Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-19DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.004
Jacky G Goetz
{"title":"The heart beats cancer.","authors":"Jacky G Goetz","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heart cancer or metastasis is very rare, yet the heart is highly vascularized and mechanically pumps blood flow through our body. Recent findings from Ciucci et al. show that mechanical load in the beating heart suppresses cancer growth via Nesprin-2-dependent mechanotransduction, which changes histone methylation and chromatin compaction to keep proliferation genes less active in cardiac tumor cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"569-571"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148284506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-20DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.006
Vivek Subbiah, Razelle Kurzrock
{"title":"Beyond one gene, one target: Next-generation precision oncology.","authors":"Vivek Subbiah, Razelle Kurzrock","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Drug Rediscovery Protocol by K. Verkerk, et al., operationalized nationwide biomarker-guided, off-label precision oncology. Yet outcomes (15.7% response rate) mirror a decade of studies, indicating a single biomarker-drug strategy ceiling. Advancing efficacy will require customized, individualized combinations, consistent with the hallmarks of cancer complexity and the I-PREDICT (Investigation of profile-related evidence determining individualized cancer therapy) style clinical studies framework, which shows that outcomes scale with greater biomarker matching.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"572-574"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148296435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.007
Hendrik A Messal, Larissa Mourao, Lea Dörner, Colinda L G J Scheele, Jacco van Rheenen
{"title":"Watching cancer begin: emerging tools to visualize the first steps of tumorigenesis.","authors":"Hendrik A Messal, Larissa Mourao, Lea Dörner, Colinda L G J Scheele, Jacco van Rheenen","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding tumor initiation is crucial for early interception and prevention. Tumors arise from genetic alterations and microenvironmental changes that together create a niche for malignant growth. Previously, the spatiotemporal dynamics of tumorigenesis were difficult to study. Recent advances in high-resolution intravital microscopy, tissue clearing, and spatial molecular profiling enable direct visualization of mutated cells and clones within their microenvironment in situ. These tools transform tumor initiation from a theoretical construct into a mechanistically dissectible process. Here, we synthesize recent insights into how mutated clones expand or regress, how clonal dynamics drive transformation, and how niche signals shape tumor-initiating cell fate. We highlight key imaging innovations and outline limitations and opportunities for capturing tumor initiation in vivo.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"652-666"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147514874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-06DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.001
Katherine Shatzer, Florian L Muller
{"title":"Repurposing payloads: next generation of antibody-drug conjugates.","authors":"Katherine Shatzer, Florian L Muller","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are reshaping solid tumor therapy, yet most programs converge on a narrow set of ultrapotent payloads. Trastuzumab deruxtecan demonstrates that cytotoxics abandoned due to systemic toxicity can achieve substantial benefit when redesigned for targeted delivery, controlled release, and tuned bystander effects. This perspective argues that future ADC development should prioritize pharmacologic precision, proliferation-restricted mechanisms, soft-drug pharmacokinetics, and sustained intracellular target engagement over maximal in vitro potency. Using topoisomerase I inhibitors as a blueprint, we propose a five-pillar framework for rational payload repurposing and identify legacy cytotoxins whose historical liabilities become advantages under ADC delivery. Systematic rescue of these agents can expand mechanistic diversity and delay class-wide resistance in solid tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"584-597"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-03-18DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.008
Cecilie Ø Madsen, Thomas M Hulen, Maria Ormhøj, Sine R Hadrup, Inge M Svane, Özcan Met
{"title":"Driving CAR therapies beyond T cells.","authors":"Cecilie Ø Madsen, Thomas M Hulen, Maria Ormhøj, Sine R Hadrup, Inge M Svane, Özcan Met","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has reshaped cancer immunotherapy for hematological malignancies, yet progress in solid tumors remains limited. Physical barriers, antigen heterogeneity, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment restrict the activity and persistence of CAR-T cells, while safety concerns complicate target selection. Extending CAR technology to alternative immune lineages, such as macrophages, natural killer cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and unconventional T cells, offers complementary mechanisms for tumor recognition, infiltration, and immune modulation. This review highlights recent advances in these emerging CAR platforms, compares their biological and translational features, and outlines how integrating cell-intrinsic properties with CAR design may guide the next generation of cellular immunotherapies for solid tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"667-679"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147487309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-03-31DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.03.003
Maurice Dungey, Rushad Malhotra Mukhtyar, Sean Dulloo, Dean A Fennell
