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Two studies published inNaturereport that epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is not required for metastasis in mouse tumour models of breast and pancreatic cancer; however, EMT can contribute to resistance to chemotherapy.
Carter, Murrayet al. show that MYCN and the histone chaperone FACT are part of a positive feedback loop and that inhibition of FACT with a small molecule leads to tumour regression in a pre-clinical model of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.
A study inNaturereports that astrocytoma cells form a multicellular network interconnected by distinct tumour microtubes that drive invasion, mediate cell–cell communication, enable self-repair and confer radioresistance.
Espositoet al. report the mechanisms of PARP inhibitor (PARPi) sensitivity in cells expressing certain leukaemia fusion oncoproteins and highlight the use of PARPis as a promising novel approach for treating acute myeloid leukaemia.
Two papers inSciencepresent evidence in mice that certain species of intestinal bacteria can drive antitumour immune responses and modulate responses to immune checkpoint blockade.
Wanget al. report that oncogenic KRAS, but not HRAS or NRAS, promotes self-renewal properties and tumour initiation by inhibiting non-canonical WNT/Ca2+signalling.
This Review discusses the role of natural killer (NK) cells in immunosurveillance of tumour cells, highlighting the new therapeutic approaches to NK cell targeting in the treatment of cancer and improvement of NK cell-mediated antitumour immune responses.
Understanding how DNA damage determines cell fate — DNA repair and cell survival or death — is important for gaining insight into carcinogenesis and in promoting successful cancer therapy. This Review describes key decision-making nodes in the complex interplay between DNA damage responses and cell fate signalling.
Research into the DNA damage response (DDR) was recently honoured by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Lasker Award. In this Timeline article, the authors provide a historical perspective on our understanding of the role of the DDR in cancer.
Somatic genetic mosaicism has been demonstrated in many tissues, leading to interactions between functionally diverse cell populations that could contribute to homeostasis ('clonal health') or influence disease states. These authors argue that embryonic somatic mosaicism can contribute to adult cancers.
This Opinion article discusses the contributions of bioengineering, especially biomaterials engineering, to our understanding of cancer biology and to the development of emerging therapeutic strategies such as cancer immunotherapy.
