Our Discoveries

New insights explain how the same protein can serve different functions

Proteins can often choose between potential interacting partners and serve different functions inside cells. How these choices are made is not entirely clear. New research shows that the exact location in a cell where the protein is produced and the rate of its synthesis are key factors in this choice.

New T-cell therapy shrinks solid tumors in early-phase clinical trial

Trial results show that engineered T cells can effectively target mesothelin, a protein found on many solid tumors.

Studies of an experimental ovarian cancer therapy identify a biomarker of treatment response

A new biomarker may identify patients who can benefit from drugs that inhibit CHK1 after their ovarian cancer has become resistant to PARP inhibitors.

New analysis reveals potential effective drug combinations for treating lung cancer

Researchers compared more than 5,000 drug combinations in lung cancer cells, the results of which point to combinations that may be particularly effective in combating cancer in humans.

Cells’ decision to divide is reversible

Surprising findings show that cells that are preparing to divide can return to a resting state if they lose growth signals, even after they have passed what was previously thought to be a point of no return.

Drug combination provides a one-two punch attack against colorectal cancer

Researchers have identified a drug that, when combined with TOP1 inhibitors, results in improved efficacy in human colorectal cancer models — a finding that may apply to other cancers treated with TOP1 inhibitors. The results also yield important insights into our basic understanding of DNA replication and repair.

Targeting sugar-molecule tags to proteins in the treatment of aggressive lymphomas

CCR researchers, led by Louis M. Staudt, M.D., Ph.D., have discovered a novel approach to treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with potentially fewer treatment-related side effects. Their work identifies and exploits the role of sugar-molecule modifications in B-cell survival.

With new database, NCATS data is poised to support development of precision cancer therapies

Data from thousands of compounds and nearly 200 cancer cell lines screened at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences are available through a new CellMiner database.

Immunofluorescence image shows CD4+ (green) and CD8+ (yellow) T cells in the microenvironment of a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

How immunotherapy before surgery boosts systemic immunity in head and neck cancer

Some evidence suggests that immunotherapy before surgery to remove head and neck tumors can decrease the chances of cancer recurrence, but the reasons for this observation are unknown. New research details how the treatment regimen boosts the number and dispersion of tumor-fighting immune cells throughout the body.

NIH study finds that immunotherapy substantially increases survival of people with lymphomatoid granulomatosis

Results from a clinical trial conducted by CCR researchers show that people with low-grade lymphomatoid granulomatosis who are treated with interferon-alpha, a type of immunotherapy, can live for decades after diagnosis. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is a rare precancerous condition triggered by Epstein-Barr virus infection. The findings suggest that immunotherapy can prevent the progression of low-grade disease to high-grade disease, which has a poorer prognosis and can quickly turn into an aggressive and fatal B-cell lymphoma.

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