Cancer Currents Highlights: Today’s Cancer Biology Insights, Tomorrow’s Cancer Advances
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, is the lead federal agency for cancer research
Guest Editor Dan Gallahan, Ph.D.: Today’s Cancer Biology Insights, Tomorrow’s Cancer Advances
When I meet somebody new, I’m often asked what I do for a living. When I explain that I’m a cancer biologist, the next question is almost always, “So what are the big advances in cancer?” Not uncommonly, I find myself at a loss to come up with an answer. That’s not because there haven’t been big advances. It’s because there are so many to choose from!
I’ve dedicated the better part of my career to working on basic research. When it comes to cancer, basic research involves studies that live at the intersection of the elemental levels of human biology and the library of diseases that we collectively call cancer.
So, from the perspective of a cancer biologist, it’s overwhelming to contemplate all that we’ve learned over the past few decades about the inner workings of healthy and diseased cells, the choreography of interactions between cells of all types, the effect of external forces (think diet or pollution) on the human body at the molecular level, and how all of these elements conspire to do things like cause tumors to form and spread or fend off the assault of the immune system and cancer therapies.
Investigating the precise details of how this molecular machinery functions isn’t just an academic exercise. This research provides the foundation for new discoveries that may one day prevent or treat cancer, make treatments safer, and lead to the development of new analytical tools and techniques that provide insights that weren’t previously possible.
As the director of an NCI division whose mission is to fund basic research, I get excited about the opportunity to share the importance of this research. Cancer Currents is one tool NCI has to do that. So, I’m delighted to share with you some examples of Cancer Currents stories from the past year that report on studies that have provided new insights into cancer biology.
If you missed them the first time around, please take a few minutes to catch up now. And if you have any family or friends who have curious minds and might be interested in learning more about the biology of cancer, please encourage them to subscribe to Cancer Currents .
Dan Gallahan, Ph.D.
Director, NCI Division of Cancer Biology
To Combat Cancer Treatment Resistance, Researchers Try Leveraging Evolution
Scientists have developed a strategy for treating cancer that takes advantage of tumors’ ability to rapidly evolve and turns it against them. It involves intentionally making some tumor cells resistant to a specific treatment from the get-go.
Scientists Link a Single Type of Bacteria to Colorectal Cancer
NCI-funded researchers have pinpointed a single type of the bacterium F. nucleatum that appears to fuel the development and growth of colorectal cancer. In mice, the bacterium, Fna C2, appeared to cause more adenomas to form in the large intestine and it was often found in human tumor samples.
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Stress-Induced Immune Changes May Help Cancer Spread
Stress-induced hormones called glucocorticoids can cause biological changes—in the form of sticky traps called NETs—that help create hospitable environments for cancer cells to form metastatic tumors, according to new research done largely in mice.
Stealing Strategies from Cancerous T Cells May Boost Immunotherapy
Adding a fusion of parts of two genes helped engineered T cells divide faster, kill more tumor cells, and survive longer in mice without making the T cells behave like cancer cells.
Manipulating an Immune Cell May Make Radiation Therapy More Effective, Study Suggests
In a new study in mice, researchers showed they could enhance radiation therapy by boosting levels of the BAMBI protein in MDSC immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. After radiation, T cells flooded into the tumor and killed tumors elsewhere in the body.
Genetic Signature May Help Tailor Treatment for Meningioma
The activity of 34 genes can accurately predict the aggressiveness of meningiomas, a new study shows. This gene expression signature may help oncologists select the best treatments for people with this common type of brain cancer than they can with current methods.
Additional Resources from NCI
To read more news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute , visit the Cancer Currents blog.
Retired
3wDavid Hicks. If someone actually discovers the real cause of all sporadic cancers and submits it to NCI to carry out research in order to prove it is correct, could NCI prevent Pharmaceutical Companies from filing patents in order to prevent any real cancer cure from ever coming on to the market.
Associate Director QC | Co-Founder at XPeaks | Experienced Life Science Leader | Scientific Writer | Strategic Innovator | Executive MBA in Healthcare Management | Dual MSc in Cell&Gene Therapy and Molecular&Cell Biology
2moThank you for sharing the insights and the many other interesting articles about cancer biology.
Associate Professor AI, Consultant Generative AI, Computational pathology and applied AI researcher
2moVery informative, thanks for sharing!
INMAS-DRDO | 4BaseCare | Habitate for Humanity | Statistics | Data Management | Regulatory Affairs | Medical Writing | MPharmacy | BPharmacy | Freelancing
2moInsightful synthesis of recent breakthroughs in cancer biology. The focus on novel mechanisms and therapeutic strategies offers valuable perspectives for researchers and clinicians aiming to stay at the forefront of oncology advancements.
Structural Biologist @ BWH/Harvard Medical School | PhD, Structural Biology | Board of Health, Billerica, Massachusetts
2moThanks for sharing!