Bites of Bio

Topic

Cancer & Oncology

Cancer-promoting protein helps engineered T cells fight tumors in miceCancer & Oncology
Oct 22, 2026

Cancer-promoting protein helps engineered T cells fight tumors in mice

Activating the lipid-sensing transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) promoted cancer-cell growth but strengthened tumor-fighting immune cells when activated in a different cellular compartment, according to a study published October 14, 2026, in Nature Immunology. Researchers led by Paul Bunk, Ilgin Ergin and colleagues used genetically modified mouse tumors, immune-cell experiments and engineered human […]

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Obesity and cancer risk: what the latest research showsCancer & Oncology
Sep 28, 2026

Obesity and cancer risk: what the latest research shows

Obesity has long been linked to cancers of the colon, kidney, liver, endometrium and several other organs. A major 2026 analysis suggests that the list may be broader than the 13 cancer types commonly highlighted in public-health guidance. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute, Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins University combined evidence from 226 […]

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KRAS in pancreatic cancer: why it is so hard to targetCancer & Oncology
Sep 25, 2026

KRAS in pancreatic cancer: why it is so hard to target

KRAS mutations drive more than 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), yet the protein resisted direct drug development for decades because its surface offered few stable pockets for small molecules and because the mutant protein cycles between active and inactive conformations. That biology is now clinically relevant: a phase 3 trial published in The New […]

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mRNA COVID vaccines may improve survival in cancer patients on immunotherapyCancer & Oncology
Aug 25, 2026

mRNA COVID vaccines may improve survival in cancer patients on immunotherapy

A large retrospective study published in Nature in October 2025 found that cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors lived substantially longer if they had received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting treatment. The finding has attracted both significant interest and methodological scrutiny, and a randomized trial is now being designed to test […]

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