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
Enhanced MRI of a glioblastoma
In the Lab
Starving Cancer Stem Cells Could Be the Trick to Treating Glioblastoma, Study Finds

MSK researchers have identified a compound that kills glioblastoma cells using a mechanism that’s completely different from earlier treatments.
Asia McCoy speaking with a patient
In the Clinic
Patient-Reported Side Effects: A Crucial Part of Cancer Clinical Trials

In recent years, there has been a shift toward capturing information about the side effects caused by new treatments directly from patients.
Alex Kentsis in his lab
Finding
Research Uncovers the Genetic Causes of Aggressive Leukemia in Children

Researchers have found that the genetic changes that cause pediatric leukemia are different from those that lead to leukemia in adults.
A cartoon of a person hiding behind a newspaper and sunglasses.
In the Lab
CAR T Cells Get an Invisibility Cloak

Research is focusing on ways to help cancer-fighting immune cells stick around longer, boosting their effectiveness.
Colorful illustration of X and Y chromosome
In the Lab
Y Cancer? New Research Initiative Focuses on the Role of Genes Found on the Male Chromosome

A team from MSK is undertaking new research to study the genes found on the Y chromosome and their role in cancer.
Side-by-side pictures of tissues from a responder and a non-responder to targeted therapy for kidney cancer
Finding
For Kidney Cancer, the Tumor’s Environment May Be Key to Optimizing Treatment

One size does not fit all when it comes to treating renal cell carcinoma.
Microscopic image of prostate cancer cells in culture.
Q&A
Genetic Finding Can Guide Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer

Genetic sequencing of prostate tumors can identify men who should receive immunotherapy drugs.
Illustration of DNA base pairs
In the Lab
What Was MSK’s Role in TCGA, the Groundbreaking Cancer Genomic Study?

The multicenter project, which yielded dozens of scientific papers on more than 30 different kinds of cancer, has officially drawn to a close.
2018
Roundup
Top 10 Stories of 2018, Cancer Research Edition

Take a look back at some of the year’s biggest news in cancer research.
electron micrograph of a natural killer cell
In the Lab
Drugs That Stall — But Don’t Kill — Cancer Cells Are an Untapped Resource, Study Suggests

A drug combination that halts tumor cell division can stir the immune system into taking action.