Our Discoveries

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.

Cancer cells that die via apoptosis (larger dark purple structures) expel their nuclear contents (orange and yellow stringy structures) to spur metastasis and growth of living cancer cells (smaller light blue structures). Image credit: Yang Lab

Signals released from dying cancer cells accelerate metastatic tumor growth

The final act of a dying cancer cell may be to spur the growth of other cancer cells.

A high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) image showing multiple conformations of identical RNA sequences. Image credit: Wang Lab

Researchers discover the multiple shapes of RNA, a boon for drug design

Using atomic force microscopy, CCR researchers directly observed individual RNA structures in cell-like conditions. They found that one primary RNA sequence can fold into many different conformations, which has important implications for the fundamental understanding of RNA and RNA-targeted drug design.

Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer which is difficult to treat. Image credit: iStock

A rare look into what makes mesothelioma aggressive, and potentially treatable

Scientists have a limited understanding of mesothelioma and how to treat it effectively, but that’s beginning to change. In a novel study, CCR researchers identified a 48-gene signature associated with a worse prognosis – but also identified a subset of patients who respond to certain immunotherapy and chemotherapy drugs.

Lung cancer cells fluorescently labeled for MYC (red), MYCL (green) and chromosomes (blue) to identify MYC- and MYCL-positive ecDNA in the cells.

Extrachromosomal DNA promotes aggressiveness of small cell lung cancer

Cancers harboring small particles of DNA that exist outside of chromosomes, called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), are associated with aggressive tumor growth, drug resistance, and shorter patient survival. New research shows that ecDNAs in small cell lung cancer contribute to variability between cancer cells, allowing them to rapidly evolve and leading to these undesirable outcomes.

Immunohistochemical staining of a human brain metastasis.

First clinical trial testing a prevention for breast cancer metastasis to the brain yields encouraging results

When breast cancer metastasizes to the brain, new tumors usually develop even after treatment. But recurrence was low among women who received low-dose temozolomide with T-DM1 in a phase I clinical trial.

Three-dimensional illustration of a SSHEL drug delivery system.

Researchers create a novel cancer drug delivery system inspired by bacterial spores

CCR researchers, led by Senior Investigator Kumaran S. Ramamurthi, Ph.D., have found a way to deliver drugs directly to cancerous tissue — at least in an animal model — by copying the structure of bacterial spores. Their synthetic, spore-like particles are a novel approach to avoiding the harmful systemic side effects of chemotherapy.

Tumor cell community in a hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer.

Researchers uncover stable molecular networks inside liver tumors

The ever-changing nature of tumor microenvironments makes treating cancerous tumors difficult. CCR researchers, led by Xin Wei Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Chief of the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, have performed single-cell RNA sequencing analyses on samples from 44 liver cancer patients. They have uncovered stable molecular networks that cells within liver tumors use to speak with nearby immune cells, which could open a path for therapeutic exploration for liver cancer.

Image credit: Marielle E. Yohe, M.D., Ph.D.

Drug Combination Shows Promise for Rhabdomyosarcoma, but Can It Get to Clinical Trials?

A study led by Marielle E. Yohe, M.D., Ph.D., Lasker Clinical Research Scholar in the Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, and Javed Khan, M.D., Deputy Chief and Senior Investigator in the Genetics Branch, has identified a potential new treatment for children with rhabdomyosarcoma. The researchers are exploring options and hope to test their drug combination in human clinical trials.

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