Basic Research

KEAP1 Keeps major cancer-promoting protein at bay

A tumor-suppressing protein snatches up an important cancer-promoting enzyme and tags it with molecules that condemn it to destruction, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports this week in the journal Molecular Cell.

Leptin linked with more aggressive thyroid cancer in Middle Eastern region

Leptin, a molecule linked with obesity, may play a crucial role in predicting poor prognosis from thyroid cancer, at least in the Middle Eastern region of the world, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research Meeting.

Genes signal late-stage laryngeal cancer, poorer outcome

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have identified tumor-suppressing genes that may provide a more accurate diagnosis of disease stage and survival for laryngeal cancer patients than current standards.

Researcher solves mystery about proteins that package the genome

A Florida State University College of Medicine researcher has solved a century-old mystery about proteins that play a vital role in the transfer of the human genetic code from one cell to another. The discovery could lead to finding new ways to help the body fight a variety of diseases, including cancer.

TGen and Scottsdale Healthcare discover new 'pathways'

Using computer modeling, the Translational Genomics Research Institute and Scottsdale Healthcare have discovered lung cancer 'pathways' that could become targets for new drugs, according to a scientific paper published online today by the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

Novel polymer delivers genetic medicine, allows tracking

Theresa M. Reineke, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Science, and colleagues in her lab at Virginia Tech and at the University of Cincinnati have developed a new molecule that can travel into cells, deliver genetic cargo, and packs a beacon so scientists can follow its movements in living systems.

New chemo cocktail blocks breast cancer like a strong fence

Think of a protective fence that blocks the neighbor's dog from charging into your backyard. The body, too, has fences -- physical and biochemical barriers that keep cells in their place.

Mutated FGFR4 protein helps a childhood cancer spread

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a childhood cancer thought to originate from skeletal muscle. In patients whose disease has spread (metastasized) from the initial tumor site the chance of long-term survival is poor.

Research points to potential chink in cancer's armor

Scientists at the University of York have identified and successfully silenced a gene that appears essential to cancer cell survival.

Inventive combination of research approaches identifies new target for treating leukemia

New research integrates sophisticated interdisciplinary approaches to solve a molecular mystery that may lead to alternative therapeutic strategies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The study, published by Cell Press in the October issue of the journal Cancer Cell, identifies a previously unrecognized AML target that responds well to pharmacological inhibition and may be an excellent candidate for use in future clinical trials.