EurekAlert! Cancer Research - News Releases

News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-Oct-2026 05:16 ET (29-Oct-2026 09:16 GMT/UTC)

New dual-target drug may help overcome immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of researchers from the College of Pharmacy and Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan has developed a new strategy to improve immunotherapy treatments.

Journal: Nature Cancer
Funder: University of Michigan

Cancer Research: Mini-Antibodies Reactivate the Guardian of the Genome

Goethe University Frankfurt
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The protein p53 is mutated in many cancer cells, meaning it can no longer fulfill its protective function against tumor development. A team of scientists from Goethe University Frankfurt, along with the universities of Marburg, Cologne, and Zurich, has now succeeded in developing a type of mini-antibody (known as DARPins) that restores p53 functionality in the laboratory. These mini-antibodies can stabilize many p53 mutants and could therefore be suitable as therapeutic agents for a wide range of cancers in the future.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

New awards and publications showcase achievements from staff at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Grant and Award Announcement

NCCN announces several recent external awards and publications honoring the work of NCCN’s dedicated staff.

Revealing the unusual ability of a protein involved in lung and thyroid cancer

Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

It is the first known protein kinase with the ability to activate using both the usual cellular fuel, ATP, and its waste product, ADP.

The research is published in ‘Nature Communications’.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades), COFUND-Marie-Curie Action, Agencia Estatal de Investigación

Challenging diseases addressed in vol. 39 of SLAS Discovery

SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Volume 39 of SLAS Discovery includes three original research articles and one short communication that aim to accelerate drug discovery through novel imaging workflows, fragment identification for challenging targets and datasets that bridge ligand-binding data gaps to enable AI-driven drug discovery.

Journal: SLAS DISCOVERY

New research challenges understanding of mRNA vaccines and establishes innovative way to make them more effective

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai overturns a longstanding assumption about how mRNA vaccines generate immunity, revealing that certain non-immune cells help determine vaccine effectiveness. The study, published in the April 29, 2026 online issue of Nature Biotechnology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03099-z], also introduces a powerful and versatile technology to control the expression of mRNA drugs, which the researchers demonstrate can enhance the effectiveness of mRNA cancer vaccines in preclinical studies of lymphoma. The findings provide a new framework for designing mRNA vaccines and mRNA therapeutics, with immediate implications for cancer immunotherapy, infectious disease vaccines, and gene-editing treatments.

Journal: Nature Biotechnology

How cells decide when to react could shape future treatments for cancer and fibrosis

King's College London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have discovered how cells decide when to respond to physical forces, potentially opening new avenues for tackling diseases such as cancer and fibrosis.

Journal: Nature Materials

New molecular tool transforms how clinicians classify and treat a rare blood cancer

Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international consortium, including key researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, has developed and validated a comprehensive molecular ecosystem for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia that redefines disease classification, improves survival prediction, and guides life-changing treatment decisions, with unprecedented accuracy.

Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology

Brain structure differences may explain striking ancestry gaps in blood cancers

Editorial Office and Clinical Cancer Bulletin
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study in Clinical Cancer Bulletin provides the first genetically informed evidence that specific cortical features (pars triangularis surface area and frontal thickness) are causally linked to multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia – and these same brain traits differ markedly between European/American and Han Chinese populations, potentially explaining the ten‑fold disparity in disease incidence.

Journal: Clinical Cancer Bulletin

An unprecedented view of the immune system’s killer cells

Université de Genève
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are the body’s specialized “killer” cells, precisely eliminating infected or cancerous cells. Their action relies on a specialized exchange zone called the “immune synapse,” where they release active molecules to destroy the target cell without damaging neighboring ones. Until now, the fine organization of these structures remained difficult to observe. A study conducted by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) has made it possible to visualize these mechanisms in three dimensions in a near-native state. Published in Cell Reports, the study reveals how the molecular organization of cytotoxic T cells underpins their function, opening new perspectives in immuno-oncology.

Journal: Cell Reports