueled by the expansion of cell-to-cell communication. Researchers found that plasticity and inflammation reshape cells' identities and local environments, fostering cancer growth. The study provides insights into the earliest cellular events leading to PDAC and potentia...
Scientists studied cell movement during embryonic development to better understand cancer metastasis. They discovered how developing cells initiate the breakaway movement by contracting their surfaces and changing their shape, shedding light on key proteins involved in the process.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experts to present significant advances in cancer research at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. MSK faculty will also receive prestigious awards and lectureships, highlighting their contributions to precision medicine and tumor biology.
A team of scientists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center identified the STING cellular signaling pathway as a key player in keeping dormant cancer cells from progressing into aggressive tumors. Drugs that activate STING could help prevent the spread of cancer to new sites, a process known as metastasis.
Adding pembrolizumab to chemotherapy greatly improves patient outcomes in both MMR-deficient and proficient tumors. Progression-free survival increases by 70% in MMR-deficient tumors and 46% in MMR-proficient tumors.
A new clinical trial has shown promising results for nirogacestat, a targeted drug that blocks the Notch protein. In the Phase 3 trial, 41% of patients' tumors significantly shrank after taking nirogacestat, with no growth in over 75%. The most common side effects were fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, and skin rashes.
A new approach using nanoparticles has been shown to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier in mice with medulloblastoma. The nanoparticles target a protein called P-selectin, which binds naturally to cancer cells, and trigger transcytosis to deliver drugs to brain tissue.
A new study found that patients with recurrent multiple myeloma can benefit from receiving ide-cel CAR T therapy earlier in their disease course. The treatment showed a nearly sevenfold increase in complete remission rates compared to standard care.
Scientists have found that caterpillars can be used as an alternative to rodent models for studying gut inflammation, a risk factor for colorectal cancer. The tobacco hornworm caterpillar has a high degree of similarity to the human gut structure and physiology, making it a promising model organism for future research.
Researchers used zebrafish to study an inflammatory lipid called 5-oxoETE, which plays a role in airway inflammation and neutrophil response. The study identified the 5-oxoETE/OXER1 pathway as an important immune pathway that may prevent some cancers.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have discovered several mechanisms of immune escape that contribute to ovarian cancer's resistance to immunotherapy. The study reveals that ovarian tumors develop new mutations to evade the immune system as they spread, making it challenging to identify a marker for predicting respo...
Researchers at Sloan Kettering Institute develop MACHETE, a novel technique to study copy number alterations in cancer genomes. The method enables the efficient study of CNA deletions in laboratory models, which may help identify patients likely to respond to immunotherapies.
A new HIFU treatment approach, MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), effectively controlled disease in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, reducing adverse side effects. The procedure is less invasive, taking about two hours, and results in minimal recovery time.
Researchers have used cryo-EM to visualize the structure of a protein assembly called Nuclear Exosome Targeting (NEXT) Complex, which plays a crucial role in degrading faulty or unwanted RNA molecules. This breakthrough could help understand how defects in RNA degradation pathways contribute to diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have identified a new subtype of prostate cancer that accounts for 30% of all cases. This stem cell-like subtype, characterized by specific gene expression patterns, is the second most prevalent group after androgen-sensitive type.
A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center study uses comprehensive sequencing to identify at least one additional cancer-associated oncogenic variant in 54% of pediatric patients. The approach refines analysis to be accomplished in a few days, making precision medicine more inclusive for rare cancers.
Researchers identified a relationship between genetic mutations that promote cancer growth and those that help cells evade the immune system. This finding has implications for developing more effective immunotherapies by understanding how cancer cells balance growth and invisibility.
Researchers at Sloan Kettering Institute have identified a new potential 'soldier' for cancer immunotherapy, killer innate-like T cells. These cells recognize unmutated antigens and can penetrate deeper into tissues where cancer is hiding, making them attractive as a target for immunotherapy.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have obtained exquisite views of the androgen receptor using cryo-electron microscopy. The study reveals unique features of the receptor that enable it to turn on a wide range of genes, distinct from other hormone receptors. This newfound understanding provides clues to how androgen...
A recent study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center reveals that a specific genetic program, positional identity, determines the location of acral melanoma. The research, led by Dr. Richard White, found that this program is conserved throughout evolution and explains why certain mutations lead to cancer in specific areas. This b...
Researchers at the Sloan Kettering Institute have discovered the structure of the 9-1-1 clamp, a key player in DNA repair. The 9-1-1 clamp is shaped like a ring and opens widely to surround broken DNA, challenging a long-held model in the field.
Researchers have discovered a new twist on the 80-year-old Krebs cycle, which allows cells to use carbons in sugar to build important molecules like lipids. This alternate version of the TCA cycle takes place partly in mitochondria and partly in cytosol, and is associated with changes in cell identity.
Researchers have developed SEAKER cells, which combine target-seeking power with the ability to locally generate potent anticancer drug for double effect. The cells use an enzyme to release active prodrug at tumor site, killing both cancer cells and those nearby that do not contain the marker.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that pola-R-CHP reduces the risk of DLBCL disease progression, relapse, or death by 27 percent. The treatment, combining Polatuzumab vedotin with Rituximab and other chemotherapy agents, shows improved progression-free survival rates compared to current standard R-CHOP therapy.
