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
Ribbon diagram of an anthrax protein.
Science Byte
Scientists Discover Keys to Immune Response against Anthrax

Researchers clarify how the immune system activates an inflammatory defense against pathogens.
In this fluorescent microscopy image of endoderm tissue from a mouse embryo, cell membranes are red, cell nuclei are blue, and extra-embryonic endoderm cells are green (they appear turquoise because blue and green are merged).
In the Lab
Scientists Rewrite the Textbook of Organ Development, One Cell at a Time

A large study that analyzed nearly 120,000 cells in a developing mouse embryo is full of surprises.
Model of TGF-beta molecule
Feature
An Old Protein Gets a New Look: Researchers Target TGF-ß to Make Immunotherapy More Effective

Drugs that block the action of TGF-ß may make checkpoint inhibitors more effective.
an illustration of cancer metastasis
In the News
AACR 2019 Research Roundup: Nanosensors for Cancer, New Immunotherapy Targets, a Road Map of Metastasis, and CAR T Fratricide

Read our key takeaways from the second half of the American Association for Cancer Research’s 2019 annual meeting.
MSK medical oncologist David Hyman
In the Clinic
When a Cancer Therapy Stops Working: Experimental Drug Addresses Resistance

Results from the first phase I clinical trial of a new drug were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s meeting.
Scientific Image
In the Clinic
CAR Therapy for Solid Tumors Draws Attention at Annual Cancer Conference

Results from a clinical trial indicate that an experimental CAR therapy for mesothelioma is safe.
Microscopic image of cancer cells and C. elegans cells undergoing entosis.
In the Lab
A Death Wish That Allows Worms to Thrive — and What It Tells Us About Cancer Biology

Researchers discover that a curious type of cell death plays a role in normal development.
A cartoon depicting a cleaning crew
In the Lab
Cellular “Garbage Collectors” Are Key to Cancer’s Growth

A new study suggests a way to target cancer by interfering with its system of waste removal.
Joey Laurore and Dr. Bob Li
Feature
For Some People with Cancer, a Simple Blood Test Can Be a Lifesaver

He was given a wrong diagnosis. A blood test changed his life.
Microbiologist Charlotte Friend
MSK Heroes
From Controversy to Consensus: How Charlotte Friend Changed Cancer Biology

In honor of Women's History Month, meet the scientific hero who shook up cancer research with her unusual findings.