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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Inherited Mutations in DNA-Repair Genes Found in Advanced Prostate CancersResearchers 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 DrugsA 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 BoneResearchers 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 AttackThe 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 GrowthPancreatic 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 LymphomaNCI 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.
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New Treatment Target Identified for Key Prostate Cancer DriverResearchers have identified a potential alternative approach to blocking a key molecular driver of an advanced form of prostate cancer, called androgen-independent or castration-resistant prostate cancer.
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Vitamin D Deficiency May Promote Spread of Some Breast CancersLow vitamin D levels are associated with metastasis in women with breast cancer, suggests a new study.
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High-Magnification Microscopy Visualizes Tumor Blood Vessels in Real TimeHigh-powered intravital microscopy reveals that 50 percent of blood vessels in melanoma tumors do not have any blood flow, according to a new study.
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Study of Cancer’s Origins Reveals Genetic Reprogramming of Single CellsResearchers have used a new zebrafish model of cancer to characterize the early genetic changes associated with the initiation of tumors.
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Gene Fusion May Drive Rare Childhood Brain TumorResearchers have identified a genetic rearrangement that may drive the development of a rare benign brain tumor in children through three distinct biological mechanisms simultaneously.
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Prospective Study Links HPV Detection in the Mouth to Head and Neck CancerA new study confirms that infection with HPV 16 precedes the development of head and neck cancer.
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Mouse Study Points to Mechanism Linking Obesity and Colorectal Cancer RiskA missing hormone in obese mice may help explain a longstanding association between obesity and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in humans.
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Novel Treatment Approach Shrinks Ovarian Tumors in MiceResearchers have developed a new approach for treating tumors that express mutant versions of the p53 protein, which are present in more than half of all cancers, including an aggressive and common subtype of ovarian cancer.
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Genome Study Links Misfolded DNA to Brain TumorsChanges in the packaging of DNA in the cell nucleus may activate growth-promoting genes that cause cancer.
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Two Small RNAs, Often Missing from Cancer Cells, May Suppress TumorsTwo small RNAs that are frequently deleted from cancer cells may help suppress tumors by interacting with RAS proteins, a new study suggests.
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Study Sheds Light on Role of Inherited Mutations in Childhood CancerIn the most comprehensive study of its kind conducted to date, more than 8 percent of children with cancer were found to have inherited genetic mutations associated with a predisposition to the disease.
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Antioxidants Accelerate the Growth and Invasiveness of Tumors in MiceMetastatic tumor cells are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress, and antioxidant supplementation increases their ability to grow and metastasize.
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Study Identifies New Opportunities for Targeted ImmunotherapyA team of NCI researchers has reported that several types of gastrointestinal cancer have tumor-specific mutations that can be recognized by the immune system, thereby offering a new therapeutic opportunity for patients with these tumors.
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In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Targeting an AddictionA new approach to disrupting genes that promote the development and spread of tumors may hold promise for treating an aggressive and difficult-to-treat type of breast cancer.