Recent MSK Discoveries & Advances

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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378 News Items found
Microscope in foreground, MSK researchers in the background.
MSK Research Highlights, March 27, 2026

New MSK research finds skin stem cells retain long-lasting memory of inflammation; shows how a large cancer DNA study could transform personalized oncology; reveals how the protein BAF helps cancer cells hide from the immune system; and investigates how early DNA markings shape cell fate.
a lab coat hangs in an MSK lab
MSK Research Highlights, March 20, 2026

New MSK research discovers a new approach that could prevent chemotherapy-related leukemia; shows how monoclonal antibodies can turn neutrophils into cancer killers; helps develop sensitive CAR T cells that target CD70 antigen to destroy cancer cells; and uses single-cell studies to yield new clues about a rare, aggressive pediatric sarcoma.
A researcher working in an MSK lab
MSK Research Highlights, March 2, 2026

New MSK research finds the TCA cycle’s waste-management function may present an opportunity against cancer; shows how microplastics impair immune ‘housekeeping’ functions; reveals the way the protein TOX plays different roles in different immune cells; and identifies a new combination approach for treating advanced kidney cancer after immunotherapy.
A researcher working in an MSK lab
MSK Research Highlights, February 23, 2026

New MSK research investigates harnessing the power of ferroptosis to spread cell death; reports how an MSK artificial intelligence (AI) model could help improve patient safety; and uses AI to reveal country-specific drivers of global cancer outcomes.
A researcher working in an MSK lab
MSK Research Highlights, February 4, 2026

New MSK research illuminates new details about Thetis cells that will support efforts to harness them therapeutically; shows how the timing and strength of danger signals steer immune cell fates; and employs single-nucleus DNA sequencing to shed new light on the evolution of pancreatic cancer.
Medical oncologist Saad Usmani, who specializes in treating multiple myeloma.
Multiple Myeloma: Improved Prognosis With the Latest Treatments

Learn how multiple myeloma prognosis has improved significantly with the emergence of new drug treatments.
fluorescent cells
Small Number of ‘Highly Plastic’ Cancer Cells Drive Disease Progression and Treatment Resistance

A small number of cancer cells with the ability to change their identities and behaviors appear to be a key driver of cancer progression and its ability to evolve resistance to treatment, MSK researchers have found in a laboratory study of lung cancer.
Scientific image showing spindle-shaped and round dormant metastatic cancer cells
Dormant Cancer Cells Change Shape To Survive Immune System Attack

New MSK research reveals how dormant metastatic cancer cells protect themselves from the immune system by changing their shape.
microscope image of regulatory T cells
MSK Researchers Solve a Key Colorectal Cancer Mystery

A new MSK study finds that in colorectal cancer, not all regulatory T cells are created equal. One subtype suppresses cancer growth while another aids it. The findings could help improve immunotherapy treatment for the majority of patients with colorectal cancer, and potentially for other cancers.
A researcher points to cells on a screen
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Applauds Highly Cited Researchers 2025

In 2025, MSK was again ranked among the top organizations with the greatest number of highly cited scientific researchers worldwide, according to the annual list of Highly Cited Researchers, published by the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate.