What is TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) therapy? Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapy uses a patient’s own immune system T cells to fight cancer. The therapy involves removing T cells from a piece of the patient’s tumor – where the T cells have congregated after being alerted to the cancer – growing them outside the body, then … Read more
The genetic landscape of prostate cancer susceptibility in Africa is, like the continent itself, a picture of sweeping diversity, the largest study of the phenomenon concludes. The findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, are an important step in unravelling why prostate cancer rates are highest in men of African descent, whether they live in … Read more
In the family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) proteins, CDK5 always seemed to be a misfit. Despite being structurally similar to other CDKs, and despite the “cyclin” in its name, it did not participate in the family business of ushering cells through the cycle of growth and division. Or so scientists thought, and textbooks said. In … Read more
Scott Menta describes himself as someone who “likes to stay on top of my health.” So, when he read about a new test that screens for cancer based on tumor cell DNA within the blood, he sprang for the cost of two tests — one for him and one for his wife. His wife’s test … Read more
Like all vaccines, prostate cancer vaccines work by stimulating the body’s immune system. Unlike vaccines for the flu, COVID-19 and other infections, which protect against disease, prostate cancer vaccines are a form of treatment. Treatment vaccines activate the immune response against cancer cells by targeting antigens – cancer-related proteins produced in greater abundance in tumor … Read more
When breast cancer metastasizes, it often heads for the brain, where it can be exceptionally difficult to root out. The key to preventing the spread of the cancer, or thwarting it if it does reach the brain, is to understand the mechanism that turns stationary tumor cells into nomadic intruders. In a recent study, a … Read more
As she hopped off the bleachers onto the grass after a graduation ceremony, Elizabeth Zarrella felt an unfamiliar pain in her back. A visit to the emergency room a week later revealed the source of the pain and the reason for its severity: her vertebrae were so brittle that two of them had been compressed … Read more
In trial after clinical trial, metastatic colorectal cancer has been largely undeterred by immune checkpoint inhibitors. Although these drugs have shown effectiveness in Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and nearly a dozen other malignancies, their track record against colorectal cancer has been lackluster, particularly for patients with the most common subtype of … Read more
While hematological cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma involve white blood cells, other, rarer hematologic malignancies affect red blood cells and platelets. These include polycythemia vera, in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, and essential thrombocythemia, in which platelets levels are abnormally high. Both are chronic diseases that can usually … Read more
The body doesn’t mourn the loss of an infected or cancerous cell. Some cells die quietly, like a wounded animal searching for cover. Others go down in a blaze of publicity, poking holes in their membranes and spewing out substances that broadcast the news to the immune system. The latter mode of death — known … Read more
Follicular lymphoma is a slow-growing form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that arises in white blood cells called B lymphocytes. It’s named for the clumps of abnormal B cells, called follicles, that develop in patients’ lymph nodes. It accounts for 20-30% of all cases of NHL. Although follicular lymphoma currently isn’t curable, patients can live with … Read more
GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease, occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows back up the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach. This irritates the lining of the esophagus, causing heartburn and, in some cases, an influx of stomach acid into the throat and mouth. Occasional GERD — also known as acid … Read more
Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition that increases an individual’s risk for certain types of cancer. It’s caused by a mutation in any of five specific genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM. People born with a mutation in one or more of these genes have a significantly increased risk of developing colorectal or uterine cancer and a somewhat … Read more
BCL2 inhibitors are drugs that prompt cancer cells to die by altering the interactions among key proteins within the cells. They were clinically developed, in large part, by researchers at Dana-Farber and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia … Read more
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diagnosed in more than 18,000 people in the U.S. every year. It is a fast-growing lymphoma that can arise in the lymph nodes or, more rarely, in organs such as the spleen, liver, and others. As its name indicates, DLBCL involves the … Read more
Its nickname “the executioner protein” might give one the idea that BAX has a sinister role in cell life. But its killing has more to do with sacrifice than malice. When a human cell is suffering from a lack of oxygen, a toxin, a genetic mutation, or other source of stress, it may kill itself … Read more
When Youling Sun was diagnosed in Shanghai, China, with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2018, he called his son, Conghao, in Boston, for advice. His son’s message was unequivocal: Come to Boston for your treatment. Today, Sun, a retired office worker from Shanghai, has multiple reasons to be thankful he took that advice — both … Read more
Research by Dana-Farber scientists shows cancer cells can use the TREX1 protein to silence genes that might summon an immune system attack on the cells.
A pair of subversives, the genes BTK and PLCG2 are often mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that is resistant to the drug ibrutinib. But how common are these genetic alterations and to what extent do they contribute to ibrutinib resistance? The answers will help doctors determine which targeted therapies are most likely to help … Read more
Protein degradation is a natural process by which cells break down proteins that are damaged or no longer needed so they can be recycled or disposed of. Scientists at Dana-Farber and elsewhere are harnessing this process to destroy specific proteins involved in cancer, an approach known as targeted protein degradation. In contrast to traditional targeted … Read more