Cancer

Two recent papers published in Nature report on genomic changes in cancer cell lines that indicate sensitivity to targeted drugs.

A new study links HIF signalling to cyclin D1 expression through a novel enhancer function of a cancer susceptibility locus.

The transcription factor SIX1 can promote lymphangiogenesis and metastasis through regulating the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C.

The extent of tumour heterogeneity has been explored in a paper recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The UK press got carried away with a cancer story this week. It seems that a universal cancer vaccine is on its way, despite the fact that it has only been trialled in ten patients (with five more still to be recruited).The news stories

A paper in Cell identifies a subpopulation of intestinal stem cells that are characterized by the expression of LRIG1, which the authors show is a tumour suppressor.

A clinical trial in mice with lung cancer indicates the likely efficacy of the MEK inhibitor selumetinib in a current ongoing human clinical trial.

The results of two trials suggest ways in which the treatment of advanced, relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma might be improved.

Some of the pathways through which the transcription factor and potential tumour suppressor Cut regulates both differentiation and apoptosis in Drosophila melanogaster have been identified.

Michael Ohh and colleagues delineate a pathway in which HIF increases the expression of caveolin 1, leading to increased ligand-independent mitogenic signalling by EGFR in cancer cells.

A new study identifies a metabolic dependency in prostate cancer cells.

Populations of tumour cells display remarkable variability in almost every discernable phenotypic trait, including clinically important phenotypes such as ability to seed metastases and to survive therapy. This phenotypic diversity results from the integration of both genetic and non-genetic influences. Recent technological advances have improved

Based on the clinical features of myeloma and related malignancies of plasma cells, it has been possible to generate a model system of myeloma progression from a normal plasma cell through smouldering myeloma to myeloma and then plasma cell leukaemia. Using this model system we

The past decade has revealed that melanoma is comprised of multiple subclasses that can be categorized on the basis of key features, including the clinical stage of disease, the oncogenic molecular 'drivers', the anatomical location or the behaviour of the primary lesion and the expression

The past decade has seen dramatic technological advances in the field of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. These advances have driven commercialization and clinical adoption in ophthalmology, cardiology and gastrointestinal cancer screening. Recently, an array of OCT-based imaging tools that have been developed for preclinical

Recent research has raised hopes for impressively accurate screening for cancer with molecular biomarkers. These molecular markers will probably be more sensitive and specific than older screening modalities, as well as easier to use. In this Essay, I argue that these sensitive screening tests might

I read with great interest the recent Opinion article (BRCA1 and BRCA2: different roles in a common pathway of genome protection. Nature Rev. Cancer12, 68–78 (2012)) by Roy and colleagues. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2

The Opinion article we wrote (BRCA1 and BRCA2: different roles in a common pathway of genome protection. Nature Rev. Cancer12, 68–78 (2012)) on the functions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 and their different roles in

We read with great interest the recent Opinion article (BRCA1 and BRCA2: different roles in a common pathway of genome protection. Nature Rev. Cancer12, 68–78 (2012)) by Roy et al., in which the

Schwabe and colleagues show that PAMPs and intestinal bacteria promote TLR4 signalling in the liver, which promotes liver tumour progression.

A new study characterizes the evolutionary dynamics of multiple myeloma progression.

Cancer cells with mutant p53 and high expression levels of EZH2 and mitotic cyclins are likely to be sensitive to a combination of an inhibitor of the WEE1 kinase and chemotherapeutic agents that induce S phase arrest.

Two papers have been published in Nature that analyse genomic and transcriptomic changes in breast tumours to further understand the biology of breast cancer.

A paper published in Cell identifies pathways regulated by GATA2 as potential targets in RAS pathway-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer.

Specific delivery of small interfering RNAs directed against Polo-like kinase 1 to tumour cells using a single-chain fragmented antibody against ERBB2 can reduce xenograft tumour growth and experimental metastases, with minimal toxicities, in mice.

Research over the past decade has greatly increased our understanding of non-apoptotic programmed cell death events, such as lysosomal-mediated cell death, necroptosis and cell death with autophagy. This Review discusses converging and diverging features of these pathways with a view to developing new therapeutics for cancer.

Why are many metastases differentiated? This Opinion article proposes that this is due to phenotypic plasticity involving transient epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In undifferentiated metastasis, it might be that cells are genetically locked into an undifferentiated state. The therapeutic consequences of this hypothesis are also discussed.

Pioneer factors are a special class of transcription factor that can associate with compacted chromatin to facilitate the binding of additional transcription factors. This Progress article discusses the importance of pioneer factors in breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Cannabinoids have well-established roles in palliating cancer-associated symptoms, but numerous recent studies also support their antitumorigenic activity. This Opinion article focuses on preclinical studies of the antitumour effects of cannabinoids, including the associated cellular signalling pathways and resistance mechanisms.

Autophagy can have two functions in cancer: it can be tumour suppressive or tumour promoting. Therefore, defining the context-specific role for autophagy in cancer and the mechanisms involved is important for the use of autophagy-based therapeutics.