Research on the cell biology of tumors. Covers cancer-cell vulnerabilities, tumor spread, nanoreactor therapies, and AI-guided cancer research.
Two contagious cancers, devil facial tumour 1 (DFT1) and 2 (DFT2), affecting Tasmanian devils have been tracked to understand their origins and evolution. Researchers found DFT2 is a faster-growing cancer with rapid mutations, posing a significant threat to the species.
Scientists have identified a new emergency brake mechanism that prevents bladder cells from becoming cancerous, even when cancer-promoting genes are active. This discovery could lead to new therapeutic targets for bladder cancer treatment.
Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have identified a new target for breast cancer treatment, the gene TONSL, which can make breast cells proliferate indefinitely. The study found that TONSL is amplified in about 20% of breast cancers and more than 30% of metastatic breast cancers.
Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer that affects blood cells and can lead to infection, anemia, and easy bleeding. The Georgia Cancer Center has received a $2.3 million grant to study how cancer cells resist treatment and propose new options to improve patient survival.
Research discovers how cancer cells evade immune system detection and metastasize in the body. Pre-metastatic cells and exhausted CD8+ cells are identified as key players in this process. The study explores ways to target these pathways and activate immune responses to block metastasis.
A team of scientists created a new, fast, and precise method for analyzing cells in tissue samples from cancer patients without the need for a trained pathologist. The method uses artificial intelligence to evaluate data produced by a technique called real-time deformability cytometry.
Enoblituzumab, a monoclonal antibody, is safe in men with aggressive prostate cancer and may induce clinical activity against cancer throughout the body. The drug targets B7-H3 protein overexpressed on prostate cancer cells, blocking immune system inhibition and triggering tumor cell destruction by activating immune cells.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a type of cell that plays a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment. The authors suggest that understanding CAFs is essential for developing effective cancer therapies. Research targeting CAFs has shown promise, but challenges remain due to their complex nature.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Science reveal the crystal structure of centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E), a promising target for inhibitor therapy. The discovery is expected to facilitate the development of anticancer drugs with fewer adverse effects on patients.
Researchers used microfluidic devices to track what happens to cancer cells as they migrate and take root in the brain. They found that Dkk-1 triggers cancer cell migration, and reducing its levels near tumor cells may disrupt crosstalk between brain niche cells and cancer cells.
Researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a novel approach to administer intrathecal and intravenous immunotherapy to treat leptomeningeal disease (LMD) in melanoma patients, showing promising results in improving survival rates and quality of life for some patients.
Scientists have engineered a unique strain of probiotic bacteria to over-express a metal transporter that binds and concentrates copper, facilitating the delivery of radionuclide therapy to cancer cells. This approach targets tumors without relying on specific receptors, making it potentially effective against treatment-resistant cancers.
Researchers discovered that cancer cells' glycocalyx thickness affects immune cell evasion and engineered immune cells work better with thinner barriers. They also developed special enzymes to overcome the barrier, potentially improving immunotherapies.
Researchers from Université Libre de Bruxelles discovered a protein named RHOJ that controls resistance to chemotherapy in cancer cells. By silencing RHOJ, cancer cells become sensitive to chemotherapy, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies.
Researchers found that immunotherapy can activate tumor-fighting T cells in nearby lymph nodes, potentially boosting efficacy against solid tumors. The study suggests leaving lymph nodes intact until after immunotherapy could improve treatment outcomes for patients with head and neck cancers.
Researchers created a three-dimensional structure that mimics bone and houses osteosarcoma cells beside immune cells, finding increased inflammation reduces chemotherapy effectiveness. The study highlights the importance of the tumor microenvironment in disease progression and treatment.
Researchers have discovered how TKI cancer drugs cause inflammation, linking it to mitochondrial dysfunction and the NLRP3 inflammasome. The study found that all tested TKIs share a common off-target activity against mitochondrial SFKs.
Scientists from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte review nucleolar DNA damage response pathways to combat cancer. By attacking these mechanisms, researchers aim to disrupt cancer's reproduction and growth.
Scientists discovered a new type of DNA repair mechanism that cancer cells use to recover from next-generation cancer radiation therapy. DNA polymerase θ (POLQ) is an important factor in repairing complex DNA double-strand breaks, and inhibiting POLQ may augment the efficacy of heavy ion radiation therapy.
