Researchers at the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys describe two enzymes newly identified for their roles in regulating macropinocytosis, a process cancer cells use to snatch extra nutrients from the jelly-like substance between cells. This allows tumors to fuel their growth even when they consume more energy and other resources than they can acquire from nearby blood vessels.

A new method of analyzing mammograms — developed by researchers at WashU Medicine — identified individuals at high risk of developing breast cancer more accurately than the standard, questionnaire-based method did. The new method, powered by artificial intelligence, could help diagnose cancer earlier and guide recommendations for earlier screening, additional imaging or risk-reducing medications.

A groundbreaking phase one clinical trial exploring a novel cell-based immunotherapy for breast cancer has been accepted for publication in JAMA Oncology. The technology tested in the trial was co-developed by Gary Koski, Ph.D., professor in Kent State University’s Department of Biological Sciences, and Brian J. Czerniecki, M.D., Ph.D., chair and senior member in the Moffitt Cancer Center’s Department of Breast Oncology. The study focuses on a new treatment approach that aims to harness the body’s immune system to enhance patient responses and reduce the need for conventional chemotherapy and its associated toxicities. The trial involved 12 patients with locally advanced stage I-III HER2 breast cancer. This research builds upon insights gained from previous studies funded by a Department of Defense Breakthrough Award research grant.

Researchers at the NYU Pain Research Center have found a new receptor for nerve growth factor that plays an important role in pain signaling, even though it does not signal on its own, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The findings hold promise for finding new treatments for arthritis and other forms of inflammatory and cancer pain, without the side effects that led recent therapies to fail in clinical trials. 

An emerging class of anticancer drugs called EZH2 inhibitors may greatly enhance the potency of some cancer immunotherapies, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine lymphoma researchers.