EurekAlert! Cancer Research - News Releases

News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jun-2026 18:16 ET (22-Jun-2026 22:16 GMT/UTC)

MIT study reveals a new role for cell membranes

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT chemists have found that changing the composition of the cell membrane can alter the function of EGFR, a cell receptor that promotes proliferation and is often overactive in cancer cells.

Journal: eLife
Funder: MIT’s Department of Chemistry

Sleep deprivation disrupts gut microbiota, worsening colorectal cancer outcomes

University of Florida
Reports and Proceedings

The gut microbiota drives changes to the immune system caused by chronic sleep loss. These changes promote cancer progression, disrupt circadian rhythm and weaken the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Meeting: American Association for Cancer (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026

MIT study shows youth may increase vulnerability to a carcinogen found in contaminated water and some drugs

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

According to a study from MIT, NDMA, a carcinogen that has been found in some drugs and drinking water contaminated by chemical plants, may have a much more severe impact on children than adults.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: National Institutes of Environmental and Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program, NIEHS Core Center Grant, National Institutes of Health Training Grant, Anonymous Fund for Climate Action

Programming the immune system to manufacture its own therapeutic proteins

Rockefeller University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New work demonstrates that editing just a handful of blood stem cells can permanently program the immune system to manufacture therapeutic proteins, which can be boosted through vaccination. This proof of concept, demonstrated in mice, shows that this strategy could one day enable durable treatments in humans for HIV, influenza, cancer, and metabolic disease.

Journal: Science

mRNA vaccines follow unconventional immune path to destroy tumors

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

WashU Medicine researchers have described how mRNA cancer vaccines engage the immune system, through an unconventional pathway involving two subsets of immune cells called dendritic cells.

Journal: Nature
Funder: National Institute of Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health

Innovative surgery relieves chronic leg and arm swelling

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Business Announcement

Advances in cancer treatment mean more people are living longer after a cancer diagnosis. But some survivors develop lymphedema—long-term swelling in the arms, hands, legs or feet that can cause pain, limit movement and raise the risk of serious infections. The condition can also affect body image and mental health.

Researchers uncover a ‘treasure trove’ of bioactive molecules in coral reefs

University of California - Santa Barbara
Peer-Reviewed Publication

(Santa Barbara, Calif,) — Could the next big antibiotic or cancer therapy be found on the nearest coral reef? Researchers have found that reefs are home to a vast array of previously unknown bioactive metabolites — small biomolecules that have the biotechnological potential to provide the basis for new drugs, and a host of other products.

Journal: Nature

Mount Sinai researchers publish landmark cell review defining the “hallmarks of liver cancer”

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

A new review from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona provides one of the clearest roadmaps to date for understanding and treating liver cancer, one of the deadliest cancers worldwide.

Journal: Cell

New study pinpoints barriers to timely head and neck cancer treatment in rural areas

Dartmouth Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Many rural patients with head and neck cancer experience delays in starting postoperative radiotherapy, a treatment that improves survival when delivered within six weeks of surgery. In a new study, clinical researchers at Dartmouth Cancer Center have identified communication gaps, care coordination challenges, limited access to dental services, transportation barriers, and emotional strain as key obstacles. Now they are devising practical solutions to overcome these barriers, improve timely treatment, and ultimately reduce disparities in rural cancer care.

Journal: JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Young-onset colorectal cancer mortality by education

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: Based on nationwide, high-quality, population-based mortality data supplemented with individual-level educational attainment, the increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) death rates among young adults was largely confined to individuals with 15 or less years’ education. As a result, the disparity in young-onset CRC mortality among individuals with 12 years or less vs 16 or more years’ education nearly doubled over the past 3 decades.

Journal: JAMA Oncology

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