Biology of Cancer - Cancer Currents Blog
Cancer biology research news, with context from experts at NCI and elsewhere. Topics include cancer metastasis, the tumor microenvironment, and new targets for cancer therapies.
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OncoArray Links Dozens of DNA Variants to Risk for Common CancersResearchers with the NCI-supported GAME-ON initiative and OncoArray Network are publishing studies identifying dozens of new genetic variants associated with the risk for developing some of the most common cancers.
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Can Immunotherapy Succeed in Glioblastoma?Despite continued efforts to develop new therapies for glioblastoma, none have been able to improve how long patients live appreciably. Despite some setbacks, researchers are hopeful that immunotherapy might be able to succeed where other therapies have not.
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Molecular Switch Links High-Fat Diet to Prostate Cancer MetastasisA new study in mice has revealed a molecular link between a high-fat diet and the growth and spread of prostate cancer. The findings, the study leaders believe, raise the possibility that changes in diet could potentially improve treatment outcomes in some men.
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New Cancer Treatment Approach Targets Circadian ClockTwo compounds that target components of the circadian clock killed several types of cancer cells in the lab and slowed the growth of brain tumors in mice without harming healthy cells, a new study showed.
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Gut Bacteria Influence Effectiveness of a Type of ImmunotherapyUsing mouse models of cancer, researchers found that altering the gut microbiome could affect whether tumors responded to checkpoint inhibition.
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TARGET Study Finds Major Differences between Childhood and Adult AMLAn NCI-funded study has found significant differences in the genetics of acute myeloid leukemia in younger and older patients. The findings could help guide the development of treatments tailored specifically for childhood AML.
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The Challenging Landscape of Cancer and Aging: Charting a Way ForwardNCI Director Dr. Norman Sharpless discusses research on aging and cancer, including understanding the biology of aging and its relationship to cancer, the treatment of older patients, and ensuring older patients participate in cancer clinical trials.
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Study Finds Biological Differences in Lung Tumors of African Americans and WhitesPatterns of gene expression may be different in the tumors of some African Americans than in those of whites, a new study has found, and these biological differences may contribute to racial disparities in lung cancer.
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Fusobacterium May Help Colorectal Cancer Grow and SpreadFusobacterium, found in the stomach and intestines, may help fuel the growth of colorectal cancer and metastases. In a mouse model of colorectal cancer, using antibiotics to kill these bacteria slowed tumor growth.
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With Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy, Scientists Discuss Need to Develop New Mouse ModelsA recent NCI symposium focused on developing new and better mouse models for testing treatments that harness the immune system against cancer.
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Fat Cells May Hinder Effectiveness of ChemotherapyResearchers have shown that fat cells can absorb two commonly used chemotherapy drugs and break them down chemically into a less toxic form, potentially reducing the drugs’ effectiveness.
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Many Ovarian Cancers May Start in Fallopian Tubes, Study FindsA new study provides more evidence that the most common form of ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes, and that there is a window of nearly 7 years between development of fallopian tube lesions and the start of ovarian cancer.
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Alternate Driver of Treatment-Resistant Prostate Cancer IdentifiedResearchers have identified an emerging subtype of metastatic prostate cancer that is resistant to therapies that block hormones that fuel the disease.
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Study Tracks the Evolution of Treatment Resistance in Metastatic Breast CancerA new study suggests that the cells in treatment-resistant tumors in women with metastatic breast cancer share important characteristics that could potentially make tumors vulnerable to therapies that otherwise might not have been considered.
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Levels of Immune Cells within Ovarian Tumors Linked to Survival for Some PatientsA large international study suggests that the presence of certain immune cells within the tumors of some patients with ovarian cancer are associated with improved survival.
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Study Uses Open Data to Analyze “Normal” Tissue Near TumorsThe tissue immediately surrounding a tumor may not be normal, even if it appears normal under the microscope, according to an analysis of data from two genomic databases.
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Study Identifies Crucial Characteristic of High-Risk HPVBy comparing the genomes of women infected with a high-risk type of human papillomavirus (HPV), researchers have found that a precise DNA sequence of a viral gene is associated with cervical cancer.
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Timing and Sequence Critical for Immunotherapy CombinationWhen given at the same time, two immune checkpoint inhibitors were ineffective against breast cancer growth in mice, a new study found. The combination was more effective and safer if the two inhibitors were given in a specific sequence.
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Study Uncovers Previously Unrecognized Effect of ChemotherapyA new study conducted primarily in mice suggests that chemotherapy given before surgery for breast cancer can cause changes in cells in and around the tumor that are tied to an increased risk of the cancer spreading to other areas of the body.
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Cancer Researchers Report Progress in Studying Exceptional RespondersResearchers who study exceptional responders—patients who have dramatic and long-lasting responses to treatments for cancer that were not effective for most similar patients—met recently to discuss the state of the science in this emerging field.