News and Breakthroughs

The Breakthroughs podcast released 17 episodes in 2024, on topics ranging from biological age research to new insights in inflammation and microbiome science, as well as health equity research and community engagement efforts. Of the top three most downloaded episodes this year, there are two episodes that outline breakthrough T-cell research, shedding light on lupus and cancer treatment. Our third most-downloaded episode features a discussion on AI and digital pathology.

A new blood test may help reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies and can detect prostate cancer with similar sensitivity to standard screening in patients across racial and ethnic groups, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered new molecular mechanisms underlying DNA repair dysregulation in cancer cells, findings that may inform the development of new targeted therapies for patients that have become resistant to standard treatments.

New discovery finds simple metabolites combine to form a powerful antioxidant

Eight Lurie Cancer Center members were named to the 2023 list of Highly Cited Researchers, published by Clarivate Analytics. The annual list identifies investigators who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their chosen fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the past decade.

Physicians and scientists from the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Medicine will present and discuss exciting new research and important clinical findings at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, December 7-10 in San Diego, California, and online. With more than 18,000 members from nearly 100 countries, ASH is the world’s largest professional society serving both clinicians and scientists around the world who are working to conquer blood diseases.

A type of immunotherapy appears to be effective in treating a deadly subset of thyroid cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial published in JAMA Oncology.

Just two years out from its launch, the Center for Human Immunobiology has quickly become a bustling hub for collaborative efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms of the immune system and translate discoveries into innovative cures for immune-regulated diseases. 

International oncology experts, including Jessica Altman, MD, Director of Lurie Cancer Center’s Leukemia Program at Northwestern Medicine, are gathering in Accra, Ghana for a series of meetings to update cancer treatment recommendations in the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa, free resources for optimizing and standardizing cancer care across the region. Dr. Altman, a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is Vice-Chair of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines Panel for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a protein in a deadly type of lung cancer can control how the immune system responds to the tumor, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered that a novel combination treatment promotes cancer cell death and tumor regression in mouse models of pancreatic cancer, providing a rationale for testing in future clinical trials, according to recent findings.

More than 100 Cancer Administrators Network (CAN) leaders from around the Lurie Cancer Center network came together on Friday for our annual retreat.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a new underlying mechanism that controls a specialized group of T-cells, findings that may serve as potential targets for treating inflammatory diseases and cancer, according to a recent study.

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University hosted the Midwest Metabolism Meeting (M3) on September 19, 2024. Designed to facilitate the exchange of cutting-edge knowledge and discoveries, the symposium brought together students, postdoctoral fellows, and leading scientists from labs across the Midwest to explore the role of metabolism in cancer and other diseases.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a more effective method of delivering a cutting-edge cancer treatment, according to findings published in the journal ACS Nano.