MD Anderson and SNIPR BIOME have announced a strategic collaboration to advance next-generation CRISPR-based microbiome therapies to reduce immune-related side effects in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a global option and license agreement covering certain intellectual property and technology rights regarding Bellicum’s CaspaCIDe® (inducible caspase-9, or iC9) safety switch and related technologies, and the use of rimiducid, an agent used to activate the safety switch.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include clinical studies to investigate novel treatment strategies, a new understanding of cancer precursor lesions, identifying a calcium signaling receptor, characterizing nodal immune flair after immunotherapy, a community screening tool for BRCA testing and a new method for diagnosing Clostridioides difficile infections.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has been awarded $12.75 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support basic, clinical, translational and prevention research efforts, including $3 million for a new project to build clinical trial network infrastructure across Texas. MD Anderson also received $3 million for early clinical investigator awards, $750,000 for high-impact, high-risk awards and $6 million for faculty recruitments.
Current advances include insights into anti-tumor responses, a targeted therapy combination for biliary tract cancers, biomarkers that may predict response to DNA damage repair inhibitors, a “virtual biopsy” using artificial intelligence to characterize tumors, new targeted and immunotherapy approaches for pancreatic cancer, understanding the impact of TP53 mutations on acute myeloid leukemia treatments, as well as a new strategy to overcome treatment-resistant KRAS-mutant lung cancer.
MD Anderson researchers have discovered a critical new factor in regulating metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine and, therefore, in preventing the inherited metabolic disorder phenylketonuria. The research suggests a possible avenue for new treatments.
A study led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found a significant association between cholesterol-lowering drugs commonly known as statins and survival rates of triple-negative breast cancer patients. Since statins are low in cost, easy to access and produce minimal side effects, this could have an important impact on outcomes for this aggressive disease.
MD Anderson hosts the Leading Edge of Cancer Research Symposium on November 4-5, 2021, featuring presentations from distinguished cancer researchers and a virtual poster session, open to all.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has named 10 early career faculty members to the 2021 class of Andrew Sabin Family Fellows. Established by philanthropist Andrew Sabin through a generous $30 million endowment in 2015, the Sabin Family Fellowship program encourages creativity, innovation and impactful cancer research at MD Anderson in the areas of basic science, clinical, physician-scientist and population and quantitative science.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a newly discovered protein that controls B cell survival, understanding epigenetic changes in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) and melanoma, identifying a protein that protect genome stability, developing novel cell therapies for COVID-19, a new option for treating neuropathic pain, exosome delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to pancreatic cancer, discovering how cancer cells tolerate aneuploidy and the role of health disparities in long-term survival of adolescent and young adult patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.
MD Anderson and Blueprint Medicines announced a three-year strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of BLU-222, an investigational targeted therapy against CDK2.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a promising combination therapy for acute myeloid leukemia, understanding mechanisms driving resistance to PARP inhibitors, a therapeutic neoantigen vaccine to treat lung cancer, a novel treatment for triple-negative breast cancer and a new understanding of how telomeres may drive inflammatory bowel disease.
A phase II study led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that treatment with atezolizumab and bevacizumab was well-tolerated and resulted in a 40% objective response rate in patients with advanced malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cancer in the lining of the abdomen.
MD Anderson and Hummingbird Bioscience announced a multi-year strategic research collaboration to investigate HMBD-002, Hummingbird's VISTA antagonist antibody, as a novel immunotherapy for cancer.
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found specific intestinal microbiota signatures correlate with high-grade adverse events and response to combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade treatment.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include expanded use of a targeted therapy for a new group of patients with leukemia, molecular studies yielding novel cancer therapeutic targets, insights into radiation therapy resistance and a community intervention to reduce cervical cancer rates.
Preclinical research finds that glioblastoma stem cells can be targeted by NK cells, but they are able to evade immune attack by releasing TFG-β. Deleting the TFG-β receptor in NK cells renders them resistant to this and restores their anti-tumor activity.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recently published studies in basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a new combination therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a greater understanding of persistent conditions after AML remission, the discovery of a universal biomarker for exosomes, the identification of a tumor suppressor gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and characterization of a new target to treat Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections.
A combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax was found to provide lasting disease remission in patients with newly diagnosed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Findings from the single-institution Phase II study were published today in JAMA Oncology and provide the longest follow-up data on patients treated with this drug regimen.
Results from the multi-cohort Phase I/II ARROW clinical trial, conducted by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers, showed that a once-daily dose of pralsetinib, a highly selective RET inhibitor, was safe and effective in treating patients with advanced RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and RET-altered thyroid cancer.
