Penn Engineers explore how tumor mechanics and tiny messengers could shape the future of cancer research
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Sep-2025 11:11 ET (19-Sep-2025 15:11 GMT/UTC)
Penn Engineers are uncovering how the mechanics of tumors and the tiny messages cells send through extracellular vesicles work together to drive cancer progression, opening new paths for therapies and training the next generation of researchers to think across disciplines.
Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP, filling a critical role despite severe staffing and supply shortages (with insulin and cancer treatments unavailable in over 90% of cases, for instance).
A newly developed molecule brings together two powerful immunotherapy strategies in one treatment. Researchers at the University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, have demonstrated that this fusion protein can both block the “do not attack” signal used by cancer cells and selectively activate tumor-fighting immune cells. This dual action could pave the way for more effective cancer therapies with fewer side effects.
Salk Institute and the University of California San Diego have identified a unique sugar called HSAT (antithrombin-binding heparan sulfate) as a potential therapeutic target for slowing tumor progression and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common pancreatic cancer. They also found that HSAT was detectable in cancer patients’ plasma, suggesting it may be a useful biomarker to help catch and track pancreatic cancer.
Findings from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital reveal new levels of complexity in neuroblastoma cell identity and present a new approach to treatment.