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Read how researchers discovered genetic markers that hinder pancreatic cancer treatment and mutations that increase sarcoma risk. Then learn how artificial intelligence is helping predict prostate cancer outcomes and see how a new clinical trial looks at less-invasive breast cancer treatments. Finally, find out how a new grant could help veterans get the cancer care they need.

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More than 25% of parents surveyed report that they were less than truthful about their children’s COVID-19 status or that they didn't follow the disease’s preventive guidelines during the pandemic for their offspring, according to a nationwide study led in part by University of Utah scientists.

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Huntsman Cancer Institute is proud to announce Brad Cairns, PhD, as the inaugural recipient of the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research given by the 2018 Utah State Legislature. In addition, Aik Choon Tan, PhD, was named the Jon and Karen Huntsman Presidential Professor in Cancer Research and Alana Welm, PhD, received a five-year extension as the Ralph E. and Willia T. Main Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.

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Each month, we’d like to highlight some current work at Huntsman Cancer Institute. See how a potential new immunotherapy for breast cancer is being developed, learn about research being done to prevent cancer risks in young adults, gain an understanding of how a specific DNA mutation can change lung cancer tumors, check out how nurses are creating a new way to monitor a serious type of pneumonia, and read how researchers have linked biomarkers to distress in colorectal cancer patients.

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Navigating health care is hard enough when English is your first language—imagine the difficulty when American Sign is your first language. How can we bridge the linguistic and cultural gaps needed to better care for patients? University of Utah Health is proud to present Language of Care, an incredible short film of how a community of Deaf patients are breaking barriers by co-designing their own care with U of U Health researchers.

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Generous donations make the remarkable growth and advancements in cancer care at Huntsman Cancer Institute possible. Huntsman Cancer Foundation, the nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to raise funds to support the institute, has a new leader. Kim Wirthlin will be the president and chief operating officer (COO) beginning February 1. The foundation’s work is critical in supporting cutting-edge research and the highest standards of clinical care at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

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Orangutans, mice, and horses are covered with it, but humans aren’t. Why we have significantly less body hair than most other mammals has long remained a mystery. But a first-of-its-kind comparison of genetic codes from 62 animals is beginning to tell the story of how people—and other mammals—lost their locks.

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A new animal study points to a gene that is important for the earliest development of basic social behaviors.

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A brisk walk for 20 minutes a day may not sound like much, but it could make a big difference for colorectal cancer patients. Regular physical activity reduces inflammation by improving the gut microbiome of patients, including patients who are obese, scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute found. They researched the impact of exercise on the gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria that live in our digestive system. Investigators found moderate exercise improved outcomes in colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in the United States, excluding skin cancers. Scientists explain why their findings are so significant.

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The Mark and Kathie Miller Pediatric Genomics Fund will contribute $3.6 million over the next five years to support a pair of pediatric genetic research programs at the Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM) at University of Utah Health.

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Many more Utah teens are getting vaccinated for HPV, protecting them against six types of cancer. The state saw a significant increase in HPV vaccinations after a long history of mixed messages and misunderstandings about the vaccine. Huntsman Cancer Institute experts explain what’s working, and one woman tells about her harrowing cancer journey.

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People who have received two or three doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine are significantly more likely to have milder illnesses if infected with the Delta or Omicron coronavirus variants than those who are unvaccinated, according to a nationwide study involving a team of University of Utah researchers.

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Newly published research is the first to show that stillbirth can be inherited and tends to be passed down through male members of the family. That risk preferentially comes from the mother’s or father’s male relatives—their brothers, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or male cousins. But the odds of a couple losing a baby to stillbirth are even greater when the condition comes from the father’s side of the family.

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Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute have solved a long-standing mystery about how a cancer-promoting protein causes drug-resistent tumors to grow. They hope the discovery leads to more effective cancer drugs. Ben Myers, PhD, explains how this new science is closing the gap in understanding brain and skin tumors and how to combat them.

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Four of 10 Americans surveyed report that they were often less than truthful about whether they had COVID-19 and/or didn’t comply with many of the disease’s preventive measures during the height of the pandemic, according to a new nationwide study.

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Patients from historically medically underserved groups, including patients of color and those who are Spanish-speaking, have less cancer family history information available to them. In addition, existing health records are less comprehensive, according to a study published October 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.

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Whatever you do, don’t call them “mini-brains,” say University of Utah Health scientists. Regardless, the seed-sized organoids—which are grown in the lab from human cells—contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes. They are providing insights into the brain and uncovering differences that may contribute to autism in some people.