Researchers at the University of Bonn identified unique features and novel lysosomal proteins in six different cell types, including liver cells and cancer cells. The study provides new insights into cellular waste removal machinery and its role in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
A new review paper suggests that selective protection of normal cells from chemotherapy could increase the therapeutic window and improve outcomes for cancer patients. The authors propose using antagonistic drug combinations to kill drug-resistant cancer cells, reducing side effects and improving quality of life.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong identified lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1) as a key factor in promoting confined migration of liver and pancreatic cancer cells. The study found that LH1 promotes metastasis by stabilizing Septin2, which enhances the actin network.
Researchers discovered that quiescent ovarian cancer cells secrete follistatin, which induces resistance in neighboring cells and worsens survival rates. Targeting this protein may improve chemotherapy response and boost survival in patients with aggressive ovarian cancer.
Researchers discovered a new personalized immunotherapy combination that treats aggressive forms of advanced prostate cancer. By blocking PD-1-expressing macrophages and Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation, the therapy significantly improves response rates in PTEN-deficient cancers.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that platinum accumulates in healthy cells surrounding cancer cells, particularly fibroblasts, and induces gene activation associated with poor response to chemotherapy. Periostin levels serve as a marker of TGF-β activity in fibroblasts and predict treatment benefit.
Researchers discovered that combining ferroptosis induction with immune checkpoint inhibition reduces liver tumour growth and metastases, offering a promising new approach for treating liver cancer
Scientists from SUTD design a novel thermal-based therapy nano-system that destroys over 20% of pancreatic cancer cells using microsecond electrical pulses, improving cancer cell targeting accuracy and bio-compatibility. The introduction of the M13 virus enhances electro-thermal therapy performance by assembling more on cancer cells.
The addition of antioxidants to cell cultures can improve the production of monoclonal antibodies by reducing oxidative stress and increasing cell viability. This has potential benefits for therapies targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified CD70 as a novel therapeutic target for eliminating drug-resistant cancer cells in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. CD70 targeting strategies showed significant anti-tumor activity, eliminating resistant cells in laboratory models.
Researchers at CU Cancer Center have discovered a way to activate the p53 tumor suppressor gene, which can kill cancer cells. By inhibiting two repressors of p53, the Integrated Stress Response is activated, leading to cancer cell death in multiple cancer types.
Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a new cell death mechanism called disulfidptosis that targets cancer cells with high expression of SLC7A11. Disulfidptosis is triggered by glucose starvation and can effectively suppress tumor growth without significant toxicity in normal tissues.
Researchers found that arginine levels are limited in human cancers, prompting cancer cells to manipulate proteins to take up the amino acid. Starving cancer cells of arginine may lead to mutations that make them more recognizable to the immune system.
Researchers developed a new device to identify key membrane proteins in urine indicative of brain tumors. This could lead to early detection and increased survival rates for patients.
Researchers developed a method to measure individual biological response to therapy using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, enabling real-time evaluation of radiotherapy's impact on patients. This technique allows for tailored radiation doses to optimize treatment and improve outcomes.
Researchers developed a new way to increase vaccine potency by changing the structural location of antigens and adjuvants. This approach, called 'rational vaccinology,' allows for precise dosing and tailored presentation of vaccine components, leading to improved immune response and cancer cell targeting.
A study led by CSIC demonstrates the efficiency of low-intensity ultrasound therapy in inhibiting cancer cell migration in pancreas cancer models. The researchers successfully controlled tumor cell biodynamics without causing damage.
Etoposide's impact on DNA structure has been untangled by Cornell researchers using optical tweezers and magnetic tweezers. The study found that etoposide promotes DNA loop trapping and barrier formation by topoisomerase II, enabling the creation of sensitive screening tools for improving patient treatment.
Scientists at MIT have designed a novel nanoparticle platform that can deliver optimal ratios of multiple cancer drugs, leading to enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects. The bottlebrush-shaped particles can be loaded with varying concentrations of drugs, enabling the precise delivery of synergistic combinations.
Researchers identified a subset of mutations within tumor mutation burden that remain persistent and visible to the immune system, increasing likelihood of response to immunotherapy. This finding enables clinicians to more accurately select patients for clinical trials or predict clinical outcomes with immune checkpoint blockade.
Researchers developed a cancer-selective therapeutic agent that targets cancer cells' unique acidic pH microenvironment, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and killing only cancer cells. The agent, Mito-SA, forms charge-shielded nano-assemblies that selectively disassemble in the tumoral environment.
