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
Pictured: Cancer cell on blood vessel
In the Lab
Holding On and Hiding Out: How Cancer Cells Spread to the Brain and Thrive

Researchers have gained new understanding of how tumors metastasize by studying the behavior of exceptional breast and lung cancer cells that are capable of entering the brain and surviving there.
Pictured: Stem cell-derived nerve cells exposed to progerin
In the Lab
Researchers Fast-Forward Stem Cell Aging to Study Degenerative Diseases

A team of Memorial Sloan Kettering scientists has come up with an approach to make stem-cell-derived neurons rapidly age in a cell culture dish. The breakthrough could transform research into Parkinson’s and other late-onset diseases.
Pictured: Charles L. Sawyers, William Polkinghorn & Simon Powell
In the Lab
Molecular Studies Explain Effectiveness of Longtime Treatment for Prostate Cancer

Laboratory studies have revealed an explanation for why androgen-deprivation therapy makes radiation therapy more effective in the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer.
The 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant released radioactive particles in every direction.
In the Lab
Study Reveals Genetic Causes for Thyroid Cancer Increase after Chernobyl

The study of some victims exposed to ionizing radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident is yielding new information about how radiation-induced thyroid cancer develops.
Pictured: Laurie Glimcher, Craig Thompson, Marc Tessier-Lavigne & Tadataka Yamada
Announcement
Innovative Partnership Will Speed Drug Discovery and Development

Memorial Sloan Kettering is joining with two other academic institutions in a pioneering collaboration to speed early-stage drug discoveries into therapies for patients.
Mouse glioblastoma tumor with phagocytic macrophages
In the Lab
Immune Cells in the Brain Could be Enlisted to Fight Glioblastoma

Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers say a drug that acts on noncancerous, tumor-infiltrating cells might provide a new treatment option for the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer.
Breast cancer mosaic
Snapshot
New Technology Could Enable Immediate Detection of Tumor Borders during Surgery

Memorial Sloan Kettering scientists are developing new imaging instrumentation that could enable pathologist and surgeons to collaborate more seamlessly and reduce the need for repeat surgeries.
Pictured: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Snapshot
The Social Behavior of Bacteria Offers New Ideas for Antimicrobial Drug Design

Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers have discovered how a common bacterium can evolve to become more mobile and easier to get rid of.
Pictured: Daniel Thorek & Jan Grimm
In the Lab
Faster than the Speed of Light: New Imaging Approach Could Measure Tumor Activity

A new imaging approach being investigated by Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers could provide better information about a tumor’s molecular activity, allowing for a more accurate diagnosis.
Pictured: Derek Tan
Q&A
Taking Clues from Nature for the Development of New Drugs

In this Q&A, Memorial Sloan Kettering chemist Derek Tan discusses why natural products offer inspiration for the development of new drugs.