Oncogene News and Research

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An oncogene is a gene that, when mutated or expressed at high levels, helps turn a normal cell into a tumor cell.

Neuromedin U drives immune suppression in aggressive prostate cancer

A new study from The Wistar Institute has found a link between the nervous system and the rapid development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an aggressive form of the disease.

24 Sep 2026

German researchers aim to completely degrade breast cancer protein

Simply switching off a protein that helps breast cancer cells to grow? That is not enough for researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

21 Sep 2026

Protein buildup mechanism shapes response to PROTAC drugs

The way cancer-causing proteins accumulate in tumours may influence how effectively a promising new generation of medicines can remove them, a study suggests.

1 Sep 2026

FDA approves daraxonrasib for metastatic pancreatic cancer following landmark clinical trial led by Dana-Farber

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved daraxonrasib, an oral multi-selective RAS(ON) inhibitor, for adults with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have received at least one prior systemic therapy or are not candidates for multiagent systemic therapy.

From Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. 29 Aug 2026

FDA approves first RAS-targeted therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer

27 Aug 2026

Wake-activated brain circuits reveal what drives the urge to sleep

Researchers identified wake-activated neurons in the median raphe and anterior medial preoptic area that track sleep pressure and help regulate when and how deeply mice sleep. Manipulating these circuits altered NREM sleep, sleep-pressure accumulation, and rebound sleep, revealing key neural mechanisms underlying mammalian sleep homeostasis.

20 Aug 2026

Glioma microenvironment emerges as key target for future therapies

The prognosis for glioma patients remains extremely poor despite aggressive multimodal standard therapy: maximal safe resection, radiotherapy, and temozolomide chemotherapy, with median survival rarely exceeding 15 to 18 months.

20 Aug 2026

New studies reveal hidden control hub for MYC-driven cancers

In a rare pair of papers published back-to-back in the journal Genes & Development, research teams led by senior author Anindya Bagchi, PhD, associate professor in the Cancer Genome and Epigenetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, establish a unified framework that governs one of cancer's most powerful master regulators.

19 Aug 2026

Targetable MYH9 gene drives cancer progression and inherited genetic disorders

A comprehensive new review article highlights the growing importance of the MYH9 gene as a central player in both cancer biology and inherited genetic conditions, offering fresh perspectives on its potential as a therapeutic target.

6 Aug 2026

Natural bioactive compounds target miR-29a molecule to prevent cancer development

A study published in Current Molecular Pharmacology provides a comprehensive analysis of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) as a pivotal regulator in cancer development, and examines how natural bioactive compounds may offer a promising strategy for cancer prevention by modulating its expression.

25 Jun 2026

Targeting metabolic pathways could prevent relapse in KRAS-mutant cancers

Our cells rely on tightly regulated signaling pathways to control when they grow, divide, and survive. When these regulatory systems are disrupted, cells can acquire the ability to grow uncontrollably and become cancerous.

25 Jun 2026

Gene linked to lower BMI points researchers toward a new obesity target

A review in Cardiology in Review highlights GPR75, a receptor for 20-HETE, as a promising therapeutic target for obesity and metabolic syndrome. Evidence from genetic studies, cell experiments, and mouse models suggests that blocking this pathway could influence weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertension, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction.

25 Jun 2026

Study validates research models for tracking circular extra-chromosomal DNA

Damage to DNA in cancer cells can lead to pieces breaking off chromosomes and floating away, like icebergs cracking off from a glacier.

5 Jun 2026

Three-drug strategy forces pancreatic tumors into lasting regression

A triple-targeted preclinical therapy combining daraxonrasib, afatinib, and SD36 drove durable pancreatic cancer regression by blocking KRAS/RAS, EGFR/HER2, and STAT3 signaling. The approach prevented treatment resistance across mouse and human tumor-derived models, but remains preclinical and requires more clinically suitable drug combinations before human testing.

2 Jun 2026

Daraxonrasib significantly extends survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer

At the ASCO annual meeting, Dana-Farber's Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, will present positive results from the RASolute 302 trial showing a substantial prolongation of survival for patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, regardless of RAS mutation status, taking daraxonrasib, an investigational oral RAS(ON) multi-selective inhibitor, compared with chemotherapy.

31 May 2026

Scientists target root of relapse in aggressive childhood brain tumors

Stopping cancer from coming back is the goal of new research from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, where scientists are targeting cells that fuel the return of an aggressive pediatric brain tumor.

26 May 2026

Scientists reveal why common pancreatic precancer lesions rarely turn deadly

Spatial and single-cell analyses of human donor pancreata showed that PanIN epithelial cells gradually acquire cancer-like molecular features, while their surrounding stromal and immune environment remains closer to normal pancreatic tissue. The findings suggest that delayed or incomplete microenvironmental reprogramming may help explain why most PanIN lesions remain indolent rather than progressing to pancreatic cancer.

24 May 2026

New therapies could help type 1 diabetes care move beyond insulin alone

Disease-modifying therapies for type 1 diabetes are beginning to move care beyond insulin replacement by targeting immune dysregulation, beta-cell stress, and preservation of endogenous beta-cell function. Teplizumab marks a major clinical milestone, but the review emphasizes that durable metabolic remission will likely require earlier screening, better patient selection, and sequential or combination therapies.

18 May 2026

YAP1 expression drives chemotherapy resistance in small cell lung cancer

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that some cancer cells express the YAP1 protein only after treatment with chemotherapy, allowing them to survive by becoming more invasive and leading to treatment resistance with eventual relapse in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

5 May 2026

Study identifies "RNA dicing" as a key cancer driver

Scientists have uncovered an unexpected way cells can generate cancer-driving proteins—by cutting RNA into shorter, functional fragments rather than following the standard blueprint.

28 Apr 2026