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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Genomic Study Seeks Clues to Help Explain Breast Cancer DisparitiesUsing one of the largest collections of tumor samples from African Americans with breast cancer, researchers tried to assess the extent to which the molecular characteristics on these tumors might help to explain breast cancer disparities.
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PARP Inhibitors May Be Effective in Brain, Other Cancers with IDH MutationsStudies presented at the 2017 AACR annual meeting suggest that therapies which take advantage of the mutations in the IDH gene may be more effective than drugs that block it.
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Studies Identify Potential Treatment Strategies for Pediatric DIPG Brain TumorsTwo studies have identified proteins that drive growth of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) tumor cells. Blocking these targets with investigational drugs slowed tumor growth in animal models.
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Conditional Reprogramming: An Interview with Dr. Richard Schlegel on Growing Cancer CellsDr. Richard Schlegel describes an innovative cell culture technique he helped to develop. Called conditional reprogramming, the technique can be used to rapidly establish cell cultures of normal and tumor cells from patient samples.
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Potential New Cancer Therapy Could Target Tumors Two WaysA team of researchers has developed a potential new therapy that may work in two distinct ways to attack tumors, by directly killing cancer cells and immune cells that can suppress the anti-cancer immune response.
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Genome Study Points to New Subtypes of Esophageal CancerA new study by The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network could help classify esophageal cancers according to their genetic and molecular alterations and identify potential new treatment options.
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New Mouse Model Closely Mimics Most Common Leukemia in InfantsResearchers have created a long-sought-after mouse model for an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia that occurs commonly in infants and that the researchers believe can accelerate the development of new therapies for the disease.
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Brain Cancer’s Cholesterol Addiction May Offer New Treatment StrategyBrain cancer cells are heavily dependent on a constant supply of cholesterol to survive, a new study suggests. And in mice with brain tumors, treatment with a cholesterol-depleting drug slowed tumor growth and improved survival.
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Single Tumor Cells Reveal Clues to Biology of Multiple MyelomaA study suggests that individual tumor cells circulating in the blood of patients with multiple myeloma may be a new source of information about the genetic changes driving the disease.
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Immune-Cell Traps May Aid Cancer MetastasisCancer cells may exploit a normal function of neutrophils, the most common form of white blood cell, to help form metastatic tumors, a new study suggests.
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Scientists Identify Potential Marker of Resistance to PARP InhibitorsFindings from a new study from NCI researchers could help predict whether a tumor will respond to a new class of promising cancer drugs, and identifies a potential way to overcome that resistance.
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‘Unexpected’ Vulnerability Creates Treatment Opportunity in Aggressive Type of Lung CancerA new study has identified a potentially critical vulnerability in lung cancers that have mutations in the KRAS gene, and showed that a drug already under study may be able to exploit it.
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DINO RNA Molecule Triggers Anticancer Response in Damaged CellsStudies in cells and mice found that, in cells with damaged DNA, a noncoding RNA called DINO stabilizes the p53 protein and guides the cells into cell death, preventing tumor development.
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Metabolomics Study Reveals another Energy Source for Cancer CellsResearchers have found that cancer cells can use the compound lactate to fuel biochemical reactions and to generate other compounds they need for growth and survival.
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Studies Highlight Potential of Targeting HIF-2 in Kidney CancerTwo new studies suggest that a new class of drugs can effectively target a molecular driver of the most common type of kidney cancer.
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Chromosomal Instability Score May Predict Response to Cancer TreatmentA new study suggests that a chromosomal instability score may help guide treatment choices for patients with cancer.
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Pancreatic Cancer Cells May Obtain Nutrients from Neighboring CellsPancreatic cancer cells instruct healthy cells around them to provide nutrients they need to survive and grow, a new study suggests.
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Engineered Stem Cells Help Identify Potential New Treatment for MedulloblastomaStem cells engineered to mimic medulloblastoma development may help researchers identify potential new treatments, according to a new study.
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Mutations Linked to Immunotherapy ResistanceResearchers identified mutations in relapsed melanoma tumors that block the anticancer effects of the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab.
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Nanoparticle Delivers Cancer Drugs to Tumor Blood VesselsIn cancer mouse models, nanoparticles that bind to a protein called P-selectin on tumor blood vessels shrank tumors and extended survival.