Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tiny particles secreted by cells that mediate intercellular communication and regulate immune responses. By carrying microRNAs, proteins, and lipids, EVs spread cellular senescence and promote the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), creating a cycle of "senescence-inflammation-dysfunction". In a recent review, researchers from China elaborate how EVs mediate cellular senescence in multiple chronic lung diseases. It also discusses the advances, existing challenges, and translational prospects of EV-based therapies for these aging-related pulmonary diseases.

Cancer neoantigens and neoantigen-specific T cells were identified from patient blood samples by analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and immune cells, respectively, and they largely matched those found through traditional tumor tissue biopsy in many patients.

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows no link between semaglutide use and pancreatic cancer using nationwide registry data from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. This regulator-mandated post authorisation study, funded by Novo, the manufacturer of semaglutide, is presented by Professor Anton Pottegård, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, and colleagues.

Initial results of the NRG Oncology NRG-GI003 clinical study comparing proton and photon therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) indicate that proton therapy did not improve the primary objective of overall survival (OS) for patients. At the planned interim analysis, the trial was released for reporting as the futility boundary was crossed. In addition to overall survival, proton therapy did not improve any of the secondary endpoints of this trial including progression free survival (PFS) and local progression (LP). Although fewer grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events were observed with proton therapy compared with photon therapy (11% vs. 24%), this difference was not statistically significant at alpha=0.05  (p=0.093). These results were presented during the Plenary Session of the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Although stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is preferred for brain metastases from most tumor histologies because it better preserves neurocognitive function and quality of life compared with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), WBRT has remained the standard of care for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and brain metastases. This is largely because patients with SCLC have been excluded from the clinical trials that established the role of SRS. Recently reported results from the NRG-CC009 clinical trial, which evaluated SRS versus hippocampal avoidant WBRT (HA-WBRT) with memantine in patients with SCLC and brain metastases, found that SRS did not significantly improve neurocognitive outcomes compared with HA-WBRT and therefore the trial failed to meet its primary endpoint. However, the results demonstrated a potential survival benefit with SRS, along with comparable central nervous system control, suggesting that SRS may offer an effective alternative to HA-WBRT for appropriately selected patients with SCLC brain metastases. These results were presented during the Plenary Session of the 2026 American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Zhen Xu, University of Michigan Engineering professor and a co-inventor of the soundwave-based cancer treatment histotripsy, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Golden Goose Award. 

Mayo Clinic researchers led a multicenter study that found dividing radiation into several treatments, known as fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery, reduced the risk of cancer returning after surgery for brain metastases and was associated with improved survival compared with delivering radiation in a single treatment.