Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.004
Yunhe Liu, Ansam Sinjab, Jimin Min, Guangchun Han, Francesca Paradiso, Yuanyuan Zhang, Ruiping Wang, Guangsheng Pei, Yibo Dai, Yang Liu, Kyung Serk Cho, Enyu Dai, Akshay Basi, Jared K. Burks, Kimal I. Rajapakshe, Yanshuo Chu, Jiahui Jiang, Daiwei Zhang, Xinmiao Yan, Paola A. Guerrero, Linghua Wang
{"title":"Conserved spatial subtypes and cellular neighborhoods of cancer-associated fibroblasts revealed by single-cell spatial multi-omics","authors":"Yunhe Liu, Ansam Sinjab, Jimin Min, Guangchun Han, Francesca Paradiso, Yuanyuan Zhang, Ruiping Wang, Guangsheng Pei, Yibo Dai, Yang Liu, Kyung Serk Cho, Enyu Dai, Akshay Basi, Jared K. Burks, Kimal I. Rajapakshe, Yanshuo Chu, Jiahui Jiang, Daiwei Zhang, Xinmiao Yan, Paola A. Guerrero, Linghua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a multifaceted cell population essential for shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME) and influencing therapy responses. Characterizing the spatial organization and interactions of CAFs within complex tissue environments provides critical insights into tumor biology and immunobiology. In this study, through integrative analyses of over 14 million cells from 10 cancer types across 7 spatial transcriptomics and proteomics platforms, we discover, validate, and characterize four distinct spatial CAF subtypes. These subtypes are conserved across cancer types and independent of spatial omics platforms. Notably, they exhibit distinct spatial organizational patterns, neighboring cell compositions, interaction networks, and transcriptomic profiles. Their abundance and composition vary across tissues, shaping TME characteristics, such as levels, distribution, and state composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, tumor immune phenotypes, and patient survival. This study enriches our understanding of CAF spatial heterogeneity in cancer and paves the way for novel approaches to target and modulate CAFs.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713597","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.012
Jiaqian Luo, David B. Solit
{"title":"Leveraging real-world data to advance biomarker discovery and precision oncology","authors":"Jiaqian Luo, David B. Solit","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.012","url":null,"abstract":"Precision oncology is predicated on the availability of robust biomarkers deployed at scale at the point of care. Although simple in conception, precision oncology often fails in practice because of the limitations of current diagnostic platforms, the emergence of drug resistance, and an incomplete understanding of cancer pathogenesis and the host immune response. Here, we discuss using real-world data, including exceptional responder analyses, to identify biomarkers of therapy response and strategies for overcoming barriers to the broader adoption of precision oncology paradigms.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713600","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.006
Stephen L. Wang, Timothy A. Chan
{"title":"Navigating established and emerging biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy","authors":"Stephen L. Wang, Timothy A. Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved outcomes of patients with many different cancers. These antibodies target molecules such as programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) which normally function to limit immune activity. Treatment with ICIs reactivates T cells to destroy tumor cells in a highly specific manner, which in some patients, results in dramatic remissions and durable disease control. Over the last decade, much effort has been directed at characterizing factors that drive efficacy and resistance to ICI therapy. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biomarkers for ICI therapy have facilitated more judicious treatment of cancer patients and transformed the field of precision oncology. Yet, adaptive immunity against cancers is complex, and newer data have revealed the potential utility of other biomarkers. In this review, we discuss the utility of currently approved biomarkers and highlight how emerging biomarkers can further improve the identification of patients who benefit from ICIs.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143713644","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.005
Kristen E. Pauken, Omar Alhalabi, Sangeeta Goswami, Padmanee Sharma
{"title":"Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint therapy: Enabling insights into fundamental human immunology and clinical benefit","authors":"Kristen E. Pauken, Omar Alhalabi, Sangeeta Goswami, Padmanee Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.005","url":null,"abstract":"While immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) has revolutionized cancer treatment, most patients with advanced disease fail to achieve durable benefit. To address this challenge, it is essential to integrate mechanistic research with clinical studies to: (1) understand response mechanisms, (2) identify patient-specific resistance pathways, (3) develop biomarkers for patient selection, and (4) design novel therapies to overcome resistance. We propose that incorporating “direct-in-patient” studies into clinical trials is crucial for bridging the gap between fundamental science and clinical oncology. In this review, we first highlight recent clinical success of ICT in the neoadjuvant setting, where treatment is given in earlier disease stages to improve outcomes. We then explore how neoadjuvant clinical trials could be utilized to drive mechanistic laboratory-based investigations. Finally, we discuss novel scientific concepts that will potentially aid in overcoming resistance to ICT, which will require future clinical trials to understand their impact on human immune responses.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143660411","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.001
Nicholas J. Salgia, Nazli Dizman, Sumanta K. Pal
{"title":"Of HIFs and hERVs: Neoantigen generation in kidney cancer","authors":"Nicholas J. Salgia, Nazli Dizman, Sumanta K. Pal","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"New evidence published in <em>Cell</em> provides insight into the interplay between hypoxia-inducible factor activity and downstream neoantigen production in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Jiang et al. show that HIF2α regulates expression of immunogenic human endogenous retroelements, with implications for antitumor immunity and immunotherapy responsiveness in ccRCC.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143660410","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.002