Researchers found that female patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated in the afternoon had reduced mortality rates and cancer recurrence compared to those treated in the morning. The study suggests that timing chemotherapy delivery according to an individual's circadian clock may improve treatment outcomes.
Purdue University researchers employ a cellular signal processing system to analyze the migration of cancer cells, identifying the impact of chemical cues and fluid flow on cell movement. The study's findings have significant implications for understanding cancer metastasis and the development of more effective treatments.
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found a way to reprogram cells causing Ewing sarcoma to behave like normal connective tissue cells. By blocking the protein ETV6, cancer cells can be forced to take on a new identity and grow less aggressively.
A team of researchers from Korea and USA identified the importance of lipid homeostasis in overcoming brain cancer radioresistance. They found that regulating diacylglycerol kinase B and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 could potentially sensitize brain cancer cells to radiotherapy, offering a new treatment strategy.
Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have discovered a new molecular blocker that successfully halted breast cancer metastasis by targeting the Pyk2 and cortactin interaction. The study's findings provide significant hope for fighting breast cancer, as the blocker inhibited metastasis formation in breast cancer-bearing mice.
Researchers developed a computational model of mesenchymal migration to understand how cancer cells navigate tissue. The model confirms that cells adapt their movement based on surface stiffness, using internal biochemical signals and chemical cues from surrounding tissues.
Researchers have discovered a new biomarker that predicts the response to CAR-T cell therapy in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The biomarker identifies differentiated T cells, which can be removed from leukemia products to improve therapy success rates.
Researchers uncover new mechanism of human MCM2-7 complex in regulating replication initiation, offering novel anticancer strategy for selective killing of cancer cells. The study provides high-resolution structural and mechanistic information on the human pre-initiation complex.
Researchers identified key metabolic pathways in tumor-associated macrophages that contribute to cancer development and progression. Targeting these pathways may provide a new perspective for immunotherapy-based cancer treatments.
Researchers at USC Keck School of Medicine found that liver cancer cells hijack circadian clock proteins to replicate and spread. Inhibiting these proteins can prevent cancer cell multiplication and potentially improve outcomes for patients with liver cancer.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that exhausted cancer-fighting T cells can become immunosuppressive when working in low-oxygen tumor environments. Targeting these conditions can reinvigorate these cells, improving response to immune-based cancer therapies.
A Medical University of South Carolina research team has discovered that HDAC1 plays a crucial role in packing DNA around histones, which can help target cancer cells with inhibitors. The novel egg extract system allows researchers to study DNA packing in real-time, outside of a cell.
Researchers at HKUMed identified a new type of nasopharyngeal carcinoma associated with EBV and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Global DNA hypermethylation was found to be a critical step in NPC pathogenesis, while global DNA hypomethylation may lead to immune evasion.
A new study from Edith Cowan University found that a single bout of exercise can significantly suppress tumour growth in people with late-stage prostate cancer. The researchers observed increased levels of anti-cancer myokines after high-intensity exercise, which helped fight cancerous cells and stimulated anti-cancer processes.
Researchers found that simultaneously targeting two signalling switches can severely inhibit tumour angiogenesis, cancer growth and metastasis in multiple models of cancer. This approach has the potential to restrict a cancer's ability to escape therapy by rapidly destroying the VEGF receptor when both receptors are targeted.
Researchers from The Mount Sinai Hospital found that talquetamab, a bispecific antibody, was successful in killing multiple myeloma cells in over 70% of patients. This therapy directs the immune system to target cancer cells and has shown promise even for those who have resisted all other treatments.
Researchers have discovered the three-dimensional structure of phosphoinositide 3-kinase alpha (PI3Kα) and how it changes with cancer-associated mutations. This knowledge enables the design of targeted drugs that can specifically bind to mutated versions, potentially eliminating side effects associated with current PI3Kα inhibitors.
Researchers at UCSF and IBM Research create a predictive model that encodes commands for cells to kill cancer cells. By combining words that guide engineered immune cells, they can predict which elements should be included in a cell to carry out precise behaviors. This advance allows scientists to rapidly design new cellular therapies.
Researchers found that tumor cells directly interact with blood vessel cells, altering their normal clockwise orientation to a counterclockwise position. This interaction may play a role in cancer metastasis and could be targeted for prevention and treatment.
A new mechanism has been uncovered that enables cancer cells to move throughout the body, allowing them to spread and form metastases. This discovery provides a potential new target for stopping these deadly spreads, which are responsible for 90% of cancer deaths.