Cancer Research and Treatment

Traditional chemotherapy attacks fast‑dividing cells broadly, which can damage healthy tissue and cause heavy side effects. Precision oncology instead studies the **genetic and molecular profile** of each tumor to find its specific vulnerabilities.

Large projects like the UK’s 100,000 Genomes Project have shown that integrating genomic data from thousands of tumor samples helps pinpoint more effective, tailored treatments. When a driver mutation or pathway is identified, doctors can select a targeted drug or trial designed for that alteration, often improving response while sparing normal cells.

Cancer vaccines do not work like flu shots that prevent infection; most are designed to **train the immune system to recognize and attack existing or residual cancer cells**. In Europe and the UK, thousands of patients are expected to enter trials of personalized mRNA vaccines that use each patient’s tumor mutations to reduce recurrence risk with potentially fewer side effects than chemotherapy.

Researchers are also exploring broader mRNA vaccines. In a recent mouse study, an experimental mRNA vaccine enhanced the effect of immunotherapy by revving up the immune system as if it were fighting a virus, moving the field a step closer to a possible “universal” cancer vaccine concept. Early human work in glioblastoma showed rapid reprogramming of the immune system using a personalized mRNA approach.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors changed the outlook for cancers like melanoma and lung cancer, but many patients either do not respond or develop resistance. Researchers now focus on smarter combinations and next‑generation immune tools to overcome this.

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) link a tumor‑seeking antibody to a toxic payload, delivering chemotherapy directly to cancer cells while sparing most healthy tissue. Experts expect new ADC targets and designs, along with better biomarkers to select patients, to rapidly expand their use across cancer types. CAR‑T cell therapy, already successful in some leukemias, continues to evolve as scientists try to extend it to solid tumors and make it safer and more durable.

For decades, cancer drivers like **KRAS** were considered “undruggable.” At UCSF, researchers showed that mutant KRAS can in fact be blocked, leading to FDA‑approved drugs sotorasib and adagrasib and inspiring a wave of similar efforts against other hard targets. This marks a new era in which proteins previously written off may become central drug targets.

At the same time, entirely new molecules are entering clinical testing. One example is DZ‑002, a therapy developed over 14 years that has shown potential against solid tumors and lymphoma and is now in phase 2 trials for pancreatic cancer. Major meetings like ASCO 2025 continue to showcase first‑in‑class mRNA‑encoded drugs and novel combinations for colorectal, thyroid and other cancers, underscoring how quickly lab discoveries are reaching patients.

A key frontier is catching cancer **earlier** and tracking it more precisely during treatment. Multi‑cancer blood tests that detect signals from dozens of early‑stage cancers are under active development, offering the possibility of screening before symptoms appear.

Technologies that monitor circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and methylation signatures could allow clinicians to see whether microscopic disease remains after treatment, or even identify premalignant cells before full cancer develops. Combined with AI analysis of pathology slides and single‑cell sequencing, these tools aim to predict resistance sooner and guide timely switches in therapy, giving patients a better chance at long‑term control or cure.