An international study, led by Dr. Malu Martínez-Chantar and published in Gut, has identified the protein CNNM4 as a key therapeutic target for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare and aggressive liver cancer. CNNM4, which regulates magnesium transport in cells, is overexpressed in CCA. Blocking CNNM4 slowed tumor growth, reduced chemotherapy resistance, prevented metastasis, and triggered ferroptosis, a process that selectively kills cancer cells.

The study also demonstrated that GalNAc siRNA technology can deliver treatments directly to the liver, offering a precise, safe, and potentially effective approach for personalized therapy. Researchers highlight that targeting metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer cells could become a powerful strategy against this challenging disease.

The research involved multiple international centers, emphasizes global scientific collaboration, and forms part of the COST Action CA22125 Precision-BTC Network, showcasing significant progress toward innovative, personalized treatments for CCA.

‘Ovatools’ combines blood test results and age to identify women at higher risk of ovarian cancer for further testing and referral, improving accuracy and patient outcomes cost-effectively.  

Today, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released the 15th edition of its annual Cancer Progress Report. A cornerstone of the AACR’s educational and advocacy efforts, this comprehensive report provides the latest statistics on cancer incidence, mortality, and survivorship and highlights how federal investments in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research and cancer-related population sciences have led to impressive scientific advances that are improving health and saving lives.

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will host a public webinar on Monday, September 29, at 12 pm CT showcasing the key findings of Alliance research presented at the 2025 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The clinical trial results discussed at the virtual meeting will include some of the latest information for people living with colorectal, squamous cell, and renal cell cancers.