Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
[Analysis of clinical, pathological and molecular genetic characteristics of conjunctival melanoma].
Liu H, et al
Researchers at two hospitals in Xi'an, China, conducted a retrospective study examining the clinical, pathological, and molecular genetic features of conjunctival melanoma (CoM) in 70 patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2025. The study found that the majority of tumors were located on the bulbar conjunctiva, presented as black nodules or cauliflower-like masses, and were classified at T2 stage at diagnosis, indicating moderately advanced disease in most cases. Histopathologically, nearly all cases were of the nodular type and epithelial cell subtype, with 90% of tumors containing melanin and 68.6% showing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, which may have implications for immunotherapy. Importantly, among the 30 patients tested for the BRAF V600E mutation, 11 were found to carry this actionable genetic alteration, suggesting that targeted therapy with BRAF inhibitors could be a treatment option for a significant subset of CoM patients. These findings provide a comprehensive characterization of CoM in a Chinese population and highlight the importance of molecular genetic testing in clinical management of this rare but aggressive ocular malignancy.
[Zhonghua yan ke za zhi] Chinese journal of ophthalmology
Source →A multimodal atlas for immunotherapeutic targeting of AML surface heterogeneity.
Ung M, et al
Researchers created a comprehensive multimodal atlas of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer with high relapse rates, by profiling bone marrow samples from 26 adult patients at both diagnosis and relapse using two advanced single-cell technologies: CITE-seq and quantitative flow cytometry. This approach allowed the team to simultaneously map gene expression and surface protein profiles of individual leukemic cells, revealing the extensive biological diversity that exists both between patients and over the course of disease progression. By integrating data from both platforms, scientists systematically identified patterns of surface antigen co-expression on leukemic cells, providing a detailed blueprint for designing combination immunotherapies that can overcome tumor heterogeneity. The study identified six surface antigens—CD33, CLL-1, LAIR1, ITGA4, DEC-205, and CD244—that, when targeted together using antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) or CAR-T cells, effectively killed AML cell lines in laboratory experiments. These findings are significant because they demonstrate a data-driven strategy to exploit AML's own diversity as a therapeutic vulnerability, potentially improving outcomes for patients who currently face limited treatment options and high rates of treatment failure.
iScience
Source →Midgestational injection of highly expanded human CD34+ cells increases lineages of human immune cells and supports thymic development in RAG2-/-IL2RG-/Y SCID pigs.
Forster AM, et al
Researchers developed a new humanized pig model for biomedical research by creating pigs with a double gene knockout (RAG2 and IL2RG) that causes severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), then injecting these immunodeficient pig fetuses with expanded human stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood. The study found that human immune cells — including T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and myeloid cells — successfully developed in the blood, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus of the newborn pigs, with six of twelve injected animals showing more than five percent human cells in the thymus. Importantly, the thymus — a critical organ for immune system maturation — showed normal structural development with distinct cortex and medulla regions in injected animals, whereas non-injected SCID pigs lacked this development entirely. This humanized SCID pig model holds significant promise for preclinical testing of cancer immunotherapies, stem cell treatments, and organ transplantation strategies, offering a more physiologically relevant alternative to mouse models due to pigs' closer anatomical and genetic similarity to humans. Further studies are needed to confirm that the human immune cells developing in these pigs are fully functional before the model can be widely adopted for translational research.
Frontiers in immunology
Source →Urologic Oncology: Bladder, Penis, and Urethral Cancer and Basic Principles of Oncology.
Ritch CR
This publication covers urologic oncology with a focus on bladder, penile, and urethral cancers, as well as foundational principles of oncology as presented in The Journal of Urology. The work addresses the diagnosis, staging, and management of these malignancies, which together represent a significant portion of urologic cancer cases encountered in clinical practice. Bladder cancer in particular is one of the most common urologic malignancies worldwide, making updated guidance on its management critically important for urologists and oncologists. The inclusion of basic oncology principles provides clinicians and trainees with a comprehensive framework for understanding cancer biology and treatment strategies relevant to the urinary tract. This type of comprehensive review serves as a valuable educational and clinical reference for healthcare providers managing patients with these often complex and challenging cancers.
The Journal of urology
Source →Detection of human papillomavirus with low-risk chromogenic in situ hybridization probes in seborrheic keratosis-like lesions of the male genital tract.
Gosnell HL, et al
Researchers investigated skin lesions in the male genital tract that closely resemble seborrheic keratosis (SK), a common benign skin condition, to determine whether these lesions are truly SK or whether they are more related to condyloma, a sexually transmitted wart caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The study analyzed 40 specimens from 37 men with an average age of 47, most of whom had lesions on the penis, and used a specialized laboratory technique called chromogenic in situ hybridization to detect low-risk HPV. Strikingly, 75% of the SK-like genital lesions tested positive for low-risk HPV, while none of the control non-condyloma male genital skin specimens were HPV-positive, strongly suggesting these lesions are condyloma rather than true SK. Clinicians had already suspected condyloma in over half the cases, and recurrence was observed in 36% of patients who had follow-up, further supporting the condyloma classification. These findings are clinically important because misidentifying condyloma as SK could lead to inadequate treatment and missed opportunities to counsel patients about a sexually transmitted infection. Pathologists and dermatologists evaluating genital SK-like lesions in men should consider HPV testing to ensure correct diagnosis and appropriate patient management.
Human pathology
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