Michael V. Berridge, Renata Zobalova, Stepana Boukalova, Andrés Caicedo, Stuart A. Rushworth, Jiri Neuzil
{"title":"Horizontal mitochondrial transfer in cancer biology: Potential clinical relevance","authors":"Michael V. Berridge, Renata Zobalova, Stepana Boukalova, Andrés Caicedo, Stuart A. Rushworth, Jiri Neuzil","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"Recent research highlights horizontal mitochondrial transfer as a key biological phenomenon linked to cancer onset and progression. The transfer of mitochondria and their genomes between cancer and non-cancer cells shifts our understanding of intercellular gene trafficking, increasing the metabolic fitness of cancer cells and modulating antitumor immune responses. This process not only facilitates tumor progression but also presents potential therapeutic opportunities.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143660407","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.027
Duygu Kuzuoglu-Ozturk, Hao G. Nguyen, Lingru Xue, Emma Figueredo, Vishvak Subramanyam, Isabelle Liu, Kenya Bonitto, Ashish Noronha, Adrianna Dabrowska, Janet E. Cowan, Juan A. Oses-Prieto, Alma L. Burlingame, Stephen T. Worland, Peter R. Carroll, Davide Ruggero
{"title":"Small-molecule RNA therapeutics to target prostate cancer","authors":"Duygu Kuzuoglu-Ozturk, Hao G. Nguyen, Lingru Xue, Emma Figueredo, Vishvak Subramanyam, Isabelle Liu, Kenya Bonitto, Ashish Noronha, Adrianna Dabrowska, Janet E. Cowan, Juan A. Oses-Prieto, Alma L. Burlingame, Stephen T. Worland, Peter R. Carroll, Davide Ruggero","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.027","url":null,"abstract":"Tuning protein expression by targeting RNA structure using small molecules is an unexplored avenue for cancer treatment. To understand whether this vulnerability could be therapeutically targeted in the most lethal form of prostate cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), we use a clinical small molecule, zotatifin, that targets the RNA helicase and translation factor eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A). Zotatifin represses tumorigenesis in patient-derived and xenograft models and prolonged survival <em>in vivo</em> alongside hormone therapy. Genome-wide transcriptome, translatome, and proteomic analysis reveals two important translational targets: androgen receptor (AR), a key oncogene in CRPC, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1A (HIF1A), an essential cancer modulator in hypoxia. We solve the structure of the 5′ UTRs of these oncogenic mRNAs and strikingly observe complex structural remodeling of these select mRNAs by this small molecule. Remarkably, tumors treated with zotatifin become more sensitive to anti-androgen therapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, “translatome therapy” provides additional strategies to treat the deadliest cancers.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143660415","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.018
Lisa Mayr, Sina Neyazi, Kallen Schwark, Maria Trissal, Alexander Beck, Jenna Labelle, Sebastian K. Eder, Liesa Weiler-Wichtl, Joana G. Marques, Carlos A.O. de Biagi-Junior, Costanza Lo Cascio, Owen Chapman, Sunita Sridhar, Rishaan Kenkre, Aditi Dutta, Shanqing Wang, Jessica Wang, Olivia Hack, Andrezza Nascimento, Cuong M. Nguyen, Mariella G. Filbin
{"title":"Effective targeting of PDGFRA-altered high-grade glioma with avapritinib","authors":"Lisa Mayr, Sina Neyazi, Kallen Schwark, Maria Trissal, Alexander Beck, Jenna Labelle, Sebastian K. Eder, Liesa Weiler-Wichtl, Joana G. Marques, Carlos A.O. de Biagi-Junior, Costanza Lo Cascio, Owen Chapman, Sunita Sridhar, Rishaan Kenkre, Aditi Dutta, Shanqing Wang, Jessica Wang, Olivia Hack, Andrezza Nascimento, Cuong M. Nguyen, Mariella G. Filbin","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.018","url":null,"abstract":"PDGFRA is crucial to tumorigenesis and frequently genomically altered in high-grade glioma (HGG). In a comprehensive dataset of pediatric HGG (<em>n</em> = 261), we detect <em>PDGFRA</em> mutations and/or amplifications in 15% of cases, suggesting PDGFRA as a therapeutic target. We reveal that the PDGFRA/KIT inhibitor avapritinib shows (1) selectivity for PDGFRA inhibition, (2) distinct patterns of subcellular effects, (3) <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> activity in patient-derived HGG models, and (4) effective blood-brain barrier penetration in mice and humans. Furthermore, we report preliminary clinical real-world experience using avapritinib in pediatric and young adult patients with predominantly recurrent/refractory <em>PDGFRA</em>-altered HGG (<em>n</em> = 8). Our early data demonstrate that avapritinib is well tolerated and results in radiographic response in 3/7 cases, suggesting a potential role for avapritinib in the treatment of HGG with specific <em>PDGFRA</em> alterations<strong>.</strong> Overall, these translational results underscore the therapeutic potential of PDGFRA inhibition with avapritinib in HGG.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143608519","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}
Cancer CellPub Date : 2025-03-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.019
Grégoire Marret, Mercedes Herrera, Lillian L. Siu
{"title":"Turning the kaleidoscope: Innovations shaping the future of clinical trial design","authors":"Grégoire Marret, Mercedes Herrera, Lillian L. Siu","doi":"10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.02.019","url":null,"abstract":"Current clinical trials are based on rigid designs and drug-centric approaches that can stifle flexibility and innovation. With advances in molecular biology and technology, there is an urgent call to revitalize trial designs to meet these evolving demands. We propose a reshaped, prismatic vision of clinical trials combining different knowledge layers, synergized with modern computational approaches. This paradigm based on iterative learning will enable a more adaptive and precise framework for oncology drug development.","PeriodicalId":9670,"journal":{"name":"Cancer Cell","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":50.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143608589","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}