A new University of Waterloo study suggests that dietary vitamin C may help reduce cancer risk linked to nitrates and nitrites commonly found in foods such as cured meats and some vegetables. Using mathematical modelling, researchers examined how these compounds behave during digestion and found that vitamin C can inhibit “nitrosation,” a chemical process in the stomach that produces substances suspected of increasing cancer risk. The model showed that foods naturally containing both nitrates and vitamin C, such as leafy greens, may be less harmful than previously thought, and that vitamin C supplements taken with meals could moderately reduce the formation of cancer‑associated compounds.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with more moderate to severe pain following breast cancer surgery and an increased consumption of opioid drugs, finds research published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

Despite impressive innovations in medicine, most advanced-stage cancers still carry a grim prognosis.

Developing more effective treatments requires a deeper understanding of the cellular processes that drive the formation and growth of common cancers.

Growth factor receptors are well-established drivers of many cancers, and many modern therapies target these receptors effectively.

However, cancers in most patients eventually become resistant to existing drugs.

By identifying new cellular components required for growth factor signaling, researchers have uncovered a new class of therapeutic targets.

The awards support research focused on preventing ovarian cancer recurrence after surgery and developing more accessible tools to guide personalized cancer treatment.

Brazilian researchers have discovered why the guardian of the genome, p53, is uniquely prone to structural failure compared to its more robust relatives. The study identifies molecular gaps and structural frustration that trigger p53 cancer-linked aggregation, revealing how the protein sequence balances flexibility with vulnerability. These findings, stemming from over twenty years of research, provide a new roadmap for next-generation cancer therapies focused on stabilizing this critical protein.

The 2026 Gruber Genetics Prize is being awarded to Alan G Hinnebusch, PhD, a Distinguished Investigator at the National Institutes of Health, for his pioneering work that established both the paradigm and the detailed mechanism of translational control that underlies the Integrated Stress Response, a pivotal mechanism whereby eukaryotic cells reprogram protein synthesis under stress.

In a series of forward genetics screens in budding yeast, Hinnebusch identified mutations in the kinase Gcn2, which phosphorylates the key translation initiation factor eIF2, and Gcn4, a key transcription factor that controls genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis.

Hinnebusch demonstrated that the phosphorylation of eIF2 suppresses global protein synthesis and selectively induces the master transcription factor Gcn4. This translational control mechanism is broadly conserved from yeast to humans.

Hinnebusch’s work has led to a greater understanding of how cells respond to stressors such as amino acid starvation and viral infections. Dysregulation of the integrated stress response has been linked to neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders and cancer.

Having surgery for rectal cancer at a hospital accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer was associated with a significant reduction in cancer remaining at the edges of the tumor site, compared to having the same surgery at a non-accredited hospital.