Results from the Phase II cohort of the CodeBreaK 100 study showed that treatment with the KRAS G12C inhibitor sotorasib achieved 12.5 months median overall survival in previously treated patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
MD Anderson researchers have discovered a new role for the metabolic enzyme, MCAD, in glioblastoma. The enzyme prevents toxic fatty acid accumulation, in addition to its normal role in energy production, and targeting MCAD led to irreversible damage and cell death specifically in cancer cells.
Several Phase II clinical trials conducted by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center show promising results for patients with melanoma, breast cancer, HER2-positive tumors and ovarian cancer. The results of these studies, which will be presented at the virtual 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, highlight new advances in drug therapy research to improve patient outcomes.
MD Anderson researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind AI tool to identify rare groups of biologically important cells from the noise of large, complex single-cell datasets. The new tool, called SCMER, can help reserachers gain new insights across many applications.
A metabolic inhibitor drug, IACS-6274, developed by MD Anderson's Therapeutics Discovery division, is well-tolerated and showed early signs of anti-tumor activity in a Phase I trial being presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting.
A combination of ponatinib and blinatumomab was found to be safe and highly effective in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study may support a regimen to produce complete remission with front-line therapy, without the increased risks associated with systemic chemotherapy or a stem cell transplant.
MD Anderson and Refuge have announced a strategic collaboration to advance new cell therapies for treating solid tumors. The agreement pairs Refuge's innovative technologies with the experience and capabilities of MD Anderson's Therapeutics Discovery division.
Cord blood-derived natural killer cells combined with a bispecific antibody displayed potent activity against lymphoma cells in a preclinical study led by MD Anderson researchers.
MD Anderson researchers have discovered a new role for the DHODH enzyme in blocking a form of cell death called ferroptosis. Preclinical findings suggest that targeting DHODH could restore cell death and inhibit tumor growth.
MD Anderson and the Broad Institute have launched a translational research platform to study rare cancers. The initiative will lead to a first-of-its-kind resource for the scientific community and will help to accelerate new therapies for patients with rare tumor types.
MD Anderson researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind atlas of early-stage lung cancer and surrounding normal lung tissue. The single-cell map provides a valuable resource to learn about tumor development and find new therapeutic targets.
A Phase II trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that BK virus (BKV)-specific T cells from healthy donors were safe and effective as an off-the-shelf therapy for BKV-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC), a painful complication common after allogeneic stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia or lymphoma. The study was published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced efforts to advance its capabilities to seamlessly connect basic science, translational and clinical research data for the benefit of patients through a technology collaboration with Syntropy and the Foundry platform.
MD Anderson and Boehringer Ingelheim have expanded their joint Virtual Research and Development Center to accelerate the development of new targeted therapies against KRAS and TRAILR2 in lung cancer.
MD Anderson and TriSalus announced a strategic research collaboration to evaluate the treatment of liver and pancreas tumors with the investigational therapy SD-101 in combination with immunotherapy using a novel delivery approach.
Guillermina (Gigi) Lozano, Ph.D., chair of Genetics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been elected to the 2021 class of Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy in recognition of her pioneering work to describe the p53 tumor suppressor pathway, which is undermined in many cancers.
A new DNA sequencing approach developed by MD Anderson researchers overcomes technical challenges with earlier techniques to give deeper insights into breast cancer evolution.
A high rate of genetic mutations within a tumor, known as high tumor mutation burden, was only useful for predicting immunotherapy responses in a subset of cancer types, suggesting that this may not reliably be used as a universal biomarker.
MD Anderson's Therapeutics Discovery division and Orionis Biosciences today announced the launch of Project Helios, a new collaboration designed to unlock new drug development opportunities through genome-scale mapping of drug-target interactions.
Contrary to long-held beliefs, new research finds that collagen in the tumor microenvironment may not promote cancer development but plays a protective role in controlling pancreatic cancer growth. The new findings could have important therapeutic implications.
The first randomized Phase II clinical trial to report on single and combined neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) found combination therapy produced a significant clinical benefit, as assessed by major pathologic response (MPR) rate, as well as enhanced tumor immune cell infiltration and immunological memory.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. today announced a strategic research and development collaboration to expand the evaluation of Mirati’s two investigational small molecule, potent and selective KRAS inhibitors – adagrasib (MRTX849), a G12C inhibitor in clinical development, and MRTX1133, a G12D inhibitor in preclinical development, as monotherapy and in combination with other agents – which target two of the most frequent KRAS mutations in cancer.
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed the first comprehensive framework to classify small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) into four unique subtypes, based on gene expression, and have identified potential therapeutic targets for each type in a study published today in Cancer Cell.
An all-star lineup of basketball greats, several of whom are courageous cancer survivors, will share their stories Feb. 4 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s A Conversation with a Living Legend event. Robin Roberts, an anchor of “Good Morning America,” will join Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Ernie Johnson Jr. for a virtual fireside chat with a special guest appearance by 11-time NBA All-Star Charles Barkley.