On the surface of every cell are receptors that interact with the cellular world around them. These receptors play a variety of roles. The transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), for instance, pulls iron into the cell for fuel. It does so rapidly and continuously, as if it were a child spinning in a revolving door. Approximately … Read more
In 2016, the key to naturally deconstructing plastic seemed to have been found. News had broken about plastic-eating bacteria discovered in Japan. The bacterium contains a protein that can break down plastic, a pollutant that is linked to health issues including cancer. Since then, protein engineers have been trying to give that protein superpowers not … 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
Physician-scientist Franziska Wachter, MD, came to Dana-Farber 10 years ago as a postdoctoral fellow with a vision. In the clinic, she cares for children with hard-to-treat cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the laboratory, her eyes are on the molecular drivers of the disease.
Overall survival of breast cancer has improved for everyone in the U.S. in recent years, but the pace isn’t the same for all groups of people. Some groups still experience dramatic disparities. For example, according to the American Cancer Society: Dana-Farber wants to close these gaps so that everyone benefits equally from high-quality care and … Read more
Clinical trials assess new medicines to ensure they are safe and effective and to find out which patients they are most likely to benefit. However, clinical trials often enroll few people of color for a constellation of reasons related to historical marginalization of certain groups. Systemic marginalization can result in lower levels of income, fewer … 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
Dana-Farber researcher Charles Stiles, PhD, remembers the call. It was 2008 and a colleague phoned from a conference to deliver the news. Two separate research teams had discovered a genetic driver for the most common of childhood brain tumors called pediatric low-grade glioma. The problem of finding a genetic target to improve treatment for this … 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
Bispecific antibody therapies are a type of immunotherapy for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These therapies provide a valuable new option for patients. There are many standard therapies that are monoclonal antibodies. These therapies treat cancer by binding to a marker on cancer cells and rallying the immune system to destroy them. Bispecific antibodies are … 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
Dana-Farber researchers have found that a transcription factor called SOX17 gives colon cancer a safe space to develop.
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
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 melanoma therapeutic vaccine is a type of personalized cancer vaccine that is intended to train the immune system to fight cancer cells in a way that lasts many years. These novel vaccines are personally tailored to recognize the mutations present in an individual’s tumor cells. They are different from vaccines for infectious diseases, which … Read more
If you’ve seen the original Star Wars movie, you might wonder if the iconic Tie fighter was modeled after the strikingly similar looking Gabija protein complex, a bacterial defense system. From the right angle, they appear to share the same distinctive shape: a deadly center protected by two wings. They also share a purpose: defend … Read more
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
Clinical trials are scientific studies in which new treatments — drugs, diagnostic procedures, and other therapies — are tested in people to find out if they are safe and effective. Nearly all cancer drugs in use today were tested in clinical trials. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, the benefits of participating in a clinical … Read more