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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379 News Items found
Bioinformatician Ahmet Zehir stands at a whiteboard
Finding
Gene Mutations in the Blood Can Complicate Findings from Tumor Sequencing

A blood condition related to aging can lead to misinterpreting tumor data.
Crowded hall with ASCO signage
Roundup
Highlights from ASCO 2018: Immunotherapy for Endometrial Cancer, Benefits of Exercise, and Promising New Targeted Drugs

Couldn't make it to the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting this year? Read this summary of some main takeaways.
medical oncologist Larry Norton
Q&A
Some Women with Early Breast Cancer May Not Need Chemotherapy, Study Says

The findings will change how women with intermediate-risk breast cancer are treated.
Zsofia Stadler presents at the ASCO meeting
Finding
Genomic Marker Is Associated with Lynch Syndrome, a Hereditary Cancer Condition, Across Many Different Cancers

Tumors with a biomarker called high microsatellite instability have been linked to inherited cancer mutations.
MSK Physician-in-Chief José Baselga presents at the ASCO meeting
Finding
Targeted Therapy Slows Growth of Most Common Type of Advanced Breast Cancer

A clinical trial provides evidence that blocking a protein called PI3K can be an effective treatment strategy for breast cancer.
An illustration showing the process of CAR T cell therapy
In the Lab
Study Identifies New Way to Combat a Serious CAR T Cell Therapy Side Effect

By uncovering the root cause of cytokine release syndrome, MSK researchers have found a way to stop it.
Several zebrafish swimming in a tank
In the Lab
How the Zebrafish Got Its Stripes

A surprising discovery linking the hormone insulin to skin pigmentation offers fresh insights into how animal bodies take shape.
Graphic of antibody binding to a protein
In Brief
A Precision Strike to Treat Prostate Cancer

An antibody that targets a prostate cell protein shows potential for designing safer, more effective prostate cancer therapies.
Sign for AACR scientific meeting featuring collage of images
Roundup
Highlights from MSK at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research Meeting

Read up on the latest developments in several key areas of cancer research, including genomic mapping, disease modeling through CRISPR, CAR T therapy, and cancer stem cells.
Man’s hands washing salad greens in a sink
Q&A
The Science of Eating Well: MSK Research Focuses on Nutrition after a Stem Cell Transplant

Learn about how nutrition experts are helping people with cancer maintain a healthy diet both during and after treatment.