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Esposito et al. describe a mechanism for the simultaneous induction of mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and stem cell traits in disseminating breast cancer cells in the bone, and provide therapeutic opportunities to prevent initiation of bone metastasis.
In a study published in Nature Medicine, Malehmir et al. have identified how platelet recruitment contributes to the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma in response to high-fat diets in mice.
Benbenishty et al. find that prophylactic administration of CpG-C, a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, significantly reduces the development of brain metastasis in preclinical mouse models via the activation of microglial cells that kill and phagocytose the tumour cells.
Three studies have delved into the molecular mechanisms behind the metabolic reprogramming of tumour-associated macrophages, which have consequences for tumour progression and therapeutic response and resistance.
Four papers report that cancer cells with microsatellite instability, which arises owing to defects in DNA mismatch repair, are selectively vulnerable to knockout of WRN, a RecQ family DNA helicase that could potentially be targeted with small molecules.
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) form outside of lymphoid tissues at sites of chronic inflammation, including tumours. This Review describes the evidence demonstrating that TLSs are critical for generating antitumour immune responses and are associated with better prognosis in certain cancer types. It also presents potential strategies aimed at inducing TLS neogenesis to improve clinical responses in poorly immunogenic cancers.
Alterations of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)–RB–E2F axis occur in virtually all cancers and result in heightened oncogenic E2F activity and uncontrolled proliferation. This Review discusses the activities of E2F proteins in cancer and therapeutic strategies to target this oncogenic pathway.
For any given cancer type, there are patients who have exceptionally favourable or atypically poor responses to treatment and overall survival. This Opinion article outlines approaches to identify and study these patients at the extremes of the spectrum with a view to gain insights that will be applicable to the wider patient population.
The implementation of screening tests for certain cancers has led to the phenomenon of overdiagnosis, whereby a cancer is diagnosed that would otherwise not go on to cause symptoms or death. This Opinion article discusses the effects of overdiagnosis and emerging strategies to reduce overdiagnosis of indolent cancers through an understanding of tumour biology and the tumour microenvironment.
