BUFFALO, NY – June 27, 2025 – A new research paper was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on June 17, 2025, titled “Molecular landscape of HER2-mutated non-small cell lung cancer in Northeastern Brazil: Clinical, histopathological, and genomic insights.”

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is the sixth most deadly cancer worldwide for which no effective targeted therapy exists. Patients need to rely on chemotherapy which is started ahead of surgical interventions in the hope to shrink or control tumors. However, most patients become resistant to certain NACTs, leading to poor outcomes.

 

To enable clinicians to rapidly test different chemotherapies and determine the best treatment courses, Wyss Institute researchers and their collaborators at McGill University have developed a precision oncology Organ Chip platform that accurately and actionably predicts chemotherapy responses of individual patients with EAC in a clinically useful timeframe.

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that adapt to cellular stress and metabolic demands through processes such as fission, fusion, mitophagy, and transport, all of which are vital for maintaining cellular signaling and metabolic homeostasis. Fission facilitates mitochondrial division and biogenesis, while fusion enhances mitochondrial fitness and metabolic flexibility by mitigating damage. Together, these processes play a critical role in regulating cellular stress responses and apoptosis. Dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics has been linked to impaired development and cancer progression, including breast cancer metastasis. A comprehensive understanding of mitochondrial dynamics in breast cancer progression is essential for advancing precision medicine. This review delves into the intricate molecular mechanisms governing mitochondrial biogenesis, fission, fusion, and mitophagy, with a particular focus on the role of mitophagy in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and its connection to metastasis progression. Furthermore, it discusses potential therapeutic strategies targeting mitochondrial dynamics and highlights the critical steps necessary to translate these approaches into clinical trials.

Van Andel Institute scientists and collaborators have discovered a potential treatment target that may re-energize dysfunctional or “exhausted” immune cells in their fight against cancer.  

The target is an immune checkpoint called PTGIR, which regulates the number and cancer-fighting powers of T cells, the soldiers of the immune system. Too much PTGIR puts a brake on T cells and reduces their ability to release cancer-killing molecules.  

The findings, published in the journal Nature Immunology, could help improve cancer immunotherapies by paving the way for new immune checkpoint inhibitors or engineered T cell therapies that block PTGIR signaling and re-invigorate T cells.

Limiting carcinogen exposure or taking a statin drug could lower liver inflammation and cancer risk associated with HBV infection  

Researchers have discovered that some cells enter a dormant state and create a defense against cancer – a breakthrough that could lead to early treatment.