EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Infectious Diseases

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on infectious diseases, a topic that affects lives and communities around the world. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how infectious diseases are being studied, prevented, and treated globally.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Jun-2026 10:16 ET (18-Jun-2026 14:16 GMT/UTC)

11-May-2026

City of Hope researchers to share new immunotherapy and precision medicine insights across cancer types at ASCO 2026

City of Hope
Reports and Proceedings

Researchers from City of Hope^®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, will present 49 abstracts at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, including new findings on immunotherapy, precision medicine and emerging treatment strategies across blood cancers and solid tumors.

Meeting: ASCO Annual Meeting 2026

7-May-2026

Scientists discover how gut bacteria toxin invades colon cells to trigger cancer

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Since a landmark 2009 study, researchers have known that a common gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, drives colon tumor formation, potentially leading to colorectal cancer, by secreting a toxin that damages the lining of the colon. But until now, the exact mechanism the toxin uses to latch onto those cells remained a mystery.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Janssen Research and Development, Cancer Research UK, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

6-May-2026

Mount Sinai study identifies new strategy to overcome immunotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center have identified a promising new strategy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The findings, published in Cell Reports Medicine (10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102786 ), reveal that restoring communication between key immune cells can dramatically improve the body’s ability to eliminate tumors.

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine

6-May-2026

ASCO 2026 Tip Sheet - Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

Research findings from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center , part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will be presented at ASCO 2026 – the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago, May 29-June 2. This tip sheet includes titles and links for 70-plus oral, rapid oral and poster presentations in which Sylvester researchers are involved.

6-May-2026

ERASur colorectal cancer trial reaches one-third patient accrual milestone

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
Business Announcement

The ERASur (Evaluation of Resection or Ablation for Limited Metastatic Colorectal Cancer) clinical trial has reached a major enrollment milestone, with more than one-third of its targeted patients now accrued, signaling strong momentum for this national study. ERASur (Alliance A022101) is investigating whether adding total ablative therapy—including ablative radiation, surgery, or thermal ablation of all metastatic sites—to standard chemotherapy can improve overall survival compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with newly diagnosed, limited metastatic colorectal cancer.

Funder: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation

6-May-2026

Evolutionary processes shape bacterial populations in the human gut

University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The human gut harbours a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms (the microbiome), which influences digestion, the immune system and metabolism. A research team led by the University of Vienna has used the 'reverse ecology' analytical approach to demonstrate that many known gut bacterial species consist of several evolutionarily distinct groups that have adapted to different conditions in the gut. Some of these populations are associated with advanced age, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes. The findings have now been published in Nature and may in future improve the search for biomarkers and, in the long term, enable more precise therapies.

Journal: Nature

5-May-2026

CLCA4: A prognostic marker and therapeutic enhancer for colorectal cancer

Compuscript Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies globally, with long-term survival heavily hindered by tumor recurrence, metastasis, and therapy resistance driven by a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). While immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment, its efficacy as a monotherapy in CRC remains limited, largely due to CSC-mediated immune evasion and adaptive resistance.

Journal: Genes & Diseases
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, The Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China