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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385 News Items found
An illustration of an immune cell killing a cancer cell, and a snake attacking a mouse
Feature
How Do Immune Cells Kill Their Prey?

When an immune cell faces a foe, it has more than chemical weapons at its disposal.
Photo of many different types of pills
Q&A
Why Do Germs Become Resistant to Antibiotics? An MSK Program Is Focused on Avoiding this Problem

Learn how MSK’s Antibiotic Management Program is leading the way in ensuring that antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs are used responsibly.
Mutlinucleated muscle cells from flies
In the Lab
Scientists Home In On “Equation” for Muscle Cell Size

A new study in flies reveals a previously unknown type of cooperation at work in muscle cells.
Drawing of one human figure set apart from a group of others.
Finding
One Patient’s Exceptional Response Leads to a Surprising Discovery about Immunotherapy

MSK researchers learn that some cancers may respond to checkpoint inhibitor drugs because of changes called gene fusions.
a cartoon of a cancer cell spooning glutamine from a jar
Feature
Beyond Sugar: What Cancer Cells Need to Grow

While sugar gets most of the attention as a cancer fuel, other nutrients can be equally important.
Three sets of PET images
Finding
DeepPET Uses Artificial Intelligence to Generate Images of the Body’s Internal Activities

MSK researchers are developing a new image-generation method for PET scans. It may prove to be quicker and clearer than current scans.
MSK President Craig Thompson
New Collaboration Will Accelerate US-China Clinical Trials

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, MSK has joined forces with the Chinese Thoracic Oncology Group in an effort to establish a program of clinical trials that are open to patients from both the United States and China.
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.