Researchers discovered a population of stem-like T cells that perpetually resupply self-reactive T cells in the pancreas, contributing to Type 1 diabetes. This finding has implications for improving cancer immunotherapy by understanding how autoimmune T cells are programmed.
Researchers used mutant mice to study meiosis, which forms eggs and sperm, revealing that breaks in DNA can lead to unanticipated types of harmful mutations. The study found that when there are too many double-strand breaks, they may not be repaired properly, leading to potentially severe mutations.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have developed a molecular atlas of small cell lung cancer, revealing a rare population of stem-like cells that correlate with patient outcomes. These cells have metastatic properties and are found across many SCLC tumors, suggesting they may be driving the disease's aggressiveness.
Researchers have discovered that cancer formation depends on a collaboration between DNA mutations and specific genes turned on in cells. Cells with oncogenic competence access locked-up genes, requiring specific proteins as keys to form melanoma. This finding offers potential therapeutic targets for patients.
A MSK study has identified a specific pattern of markers on immune cells in the blood as a likely biomarker for response to checkpoint immunotherapy. Patients with high levels of LAG-3 expressed on T cells had shorter survival times compared to those with lower levels.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center developed a machine-learning approach that accurately predicts how human breast cancer tumors will evolve. By analyzing genetic makeup of thousands of individual cells, the team created a model that can predict tumor behavior and identify potential relapse sites.
Researchers found that nivolumab significantly reduced bladder cancer recurrence after surgery in high-risk patients. Disease-free survival was 21 months for nivolumab recipients compared to 10.9 months for placebo recipients.
Researchers discovered that natural killer cells ramp up aerobic glycolysis about five days before T cells respond, shedding light on their role in mounting a rapid immune response. The findings have implications for using NK cells as immunotherapy in cancer treatment and cell therapy.
Researchers discovered a previously unknown way that gut microbes interact with the immune system, raising questions about what goes awry in autoimmune disease. The thymus organ plays a crucial role in educating T cells about self and non-self markers, but surprisingly, it gives gut bacteria the green light.
Researchers analyzed 751 pediatric patients treated for solid tumors and found germline genomic sequencing details for inherited gene mutations. This information can help guide treatment, family screening, and prevent future cancers.
A phase III randomized study found that lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab significantly prolonged survival in patients with advanced kidney cancer. Treatment combinations showed improved progression-free and overall survival rates compared to sunitinib.
A study published in Nature suggests that limiting tumor cells' glucose consumption could improve immunotherapy efficacy by freeing up energy for immune cells. This approach may help overcome resistance to checkpoint blockade therapies, which have varying success rates.
A multidisciplinary team from Memorial Sloan Kettering reports the presence of inflammatory molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid as the underlying cause of 'COVID brain' or brain fog, a condition characterized by confusion and loss of short-term memory. Anti-inflammatory drugs like steroids may be useful for treating the condition.
MSK scientists found that tissue damage synergizes with specific genetic changes to promote the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer. The researchers identified epigenetic changes that distinguish normal repair processes from cancer-initiating ones at the molecular level.
Researchers at Sloan Kettering Institute found a new link between Warburg metabolism and PI3 kinase activity, challenging the long-held view that metabolism is secondary to cell signaling. The study suggests targeting metabolism could be an effective way to curb cancer growth.
Cancer cells use a molecule called ENPP1 to destroy warning signals that trigger an immune response, making them resistant to immunotherapy. Flipping this switch off could increase sensitivity to checkpoint inhibitors and improve treatment outcomes for various cancers.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have identified a new target for aggressive lung adenocarcinomas driven by the KEAP1 and STK11 mutations. By inhibiting ferroptosis, these tumors rely on this blockade to grow and survive.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that tumors with high mutation burden, particularly those with BRCA2 mutations, respond better to immunotherapy. This discovery may lead to more precise treatments for patients with BRCA2 mutations.
A Memorial Sloan Kettering study is the first to link gut microbiota to changes in the human immune system. The research used over 10 years of data from more than 2,000 patients undergoing blood stem cell transplants, revealing a unique relationship between microbiota and immune cell concentrations.
Researchers found that specific chemotherapy agents increase the likelihood of developing therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. CH mutations are more frequent in genes protecting the genome from damage, such as TP53.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have discovered a new way to fight cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment. By promoting wound healing and remodeling blood vessels, immune cells can starve tumors of nutrients and deprive them of growth factors.
A study analyzing nearly 900 kidney cancer patients identified novel biomarkers and gene signatures associated with treatment response. These findings could help personalize treatments for patients based on their individual tumor characteristics.
A recent MSK study discovered a direct link between inflammation and Alzheimer's disease development, highlighting the role of protein IFITM3 in plaque formation. Researchers found that removing IFITM3 reduced amyloid plaques in a mouse model, suggesting a potential biomarker for early detection.
A new liquid biopsy test has been developed to detect cancer by analyzing protein biomarkers from tumors in the blood. The study found that this approach showed a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting different types of cancer, including breast, colon, and lung cancers.
A large international study analyzed genetic and clinical data from 4,444 MDS patients to assess the impact of TP53 gene mutations on cancer outcomes. The study found that having two mutated copies of TP53 led to worse outcomes, while one copy had similar effects as a non-mutated copy.