FDA approves BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma
The Food and Drug Administration approved idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) for people with multiple myeloma that has not responded to or has returned after at least four different prior cancer treatments. The approval is based, in part, on earlier clinical work led by James N. Kochenderfer, M.D., Senior Investigator in the Surgery Branch. Read more...
FDA approves BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma
Hotspots for DNA damage and repair in neurons identified
Mar 25, 2021
Researchers have pinpointed hotspots along the genome of neurons where endogenous, or internally driven, DNA breaks and repair accumulate. If the breaks are not repaired rapidly, they can lead to neuron dysfunction, degeneration and death. Read more...
Clinical trial investigates vaccine to treat recurrent respiratory papillomatosis after surgery
Mar 24, 2021
Scott M. Norberg, D.O., Assistant Research Physician in the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, is leading a study of PRGN-2012, an experimental therapeutic vaccine for adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). RRP is a rare disorder caused by human papillomavirus. Read more...
AACR Annual Meeting - Session I
Mar 17, 2021
A number of CCR scientists will present their research at the AACR Annual Meeting. The virtual session I takes place April 10-15, 2021. Read more...
New trial evaluates immunotherapy combinations in adults with advanced small bowel and colorectal cancers
Mar 15, 2021
Julius Strauss, M.D., Assistant Research Physician in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, is leading a clinical trial evaluating a combination of immunotherapy drugs to see if they can shrink advanced tumors of the small bowel, colon and rectum. Read more...
New Milestones publication now available
Mar 15, 2021
Every year, the Center for Cancer Research makes remarkable contributions to the understanding, detection, treatment and prevention of cancer. This issue of our annual publication, Milestones, features some of our top scientific advances in the past year at CCR. These discoveries include two new FDA-approved therapies, insights into how to design RNA-targeted therapeutics and new ways to predict treatment outcomes in immunotherapy. Other major advances include the development of new computational tools – for identifying viruses in cancer genomes and to elucidate the consequences of DNA damage – and novel diagnostic tools – one to detect liver cancer, another to precisely detect prostate cancer. Read more...
Clinical trial evaluates combination therapy for men with metastatic prostate cancer
Mar 11, 2021
Ravi A. Madan, M.D., Senior Clinician in the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, is leading a study of an experimental treatment for men with two types of prostate cancer: one type that responds to hormone therapy and one that doesn’t.Read more...
New finding reveals how some cancers gain or lose chromosomes
Mar 9, 2021
Some cancers have an abnormal number of chromosomes, and patients with these cancers tend to have a worse prognosis. CCR researchers have uncovered how overexpression of just one protein can cause these chromosome abnormalities – hinting at a mechanism that could be therapeutically targeted. Read more...
Drug lessens symptoms of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease
Mar 8, 2021
About half of patients who receive allogeneic stem cell transplants, a treatment for blood cancer, develop a difficult-to-treat condition called chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). CCR investigators have found that pomalidomide, an immune-modulating drug, can reduce symptoms in patients with severe cases of cGVHD. Read more...
A key mechanism that fuels uncontrolled cell growth is uncovered in yeast
Feb 16, 2021
Scientists have long wondered how cancer cells use a protein complex, called TOR, to survive and proliferate in nutrient-poor conditions. Now, CCR researchers have discovered how a protein that is targeted by TOR drives this process, which holds important implications for understanding cancer and some genetic disorders. Read more...
Registration and abstract submission now open for RNA Biology Symposium
Feb 10, 2021
The symposium offers the opportunity to learn more about the current status of RNA biology in development and disease, share research with leading figures in the field and discuss the use and implications of these advances for clinical applications. Sessions Include: RNA Processing; RNA Structure and Mechanism; Non-Classical RNAs; and RNA Therapy. Learn more...