A new preclinical study in mice shows that precancerous cells in the pancreas can be eliminated before they have the chance to become tumors. Using an experimental therapy to target microscopic precancerous lesions in the pancreas nearly doubled survival in mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) compared to the same treatment given after cancer … Read more
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have made an important discovery about how genetic mutations in breast cancer patients can interact and drive resistance to certain drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors. This finding, published in Nature, suggests a new strategy for predicting and preventing resistance to specific therapies based on the tumor’s genetic profile. This represents … Read more
Methionine restriction (MR) has shown significant promise in cancer therapy because it targets the unique methionine dependency of many tumors. However, despite extensive research on MR, a clear synthesis of preclinical findings and their translation into clinical settings is lacking. This review aims to address this gap by consolidating existing evidence, identifying challenges, and highlighting opportunities … Read more
Among the most promising tools of cancer therapy, engineered immune cells known as chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cells have already transformed the treatment of blood cancers. Yet, despite their promise, CAR-T cells do have their limitations. For one thing, they’ve so far largely failed against solid tumors, which is to say, most types of cancer. … Read more
After nearly 40 years of research on how Listeria bacteria manipulate our cells and battle our immune system to cause listeriosis, Daniel Portnoy and his colleagues have discovered a way to turn the bacteria into a potent booster of the immune system – and a potential weapon against cancer. Three years ago, Portnoy cofounded a … Read more
Wistar scientists have combined a promising cancer therapy with a molecule that targets tumors to treat cancer more effectively. The new approach could be a way to deliver treatment directly to tumors at higher doses, while reducing side effects in healthy tissue. An Aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitor is viewed as a lethal synthetic … Read more
Microbiologist John van der Oost of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has received an ERC Proof of Concept grant to further develop a promising CRISPR-based approach to cancer treatment. With funding of €150,000, he and researcher Christian Südfeld will spend the next eighteen months working on a method to kill cancer cells from within, while … Read more
Cancer does not travel alone. It sends advance messengers. Invisible bubbles, thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, move through the bloodstream carrying instructions that help cancer colonize new organs. These microscopic particles may be one of the most important and least understood drivers of metastasis, the process responsible for most … Read more
The cancer gene MYC camouflages tumors by suppressing alarm signals that normally activate the immune system. This finding from a new study offers a promising way to improve existing cancer therapies as well as develop new ones. Could this mark a shift in how we think about cancer therapy? At least in the laboratory, evidence … Read more
Resistance remains one of the most significant barriers to optimal treatment outcomes and overall survival for patients across cancer types. Although genetic mutations play a key role in poor therapeutic responses, the gut microbiome may also interfere with critical therapies in the cancer treatment landscape. Studies show that disruptions in gut microbiota are associated with … Read more