Recent MSK Discoveries & Advances

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Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers are relentlessly exploring every aspect of cancer — from basic investigations of cells and molecules to clinical trials of new treatments and population-wide studies of the disease. While our core mission is to translate this knowledge into new strategies to control cancer, many of our investigators are also making scientific progress against other diseases and conditions.

Below are some examples of discoveries and advances that recently were made in our laboratories and clinics, and featured in our news stories.

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373 News Items found
Memorial Sloan Kettering thoracic surgeon Prasad Adusumilli
New Finding Could Predict Which People with Lung Cancer Will Benefit from Chemotherapy
Researchers identify a biomarker that could predict which lung cancer patients will respond to chemotherapy.
Charles Rudin and Dana Pe'er
Molecular Atlas of Small Cell Lung Cancer Reveals Unusual Cell Type That Could Explain Why It’s So Aggressive
Stem-like cells that make up only a tiny fraction of the total cells in a lung tumor could be the key to stopping the disease’s deadly spread, say researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Katharine Hsu and Rosa Sottile
Unusual Immune Cell Type Could Be Good Target for Immunotherapy
Part natural killer, part T cell, this hybrid immune cell has a “double sword” for fighting cancer.
fruits and vegetables
Food Insecurity Can Make Healthy Eating Difficult for People with Cancer: How MSK is Helping Diverse Communities
Discover how Memorial Sloan Kettering is teaming up with local hospitals to promote healthy eating in diverse communities.
Man holding an IUD
To Detect Ovarian Cancer Early, Researchers Look to Nanotechnology
Could an implantable IUD help detect cancer early, when it is most curable? Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute are betting yes.
A collage of photos showing a zebrafish with GFP-labeled melanocytes, magnified GFP-labeled melanocytes, and hPSC-derived melanocytes growing in a dish.
Why Are Only Some Cells ‘Competent’ to Form Cancer? MSK Scientists Say Context Is Key
Experiments with zebrafish and human pluripotent stem cells reveal the necessary ingredients, besides genetic mutations, that fuel the development of melanoma.
MSK scientists Margaret Callahan, Ronglai Shen, and Katherine Panageas
MSK Study Identifies Biomarker That May Help Predict Benefits of Immunotherapy
A blood-based test identifies patients in whom immunotherapy may ‘LAG.’
In the Lab
Scientist Gabriela Chiosis in her lab
Experimental Drug Targets Misbehaving Proteins in Brain Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease
Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers are studying how drugs that reverse malfunctioning proteins may treat disease.
Q&A
Memorial Sloan Kettering surgeon Prasad Adusumilli
CAR T Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Mesothelioma
A combination immunotherapy approach using CAR T cells could be an effective new way to treat mesothelioma.
Feature
Group photo of researchers Michael Berger, Marc Ladanyi, Dana Tsui, Rose Brannon, Ryma Benayed, Ahmet Zehir, and David Klimstra.
How MSK-ACCESS Blood Test for Cancer was Created
MSK-ACCESS, a blood test that can detect mutations in 129 genes related to cancer, has already helped guide the treatment of more than 2,800 patients at MSK.
Finding
Zsofia Stadler
Knowledge of Inherited Gene Mutations Increasingly Can Guide Cancer Treatment
An analysis of patients who received molecular testing at MSK has found that about half of those with hereditary gene mutations could benefit from treatment with therapies that target those alterations.
Memorial Sloan Kettering medical oncologist Michael Morris
Finding Hidden Cancer Cells: FDA Approval of New Imaging Tool Could Transform Treatment Decisions for Advanced Prostate Cancer
A newly approved imaging technology can identify the location of prostate cancer cells, allowing doctors to choose the best treatment.
Feature
Three photos of Karen Milich: one with her grandson, one of her with her sons, and one of her alone
How Four Decades of Research Led to an Important Advance in Lung Cancer
Read how a clinical trial is changing the outlook for some people with lung cancer.
Q&A
Memorial Sloan Kettering medical oncologist Dean Bajorin
Immunotherapy Drug Lowers Risk of Bladder Cancer Returning after Surgery
People with bladder cancer may soon have a new treatment option following surgery.
Two clinical trials looking at the effects of a ketogenic diet on cancer treatment are in the works, says MSK medical oncologist Vicky Makker (above). Photo from early 2020.
Can a Keto Diet Fight Cancer?
Learn more about how the keto diet may one day be used as a boost to cancer treatment.
Jun Mao giving acupuncture to a patient
Two Kinds of Acupuncture Can Relieve Pain in Cancer Survivors
Acupuncture has been proven to help relieve pain in people with a history of cancer. A new study focuses on two specific methods that offer encouraging results.
Human metastatic melanoma cells in a lymph node. ENPP1, a protein involved in immune evasion, is shown in green.
Taking the STING Out of Cancer: Discovery about How Cancer Cells Evade Immune Defenses Inspires New Treatment Approach
The research identifies a protein called ENPP1 as a potential drug target in the treatment of advanced cancers with chromosome instability.
In the News
Yi-Long Wu, President of CTONG, and Sir Murray Brennan, MSK’s Senior Vice President of International Programs; center: Honorable Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australia and 8th President and CEO of Asia Society; right (top to bottom): Lisa DeAngelis, MSK’s Physician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer, and Bob Li, MSK’s Physician Ambassador to China and Asia-Pacific
Memorial Sloan Kettering and the Chinese Thoracic Oncology Group Strengthen International Collaboration During Annual Symposium
The initiative lays the groundwork for speedier cancer drug approvals in both the United States and China.
Dana Pe'er, Chair of the Computational and Systems Biology Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute
Year in Review: Top 10 MSK Cancer Science Breakthroughs of 2020
Take a look back at some of the biggest cancer science stories from this past year.
Regulatory proteins (gold balls) bind to enhancer regions (light blue) and promoter regions (pink) of DNA to form clusters that enable transcription (purple).
Going the Distance: How DNA Enhancers Communicate with Their Target Genes
Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute are learning how far-flung regions of genes connect to start the process of making proteins.