{"title":"Mesothelioma: a systemic therapy clinical trials snapshot.","authors":"Maurice Dungey, Rushad Malhotra Mukhtyar, Sean Dulloo, Dean A Fennell","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that has seen few incremental improvements in survival over the past two decades. However, a significantly improved understanding of the underlying biology has led to new therapeutic advances with the potential to improve clinical outcomes. In this review, we take a snapshot of the current systemic therapy research landscape, with our goal to forecast the trajectory of drug development for mesothelioma over the next half-decade. In our current census, we identify 106 active trials including systemic therapies: 20 (19%) are molecularly targeted, 26 (25%) include immunomodulation, and 12 (11%) combining immunotherapy with antiangiogenic therapies. Collectively, the landscape of therapeutic innovation for mesothelioma is expanding, bringing hope that improvements in life expectancy may follow.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"634-651"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147595003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Epigenetic, epitranscriptomic, and metabolic control of T cell exhaustion.","authors":"Chloe J Slater, Albane Simon, Marguerite Laprie-Sentenac, Laurie Menger","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>T cell exhaustion is an adaptive dysfunctional state driven by chronic antigen exposure and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which significantly impedes effective antitumor immunity and T cell therapies. This progressive loss of effector function and memory potential is governed by the complex and coordinated interplay of epigenetic, transcriptional, epitranscriptomic, and metabolic networks, which collectively establish stable exhaustion-associated programs. Emerging evidence demonstrates that modulating these layers, whether permanently or transiently, can reverse exhaustion and reinvigorate T cell function. Furthermore, core metabolites serve as shared cofactors, directly linking cellular metabolism to these epigenetic and epitranscriptomic changes. Characterizing these multilayered regulatory mechanisms is critical for developing novel strategies to reprogram exhausted T cells and improve therapeutic efficacy against cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"621-633"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147655252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-30DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.05.001
Caroline E Nunes-Xavier, Ana Rodríguez-Ramos, Rafael Pulido
{"title":"β-catenin at the crossroads of cancer and neurodevelopment.","authors":"Caroline E Nunes-Xavier, Ana Rodríguez-Ramos, Rafael Pulido","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The essential role of β-catenin/CTNNB1 in cell development highlights its therapeutic potential in cancer and neurodevelopmental syndromes. Opposing functional alterations of β-catenin in these diseases reflect distinct pathogenic genetic events in CTNNB1, leading to antagonistic therapeutic approaches. A comprehensive understanding of β-catenin functions in physiology and pathology will facilitate the implementation of β-catenin/CTNNB1-based therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"580-583"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148057080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-04DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.002
Veronica Davalos, Gerardo Ferrer, Manel Esteller
{"title":"How DNA methylation predicts response to cancer therapies.","authors":"Veronica Davalos, Gerardo Ferrer, Manel Esteller","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aberrant DNA methylation is a hallmark of cancer. Beyond its established diagnostic applications, growing evidence supports the utility of DNA methylation in predicting therapeutic response. By modulating gene expression patterns, particularly in pathways related to drug metabolism, DNA repair, and immune response, methylation profiles can directly influence how tumors respond to specific treatments. Although clinical implementation remains limited to a few examples, ongoing efforts to standardize assays, enhance sensitivity in liquid biopsy, and validate predictive markers in prospective trials will enable its full recognition as a dynamic, actionable decision-support tool for therapy selection and adaptive management of cancer treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"598-620"},"PeriodicalIF":21.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in cancerPub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-03-26DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.001
Ethan M Earlie, Eric E Gardner, Harold Varmus, Ashley M Laughney
{"title":"Dissecting histological transformation.","authors":"Ethan M Earlie, Eric E Gardner, Harold Varmus, Ashley M Laughney","doi":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.trecan.2026.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The adaptive nature of cancer is a major obstacle limiting durable treatment responses. Histological transformation (HT) is a process whereby one cancer changes into a categorically different tumor type, often following treatment with targeted therapy. Best characterized in lung and prostate adenocarcinomas, HT is particularly disconcerting because the resultant cancer no longer depends on the initial oncogenic driver program, is therapeutically recalcitrant, and is often highly metastatic. Partly because HT is technically difficult to study, this process remains poorly described. As newer therapies broaden the scope of oncogenic drivers that can be targeted, HT may become more prevalent, highlighting the need for further research to dissect these phenomena. We propose that modern experimental and analytical tools present an opportunity to advance our understanding and improve our clinical management of histologically transforming cancers.</p>","PeriodicalId":23336,"journal":{"name":"Trends in cancer","volume":" ","pages":"485-494"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147532840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}