EurekAlert! Cancer Research - News Releases

News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 3-Nov-2026 23:17 ET (4-Nov-2026 04:17 GMT/UTC)

Cancer Dependency Map now includes next-generation 3D cancer models

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Peer-Reviewed Publication

DepMap scientists have generated dependency data on nearly 150 three-dimensional cancer cell models across 10 cancer types.

The updated catalog reveals cancer phenotypes, cell states, and gene dependencies that are missed in traditional cell lines and shows that both model types are complementary because each captures biology that the other misses.

The integration of data on 2D and 3D models creates a more comprehensive DepMap, moving the resource towards its goal of capturing the complete landscape of cancer vulnerabilities.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Robertson Foundation, 3000 Miles to the Cure Foundation

Compendium of patient-derived models offers new opportunities for cancer research, precision oncology

Van Andel Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international team of scientists has developed the most comprehensive compendium to date of cell line and organoid cancer models paired with their original human tumors. The new resource gives researchers powerful tools to better understand tumor biology, predict treatment response and accelerate development of personalized cancer therapies.

Journal: Nature

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Northwell Health lead international cohort of researchers to develop more than 150 next-generation cancer treatment models

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As part of the Human Cancer Model Initiative, scientists and physicians at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Northwell Health contributed more than 150 organoid models to the “Compendium of Next-Generation Patient-Derived Models for Diverse Cancers.” According to CSHL Cancer Center Director David Tuveson, “These organoids more closely reflect the biology of a patient’s tumor, providing researchers with powerful tools to accelerate discovery and develop more personalized treatment strategies.”

Journal: Nature
Funder: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Thompson Foundation, Pershing Square Foundation, Northwell Health, U.S. Department of Defense, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, American Cancer Society, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, Simons Foundation

New biobank of tumour models reveals cancers’ weak spots

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The largest characterised collection of patient-derived tumour organoids to date is helping scientists identify the genes cancers need to grow and survive.

Journal: Nature

Human cancer models to accelerate research and precision therapies

NIH/Office of the Director
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research project funded by NIH has generated one of the most extensive and diverse collections of patient-derived tumor models. Tumor tissue from hundreds of cancer patients contributed to the compendium of tumor models that will enhance the study of tumor biology and be an asset in accelerating the development of cancer therapies while guiding future research directions.

Journal: Nature

Immune cell dysfunction, not absence, defines skin cancer in immunosuppressed patients

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that immunosuppressed patients with non-melanoma skin cancer are not missing the key cancer-fighting immune cells found in immunocompetent patients, but those cells – known as macrophages – have lost the ability to communicate effectively. This new understanding may help researchers develop new treatment approaches for these aggressive skin cancers.

Journal: Cell

Exploring how breast milk composition changes throughout the day

Virginia Tech
Grant and Award Announcement

Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists are investigating how breast milk composition changes throughout the day to match infants’ metabolic needs. Supported by a Gerber Foundation grant, the study will compare morning and evening microRNA levels and track infant growth, potentially informing pumped-milk practices, improved formula design, and policies supporting equitable breastfeeding access.

Funder: Gerber Foundation

Scientists identify tumor-secreted protein that promotes lung metastasis

Weill Cornell Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A protein secreted by common cancer types makes blood vessels leakier to allow metastatic tumors to form in the lungs, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The discovery could lead to new ways of monitoring and reducing lung metastasis risk in cancer patients.

Journal: Nature Cancer

Wearable electric-field device slows aggressive breast cancer in preclinical study

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A drug-free technology that uses low-intensity electric fields reduced tumor growth and spread in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, according to new research from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

Journal: Breast Cancer Targets and Therapy
Funder: Pelotonia, The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship at Ohio State University, Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation and Start-up Fund, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

New insights into cellular mechanisms reveal emerging targets to overcome cancer treatment resistance

Compuscript Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A growing body of scientific insight is transforming how cancer treatment resistance is understood, highlighting a powerful cellular process known as lactylation as a central driver of disease progression and therapeutic failure. This emerging perspective is reshaping the landscape of oncology, pointing to new opportunities for more precise and effective interventions.

Journal: Genes & Diseases