Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Targeting ANXA1/TRKA axis enhances immunotherapy sensitivity in neural invasion-positive gastric cancer.
Jiang T, et al
Researchers investigated the immune landscape of gastric cancer complicated by neural invasion (NI), a pathological process in which cancer cells spread along nerves and is associated with poor patient outcomes. Using single-cell RNA sequencing combined with flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, the team discovered that neural invasion-positive gastric cancer tumors are heavily infiltrated by exhausted ANXA1+CD8+ T cells, immune cells that have lost their cancer-fighting capacity, and that higher levels of these cells correlate with worse survival. Mechanistically, ANXA1 protein was found to bind directly to the receptor TRKA, preventing its degradation and thereby suppressing the metabolic activity needed for T cells to remain functional; tumor-secreted nerve growth factor (NGF) further amplified this immune exhaustion through the same pathway. Crucially, a combination treatment using an ANXA1-derived peptide called A11 together with TRKA inhibitors synergistically restored T cell function and suppressed tumor growth in preclinical models. These findings identify the ANXA1/TRKA molecular axis as a key driver of immune evasion in neural invasion-positive gastric cancer and suggest that targeting this axis could meaningfully improve the effectiveness of existing immunotherapy regimens for this difficult-to-treat patient group.
Molecular biomedicine
Source →Efficacy of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Rechallenge in a Long-Term Melanoma Survivor: A Case Report.
Vromans AM, et al
Researchers present a case report examining the efficacy and safety of rechallenging a melanoma patient with the ipilimumab-nivolumab immunotherapy combination after a prolonged disease-free period of seven years. A 40-year-old woman with BRAF wild-type stage IIIc melanoma, originally treated with a low-dose adjuvant regimen, developed systemic recurrence in the peritoneum and was retreated with standard-dose ipilimumab plus nivolumab. Despite experiencing significant immune-related side effects — including cytokine release syndrome, pneumonitis, and grade 3 colitis — all managed with high-dose corticosteroids, the patient achieved a strong and durable clinical response lasting over 18 months on maintenance nivolumab. This case is notable because most prior studies on immunotherapy rechallenge involved patients who relapsed within two years of initial treatment, leaving a major evidence gap for long-term survivors. The findings suggest that patients who remain progression-free for more than two years after initial ipilimumab-nivolumab therapy may still benefit meaningfully from rechallenge, though toxicity management remains a critical concern. Clinicians are encouraged to consider this strategy in carefully selected patients, and larger studies are urgently needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for this growing population.
The American journal of case reports
Source →Standardizing computed tomographic assessment of the mesopancreas in pancreatic cancer patients.
David S, et al
Researchers investigated whether the mesopancreas — a fatty tissue region behind the pancreatic head — could be assessed using CT imaging to better predict tumor spread in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In a study of 173 patients who underwent surgery, 72% showed mesopancreatic infiltration, yet this was not captured by standard resectability classifications, highlighting a critical gap in current staging. The key finding was that increased tissue density of the mesopancreas on preoperative CT scans, above a threshold of -9 HU, reliably correlated with confirmed tumor infiltration detected later by pathology. Importantly, higher mesopancreatic density also predicted worse disease-free survival in patients whose tumors were initially classified as resectable. These findings suggest that adding mesopancreatic density measurement to routine preoperative CT assessment could help surgeons and oncologists better identify high-risk patients and plan more appropriate treatment strategies.
Abdominal radiology (New York)
Source →Prognostic impact of pathologically confirmed venous infiltration during upfront pancreatectomy: multicenter survival analysis.
Perri G, et al
This multicenter study investigated the prognostic significance of pathologically confirmed venous infiltration — the invasion of blood vessels by tumor cells as detected under the microscope — in patients who underwent upfront pancreatectomy, meaning immediate surgical removal of the pancreas without prior chemotherapy or radiation. Researchers pooled survival data from multiple centers to determine whether the presence of venous infiltration in the surgical specimen could reliably predict patient outcomes after this procedure. The analysis found that pathologically verified venous infiltration carries meaningful prognostic weight, helping to stratify patients according to their risk of recurrence or death following surgery. These findings are clinically important because they may guide decisions about postoperative treatment intensity and help surgeons and oncologists better counsel patients about expected outcomes after pancreatic cancer surgery.
Langenbeck's archives of surgery
Source →Deruxtecan-based antibody-drug-conjugates induce senescence in HER2-positive breast cancer.
Vezzoli E, et al
Researchers investigated whether deruxtecan-based antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a class of targeted cancer therapies that includes the widely used drug trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), can induce a state of permanent cell growth arrest known as cellular senescence in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. HER2-positive breast cancer is an aggressive subtype driven by overexpression of the HER2 protein, and while ADCs have shown remarkable clinical efficacy, their full range of mechanisms of action is not yet completely understood. The study found that treatment with deruxtecan-based ADCs triggered senescence in HER2-positive breast cancer cells, adding a previously underappreciated biological pathway to the known mechanisms through which these drugs suppress tumor growth. This discovery is clinically significant because senescent cancer cells, while no longer dividing, can secrete inflammatory molecules that may influence the tumor microenvironment and potentially affect long-term treatment outcomes. Understanding that senescence is part of the response to ADC therapy could inform strategies to combine these drugs with senolytic agents that clear senescent cells, potentially improving patient outcomes. These findings open a new avenue of research into optimizing deruxtecan-based therapies for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
Scientific reports
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