News and Events

FDA grants breakthrough therapy designation of new TIL therapy for advanced cervical cancer

In May 2019, the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy technology known as LN-145 to treat advanced cervical cancer based on data presented by CCR collaborator Iovance Biotherapeutics.

B cells imaged using super-resolution microscopy

In patients with severe chronic lymphocytic leukemia, B cells get stuck in hyperactive mode

Analyzing how cancer cells respond to stress signals could help clinicians assess the severity of disease in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to new research from the Center for Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Landmark discovery: H2AX as a sensor of DNA damage

William Bonner’s curiosity about histones led to the discovery that the protein H2AX is altered in response to harmful DNA damage called a double-strand break. This powerful tool has led to breakthroughs in both basic and clinical cancer research.

New mechanism for regulating differentiation discovered in human embryonic stem cells

Researchers in the Center for Cancer Research have discovered a new mechanism involving a nuclease complex called the RNA exosome that represses differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. This represents the first time this mechanism has been studied in these cells.

Gene-regulating microRNAs gain control over hundreds of new genes with common sequence modification

MicroRNAs have an enormous influence over what happens inside cells. By blocking the activity of specific sets of genes, they help control virtually every known biological pathway and process. Disruptions in microRNAs have been linked to many diseases, and understanding how these molecules function, which genes they control and how they themselves are regulated are high priorities in cancer research.

Gastrointestinal tumors harbor T cells that recognize patients’ unique tumor antigens

CCR scientists, led by Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., have determined that many common gastrointestinal tumors bear mutations capable of eliciting an immune response, suggesting that immunotherapy could be an effective way to treat these common cancers.

Human T cell (blue) is under attack by HIV (yellow)

Research shows long noncoding RNA influences expression of key HIV receptor

New research from the Center for Cancer Research has identified a long noncoding RNA that influences the expression of CCR5, a receptor that HIV uses to infect immune cells. The finding points to the molecule as a potential marker that indicates a patient’s susceptibility to the virus.

Pediatric Oncology Branch patient shares neurofibromatosis journey at NIH

Xavier, a patient in the Pediatric Oncology Branch, was born with an incompletely formed leg bone and a large number of dark spots all over his body. When Xavier broke his weak leg at only 11 months of age, he was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). He came to the NIH for treatment, and his tumors have shrunk by more than 20 percent thanks to treatment with selumetinib.

Live-cell fluorescence imaging showing Rabin8, labeled green, binding to Rab11a, labeled red, minutes after serum starvation in

Akt protein kinase pathway regulates key step in the initiation of cilia formation

CCR investigators have discovered that activating the Akt protein kinase pathway stabilizes the binding of the WDR44 protein to the Rab11 protein. This prevents Rab11 from binding to the Rabin8 protein, thereby blocking cilia formation. When Akt is inactive, though, Rab11 instead is bound by FIP3, enhancing its binding to Rabin8, which helps initiate cilia formation. Since abnormalities in cilia formation are associated with a number of types of cancer, these findings point to several potential targets for cancer therapy.

Bacterial compound targets cancer-promoting RNA

Screening more than 3,000 natural products identified a compound that stops the growth of cancer cells by targeting a growth-promoting microRNA.

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