Tumors are complex systems characterized by variations across genetic, transcriptomic, phenotypic, and microenvironmental levels. This study introduced a novel framework for quantifying cancer cell heterogeneity using single-cell RNA sequencing data. The framework comprised several scores aimed at uncovering the complexities of key cancer traits, such as metastasis, tumor progression, and recurrence.

A new study from the University of Rochester reveals that key optical measurements of tumor collagen structure differ between Black and White patients with breast and colon cancer. Using second-harmonic generation imaging, researchers analyzed collagen organization in over 300 tumor samples and found significant racial differences in a prognostic marker known as the forward-to-backward scattering ratio (F/B), which is linked to metastatic risk. These findings highlight the need for racially diverse clinical trials to ensure that emerging diagnostic tools accurately predict cancer outcomes for all patient populations.

At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, three researchers in nursing, microbiology, and nuclear engineering collaborate with UT Medical Center to address health challenges like breast cancer and diabetes. Their interdisciplinary projects combine clinical expertise and research to improve patient outcomes and train future medical professionals.

This review examines how nanoparticles interact with immune cells (macrophages, dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, NK cells) for cancer treatment. Key findings: Nanoparticles enhance antigen presentation, boost T-cell responses, and overcome tumor immunosuppression through specific bio-molecular mechanisms. The study identifies regulatory pathways and nanoparticle characteristics crucial for effective cancer immunotherapy. Development of multifunctional and theranostic nanoparticles offers promising solutions for precise, efficient next-generation cancer therapies, though challenges include targeting accuracy and potential toxicity.

A surgeon can excise breast cancer from the body, but even the most skilled scalpel may not be able to remove every cell — especially when the cells have spread from the original disease site elsewhere in the body. This proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells involves many still unknown molecular means, but researchers at Hiroshima University have elucidated at least one mechanism, involving protein receptors that bind to one another. With the discovery, they may have also uncovered how short chains of protein building blocks could serve as a novel anticancer drug.