Researchers Characterize the Immune Landscape in Cancer

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium of the National Institutes of Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and others, have unveiled a detailed understanding of immune responses in cancer, marking a significant development in the field. The findings were published in the February 14 online issue of Cell. Utilizing data from more than 1,000 tumors across 10 different cancers, the study is the first to integrate DNA, RNA, and proteomics (the study of proteins), revealing the complex interplay of immune cells in tumors. The data came from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), a program under the National Cancer Institute.

Can the flu shot help fight cancer?

Physicians and scientists at Rush University Medical Center have found that injecting tumors with influenza vaccines, including some FDA-approved seasonal flu shots, turns cold tumors to hot, a discovery that could lead to an immunotherapy to treat cancer. The study results were published December 30th in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.