News and Events

Steve Rosenberg receives Szent-Györgi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research

Steve Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Surgery Branch, has received the 2019 Szent-Györgi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. The award recognizes indivuduals with a seminal discovery or a body of work that has resulted in or led toward notable contributions to cancer prevention, diagnosis or treatment, and the discovery has had a lasting impact on the cancer field with a high direct impact of saving lives.

Drug successfully treats WHIM syndrome

Researchers have discovered which genus of human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for warts found in patients with WHIM syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease, and determined the drug plerixafor could successfully treat those patients.

Gene mutations in Burkitt lymphoma hint at more effective treatment

Some cases of Burkitt lymphoma have long been thought to be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. New research is revealing potential genetic mechanisms for how the virus could contribute to the disease.

CCR staff receive NCI-NIA and Curie-NCI awards

Congratulations to the CCR staff who have been awarded the NCI-NIA Joint Fellowship and the funding opportunity offered through the NCI-NIH and PIC3i Curie.

New map of protein interactions hints at the underlying mechanisms of hereditary kidney cancer

A hereditary form of kidney cancer is characterized by high levels of the metabolite fumarate but how the compound fuels cancer remains a mystery. CCR researchers have mapped the proteins that fumarate interacts with, revealing new links between metabolism and malignancy.

New insights into mechanisms key to maintaining KRAS-mutant cancer cell survival

CCR researchers tested nearly 500 different combinations of multi-gene targeting strategies to study the mechanisms that favor the survival of KRAS-mutant colorectal and pancreatic cancer cells over normal cells. This study reveals the previously underappreciated complexity of the signaling network of the KRAS oncogene. Although work remains to be done, the research does suggest potential target combinations for more effective therapeutic interventions.

Clinical trial studies antitumor effect of sunitinib in central nervous system sarcomas

A new clinical trial is testing a cancer drug, sunitinib, on recurrent gliosarcoma and previously treated sarcomas of the central nervous system. This drug has been studied in several other types of cancer, where it was able to inhibit factors that help tumors grow and spread. Investigators want to see if sunitinib can have the same antitumor effect on sarcomas and gliosarcoma of the brain and spinal cord.

Eric Freed elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology

Eric Freed, Ph.D., Director of the HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, has been elected as a 2019 fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group with the American Society for Microbiology. Fellows are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

Two new compounds target a cancer-promoting RNA transcript

MALAT1 is a noncoding RNA associated with aggressive lung cancer and poor survival for patients with various tumor types. The identification of two new molecules that disable this RNA hints at new therapeutic avenues.

Clinical trial finds combination therapy effective for some biliary cancer patients

Completion of a phase I/II clinical trial found that two of 20 patients with biliary tract cancer disease experienced a partial response to treatment with the immune checkpoint inhibitor tremelimumab combined with microwave ablation therapy. Further studies are needed to understand why just a few patients responded well to this combination treatment.

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