Molecular Oncology

Researchers have discovered that γδ T cells play a key role in shaping the immune environment of lung adenocarcinoma. In mouse models, these cells were found to accumulate in tumor-bearing lungs, recruited from the bloodstream rather than multiplying on-site. Once in the tumor, they showed reduced activation and produced fewer anti-tumor molecules, while clustering near […]

Researchers presented a study at the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium 2026 examining whether circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can help guide treatment decisions for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The research was part of the RETAIN-2 trial and focused on patients who received chemoimmunotherapy with Nivolumab instead of immediately undergoing bladder removal surgery (cystectomy). The study

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors are extremely stiff, and new research shows that this stiffness directly drives tumor growth and chemotherapy resistance. Clinical data from 63 patients using EUS elastography revealed that stiffer tumors (high strain ratio) are associated with advanced tumor stage, more lymph node involvement, and higher rates of metastasis. The study identified

Researchers have identified a new way to overcome chemotherapy resistance by targeting a protein called p300. Their study, published in Genes & Development, shows that blocking p300 pushes cancer cells into a fatal state of internal stress. Normally, when chemotherapy damages a cell’s DNA, p300 helps pause the cell’s activity so the damage can be

Researchers have discovered how the body’s own immune system can unintentionally help cancer grow. Neutrophils are white blood cells that normally fight infection. But the study shows that tumors can “reprogram” these cells. Instead of attacking cancer, the altered neutrophils begin producing a molecule called CCL3. This molecule acts like a growth signal, helping tumors

Researchers have found that where cancer spreads in the body may be decided by the tumor’s genes long before metastasis happens. Studying uveal melanoma, a rare eye cancer, they discovered a genetic reason why certain cancers tend to spread to specific organs. Although cancer cells can travel throughout the body, they only grow well in

New research highlights the complex role of the EI24 gene in cancer, showing that it can act either as a tumor suppressor or, in some cases, support tumor growth. EI24 is activated by the p53 tumor suppressor when DNA is damaged and plays a key role in autophagy and programmed cell death—two processes that help

Researchers have developed a new platform called the Cancer-Selective modRNA Translation System (cSMRTS), which allows mRNA therapies to work only in cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue. The system uses a dual mRNA “on/off” circuit based on microRNA patterns. In healthy cells, a sensor mRNA blocks the treatment. In cancer cells, tumor-specific microRNAs disable the

Researchers have identified a key molecular switch that controls how aggressive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma becomes and how it responds to treatment. The study shows that mutant KRAS, the main driver of pancreatic cancer, suppresses GATA6, a gene that helps cancer cells stay more mature and treatment-responsive. When GATA6 is turned off, tumors shift into a

Scientists have mapped all possible mutations in a key region of the CTNNB1 gene that controls the cancer-related protein β-catenin. Normally, this region tells the cell to break down β-catenin, but mutations allow it to build up and drive tumor growth. Using genome-editing tools in mouse stem cells, researchers tested 342 different mutations and found