News and Updates

Gene Signature May Predict Response to Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

gene signature non-small cell lung cancer


A new study identified a set of 140 genes that may help predict enhanced disease-free survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a combination of immunotherapy and low-dose radiation. The results, published in Cell Medicine Reports on Feb. 23, suggested that this “gene signature” could be used to identify a subclass of lung tumors that is more likely to be eradicated by...

Immunotherapy and Radiation Combo Shows Improved Outcomes for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

CAT scan of non small cell lung cancer

A new study reported that patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a combination of low-dose radiation and immunotherapy had higher progression-free survival compared to patients who received immunotherapy alone two years after treatment. The findings from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons offer hope to those affected by NSCLC, the most common type of lung cancer in the United ...

Specific Genetic Variant May Help Prevent Obesity

GIP receptor variant decreases risk of obesity

A preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals be more resistant to obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell which may contribute to more efficient metabolism.

The study, posted online in Molecular Metabolism on Nov. 2, provides new insight into how human...

Cancers in Distant Organs Alter Liver Function

Tumor cell-derived EVPs induced accumulation of lipid droplets in the mouse liver. Green, lipid droplet. Blue, DAPI. Credit: Gang Wang, Jianlong Li, David Lyden.

Cancers often release molecules into the bloodstream that pathologically alter the liver, shifting it to an inflammatory state, causing fat buildup and impairing its normal detoxifying functions, according to a study from investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. This discovery illuminates one of cancer’s more insidious survival mechanisms and suggests the possibility of new tests and drugs for detecting and reversing this process.

In the...

Dr. David Simon Wins Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research Studying Melanoma

a man in a white coat posing for a picture in a lab

Dr. David Simon, the Fernholz Foundation Research Scholar in Neuroscience and an assistant professor of biochemistry at Weill Cornell Medicine, was awarded the 2023 Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research on May 16.

The prize, now in its 10th year, is given annually to at least six early-career scientists based in the New York City area by The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance....

Dr. Tobias Meyer Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

an image of a man posing for a picture

Dr. Tobias Meyer, the Joseph C. Hinsey Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Founded in 1780, the academy is one of the nation’s oldest honorary societies. Dr. Meyer joins the likes of more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners, as well as other distinguished members including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Barbara...

Obesity May Exacerbate Breast Cancer Risk in Women with BRCA Mutations

microscopic image of normal cells

Obesity may spur DNA damage in the breast tissue of women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, possibly contributing to breast cancer development in this already high-risk group, according to new multi-institutional translational research led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists.

The study, published in the Feb. 22 issue of Science Translational Medicine, suggests that weight management and medications...

Study Shows How Cells Prevent Harmful Extra DNA Copies

illustration of double helix and chromosomes

A protein that prepares DNA for replication also prevents the replication process from running out of control, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The work, published Jan. 5 in Molecular Cell, solves a mystery that has long puzzled biologists.

The cells of humans and all other higher organisms use a complex system of checkpoints and “licensing” proteins to...

Enzyme That Protects Against Viruses Could Fuel Cancer Evolution

illustration of a microscopic image

An enzyme that defends human cells against viruses can help drive cancer evolution towards greater malignancy by causing myriad mutations in cancer cells, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The finding suggests that the enzyme may be a potential target for future cancer treatments.

In the new...

NIH Grant Funds Cancer Prevention Vaccine Research

lung cancer model

A multidisciplinary team of Weill Cornell Medicine researchers has received a five-year $5.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health to fund a center aimed at developing messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to deter cancer development in at-risk groups.

The Weill Cornell Medicine CAP-IT Center for LNP RNA Immunoprevention was selected as one of two...

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