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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New Mouse Model Closely Mimics Most Common Leukemia in Infants
Researchers 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 Strategy
Brain 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 Myeloma
A 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 Metastasis
Cancer 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 Inhibitors
Findings 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 Cancer
A 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 Cells
Studies 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 Cells
Researchers 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 Cancer
Two 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 Treatment
A 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 Cells
Pancreatic 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 Medulloblastoma
Stem 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 Resistance
Researchers 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 Vessels
In cancer mouse models, nanoparticles that bind to a protein called P-selectin on tumor blood vessels shrank tumors and extended survival.
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Inherited Mutations in DNA-Repair Genes Found in Advanced Prostate Cancers
Researchers estimate that nearly 12% of men with advanced prostate cancer have inherited mutations in genes that play a role in repairing damaged DNA.
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3-D View of Mutations May Identify Potential Targets for Cancer Drugs
A new 3-D modeling tool may help identify mutations in cancer cells that could be targeted with new or existing drugs, a new study suggests.
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Mouse Study Illuminates the Spread of Breast Cancer to Bone
Researchers have identified proteins that may regulate the movement of breast cancer cells into and out of bone marrow.
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Patient-Derived Antibody Appears to Selectively Target Tumor Cells, Spur Immune Attack
The CFH antibodies killed tumor cells in cell lines of several cancer types and slowed tumor growth in mouse models of brain and lung cancer, without evidence of side effects.
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Crosstalk between Cancer Cells and Neighboring Cells May Contribute to Tumor Growth
Pancreatic cancer cells and neighboring normal cells engage in a two-way molecular conversation that helps drive malignant behavior in the cancer cells, according to new study results.
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New Treatment Target Identified for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
NCI researchers have identified new therapeutic targets for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Drugs that hit these targets are under clinical development and the researchers hope to begin testing them in clinical trials of patients with DLBCL.