Once a lab novice, UD senior Sean Fletcher uncovered key molecular insights into HPV. Using computational biology, he identified conserved regions in the viral E2 protein vital to replication and cancer risk, and found mutations that may disrupt E2 function and increase cancer potential.

Biomarkers used in other cancers to predict a response to immune checkpoint inhibitors do not work for renal cell carcinoma. The results of this Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study could help investigators discover biomarkers to help identify which patients will be likely respond to immunotherapy and which might benefit from a different treatment strategy.

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) uncovers unique genetic signatures in cancer patients of non-European ancestry; identifies social adversity as a potential risk factor for higher rates of triple-negative breast cancer among Black women; shows a web-based system could help head-and-neck cancer survivors report their concerns; and finds adding immunotherapy can boost the effectiveness for hard-to-treat follicular lymphomas.

In a review published in Molecular Biomedicine, a team of Chinese scientists summarizes the pivotal role of N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A)—the most abundant chemical modification in eukaryotic mRNA—in cancer biology. The authors describe how m⁶A regulators (writers, erasers, and readers) influence tumor progression, metastasis, treatment resistance, and the tumor microenvironment. They also discuss emerging therapeutic strategies, including small-molecule inhibitors, RNA-based editing technologies, and combination therapies, highlighting m⁶A's potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a target for precision oncology.

In a comprehensive review published in MedComm - Oncology, a research team sheds new light on the complex biology and therapeutic challenges of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBrM). The authors detail the multi-step metastatic cascade, from primary tumor invasion to brain colonization, and highlight key signaling pathways such as TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, Notch, HER2-HER3, and JAK/STAT. They also explore the dynamic interactions between tumor cells and the brain microenvironment, including astrocytes, microglia, and neurons, which facilitate immune evasion and metabolic adaptation. The review further discusses advances in preclinical models, emerging CNS-penetrant therapies, and innovative clinical trial designs, offering a roadmap for personalized management of BCBrM.

People living with HIV who smoke are more likely to die from lung cancer than HIV. With more than $3 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Hollings Cancer Center researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina will seek to improve access to evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments for people living with HIV by training pharmacists at six Ryan White clinics in South Carolina as tobacoo treatment specialists and working with them to develop processes to ensure lasting success of the program.