Oncology News and Research

RSS

Oncology, meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix ''-logy'', meaning "study of") is a branch of medicine that deals with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''.

New, altered form of prolactin receptor found to drive breast cancer

Prolactin is a hormone that has long been thought to play an important role in breast development and growth, as well as milk production during pregnancy.

27 Apr 2021

Small molecular changes can have dramatic impact on the CAR T cell function

When researchers from Penn Medicine found that many patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with the investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy targeting the CD22 antigen didn't respond, they went back to the drawing board to determine why.

23 Apr 2021

Researchers uncover a key genetic culprit in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Using a widely known field of mathematics designed mainly to study how digital and other forms of information are measured, stored and shared, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have uncovered a likely key genetic culprit in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

21 Apr 2021

3D biomaterial helps implanted stem cells stick around to reverse arthritis

A 3D biomaterial scaffold design to slowly release stem cells has worked to ensure implanted stem cells stick around to relieve pain and reverse arthritis in mice knee joints.

19 Apr 2021

Modified immune cells can ruthlessly kill cancerous tumors

Modified immune cells that ruthlessly kill cancerous tumors may prove a game-changer for people living with late-stage cancer.

16 Apr 2021

Researchers identify and test drug combination that exploits a weakness in small cell lung cancer

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have identified and tested a drug combination that exploits a weakness in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), an aggressive, dangerous cancer.

13 Apr 2021

Exercise training may slow tumor growth for females with breast cancer

Exercise training may slow tumor growth and improve outcomes for females with breast cancer - especially those treated with immunotherapy drugs - by stimulating naturally occurring immune mechanisms, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) have found.

13 Apr 2021

A new way to predict positive outcomes of immunotherapy in patients with bladder cancer

Researchers have detected and validated groups of genes linked to immunotherapy resistance in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer of the bladder.

12 Apr 2021

Study identifies a pair of microRNA molecules that maintain the population of cancerous stem cells

A research team from Italy has discovered a pair of microRNA molecules that assist in maintaining a population of cancerous stem cells that fuel the growth of breast cancers and trigger tumor relapse after treatment.

5 Apr 2021

Researchers use mathematical modeling to explain CAR T-cell therapy dynamics

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR T, is a relatively new type of therapy approved to treat several types of aggressive B cell leukemias and lymphomas.

26 Mar 2021

Scientists identify new biomarkers in the blood of patients with malignant melanoma

A team of researchers has studied the molecular profile of small “messenger” vesicles called exosomes, produced by cancer stem cells (CSCs), which play a key role in the process of carcinogenesis and metastasis in the blood of patients with malignant melanoma.

26 Mar 2021

Study reveals mechanism by which ibuprofen prevents RAC1B alternative splicing in colorectal cells

Oncotarget published "Ibuprofen disrupts a WNK1/GSK3β/SRPK1 protein complex required for expression of tumor-related splicing variant RAC1B in colorectal cells" which reported that although the molecular mechanism behind the antitumor properties of NSAIDs has been largely attributed to inhibition of cyclooxygenases , several studies have shown that the chemopreventive properties of ibuprofen also involve multiple COX-independent effects.

23 Mar 2021

Low representation of minority groups in genomic databases may impact therapy selection

Low representation of minority groups in public genomic databases may affect therapy selection for Black patients with cancer, according to new Mayo Clinic research published in npj Precision Oncology.

22 Mar 2021

Immune cells in cerebrospinal fluid could be biomarkers to predict immunotherapy response

Results from a study led by Joan Seoane, Director of Preclinical and Translational Research co-program at VHIO and ICREA Professor, show that immune cells accessing cerebrospinal fluid faithfully recapitulate the characteristics of cells identified in brain metastasis, and could therefore constitute novel biomarkers of response to immune-based therapies.

9 Mar 2021

Study identifies how CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid tumor destruction

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has identified a novel mechanism by which a type of cancer immunotherapy known as CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid the destruction of certain tumors.

18 Feb 2021

Oncotarget review highlights molecular connections between cancer stem cells and macrophages

Oncotarget published "Cancer stem cells and macrophages: molecular connections and future perspectives against cancer" which reported that Cancer stem cells have been considered the key drivers of cancer initiation and progression due to their unlimited self-renewal capacity and their ability to induce tumor formation.

17 Feb 2021

Testing for inherited genes can help understand future cancer risk in pediatric patients

Because cancers in children are rare, many details about their biology remain unknown. In the field of cancer genetics, there's a limited understanding of how inherited genetic changes may contribute to the formation and growth of tumors.

17 Feb 2021

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

Cancer cells and immune cells share something in common: They both love sugar. Sugar is an important nutrient. All cells use sugar as a vital source of energy and building blocks. For immune cells, gobbling up sugar is a good thing, since it means getting enough nutrients to grow and divide for stronger immune responses. But cancer cells use sugar for more nefarious ends.

17 Feb 2021

New understanding of tumor microenvironment could help enhance immunotherapy

A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors--known as the tumor microenvironment--subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.

16 Feb 2021

Gene-based blood test may predict treatment success in people with metastatic melanoma

A test that monitors blood levels of DNA fragments released by dying tumor cells may serve as an accurate early indicator of treatment success in people in late stages of one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer, a new study finds.

15 Feb 2021

Oncology News and Research

New, altered form of prolactin receptor found to drive breast cancer

Small molecular changes can have dramatic impact on the CAR T cell function

Researchers uncover a key genetic culprit in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

3D biomaterial helps implanted stem cells stick around to reverse arthritis

Modified immune cells can ruthlessly kill cancerous tumors

Researchers identify and test drug combination that exploits a weakness in small cell lung cancer

Exercise training may slow tumor growth for females with breast cancer

A new way to predict positive outcomes of immunotherapy in patients with bladder cancer

Study identifies a pair of microRNA molecules that maintain the population of cancerous stem cells

Researchers use mathematical modeling to explain CAR T-cell therapy dynamics

Scientists identify new biomarkers in the blood of patients with malignant melanoma

Study reveals mechanism by which ibuprofen prevents RAC1B alternative splicing in colorectal cells

Low representation of minority groups in genomic databases may impact therapy selection

Immune cells in cerebrospinal fluid could be biomarkers to predict immunotherapy response

Study identifies how CTLA-4 blockade can disable suppressive immune cells to aid tumor destruction

Oncotarget review highlights molecular connections between cancer stem cells and macrophages

Testing for inherited genes can help understand future cancer risk in pediatric patients

Study suggests a way to improve immunotherapy by altering immune cells’ access to sugar

New understanding of tumor microenvironment could help enhance immunotherapy

Gene-based blood test may predict treatment success in people with metastatic melanoma

Developing a portable tool to detect street drug ‘spice’

National DNA Day: Importance of DNA in Research

National DNA Day 2021: An Interview with Professor George Church

Latest Life Science News