18 research advances only possible here
December 16, 2025
From clinical trial results that accelerated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to discovery-based studies setting the stage for breakthroughs in cancer care, MD Anderson researchers continued to turn bold ideas into lifesaving realities this past year.
Bridging laboratory discovery and patient care, this groundbreaking research is made possible by MD Anderson’s collaborative, translational research environment. Our research institutes and programs — including the James P. Allison Institute™, Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO), Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation and Cancer Neuroscience Program — exemplify this environment. They leverage our strengths in immunotherapy, data-driven discovery and cell therapies to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Here are 18 research advances from the past year that are only possible here at MD Anderson.
1. Researchers discover healthy women have cells that resemble breast cancer
Building on the Human Breast Cell Atlas, work led by Nicholas Navin, Ph.D., revealed new insights into the genetic origins of breast cancer.
The study, published in Nature, discovered that at least 3% of normal breast tissue epithelial cells in healthy women have chromosomal abnormalities. These abnormalities — a gain or loss of chromosomes known as aneuploidy — are usually associated with invasive breast cancer. Researchers also found a correlation between age and the frequency of these abnormalities.
These data highlight the need for longitudinal studies to identify factors leading to cells becoming cancerous and to guide future approaches to early detection.
2. Novel CAR T cell therapy obe-cel demonstrates high response rates in adult patients with advanced B-cell ALL
The Phase Ib/II FELIX study evaluated treatment with the novel anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel), for patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Results from this global trial, co-led by Elias Jabbour, M.D., showed strong long-term efficacy and response rates, as well as minimal immunotoxicity. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine, these findings supported recent FDA approval of obe-cel as a standalone treatment for a patient population that until now had limited treatment options.
3. New tool helps identify key targets to strengthen CAR NK cell therapies
Researchers from the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation, led by Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., developed PreCiSE, a genome-wide CRISPR screening platform designed to systematically interrogate natural killer (NK) cell intrinsic regulators of function under tumor microenvironment pressure. By performing pooled loss of function screens directly in primary human NK cells, PreCiSE identifies genes whose disruption enhances cytotoxicity, metabolic fitness and resistance to suppressive cues associated with solid tumors. The study, published in Cancer Cell, identified critical intracellular regulators of CAR NK cell activity and validated that targeting these pathways enhances antitumor activity in preclinical models.
“This work provides a mechanistic framework for engineering the next generation of cell therapies that have the potential to be more powerful, precise and resistant to cancer,” says Rezvani.
4. Neutrophils help cancer cells to colonize abdominal fat
Despite abundant immune cells in the omentum — a fatty tissue suspended from the stomach — abdominal cancers often metastasize there. Research led by Honami Naora, Ph.D., showed that neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, release webs of DNA called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that attract innate-like B cells to the omentum.
Furthermore, NETs stimulate these B cells to produce interleukin-10, an immunosuppressive cytokine, creating an immunocompromised microenvironment that fosters metastasis. The results, published in Cancer Cell, point to inhibiting NETs as a potential therapeutic strategy for omentum metastasis.
5. HER2 targeted therapy shows promise in previously treated lung cancers
Led by John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D., the Phase Ia/Ib Beamion LUNG-1 trial evaluated zongertinib, an HER2-targeted therapy, for previously treated patients with advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.
“The trial reported a 71% response rate, which is unprecedented in this cancer subtype, and zongertinib has the added convenience of being a once-daily oral therapy,” says Heymach.
Initial data from the trial prompted a priority review by the FDA, which led to accelerated approval earlier this year, and updated results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
6. Researchers identify key B-cell lymphoma traits linked with greatest benefit from CD19 CAR T cell therapy
In the largest study of its kind, researchers led by Michael Green, Ph.D., profiled samples from patients with large B-cell lymphoma and identified three subgroups: the fibroblast/macrophage group, the lymph node group and the T cell exhausted group. Each has significantly different outcomes after CD19 CAR T cell therapy.
This work, published in Cancer Cell, offers clinicians insight into which patient groups will benefit most from CAR T cell therapy, helping refine precision medicine for patients with large B-cell lymphoma.
7. Quitting smoking after cancer diagnosis improves survival across a wide variety of cancers
Research led by Paul Cinciripini, Ph.D., as part of the Tobacco Research and Treatment Program showed that cancer patients who stopped smoking within six months of their diagnosis had improved survival outcomes, with smokers living 2.1 years compared to 3.9 years for those who quit. The impact on survival was progressively greater the earlier a patient quit.
Tobacco use causes around 85% of lung cancer cases, which is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. This research underscores that smoking cessation is an integral part of first-line care for patients with cancer.
8. Landmark study maps spatial organization of cancer-associated fibroblasts across cancers
Despite their importance in the tumor microenvironment, the spatial organization and functional diversity of cancer-associated fibroblasts are poorly understood. A milestone study led by Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D., analyzed over 14 million cells from 10 cancer types and revealed four cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes.
The research, published in Cancer Cell, showed each subtype has distinct spatial organizational patterns that are associated with different disease progression and clinical outcomes. “This knowledge will pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies, targeting the tumor microenvironment more precisely to improve patient outcomes,” says Wang, a member of the Allison Institute™ and focus area co-lead of IDSO.
9. Triple therapy regimen significantly improves survival in BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer
Compared to standard of care, treatment with the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib, anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab and chemotherapy drug mFOLFOX6 doubled overall survival to 30.3 months for patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer.
These Phase III BREAKWATER trial findings supported the FDA’s accelerated approval of this combination as a first-line treatment option. The results, published in The New England Journal of Medicine by co-principal investigator Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D., reinforce the importance of molecular profiling-guided targeted therapy for patients with colorectal cancer.
MD Anderson’s year in research*
- The world’s largest cancer clinical trials program
- More NCI-funded projects than any other U.S. institution
- 10,700 patients enrolled in clinical trials
- 500+ presentations at major scientific and medical conferences
- 406 publications in high-impact journals
- 70% of cancer drugs approved by the FDA in Fiscal Year 2025* were tested at MD Anderson
- 21 new research recruits joined MD Anderson
- 9 strategic partnerships
- #3 ranking in the world by Nature Index for Cancer Research
*Sept. 1, 2024–Aug. 31, 2025
10. Cancer-associated nerve injury leads to chronic inflammation and immunotherapy resistance
Research led by Moran Amit, M.D., Ph.D., Neil Gross, M.D., and Jing Wang, Ph.D., found that when tumors infiltrate the space around nerves, they break down protective nerve coverings, leading to nerve injury, chronic inflammation and eventually immunotherapy resistance. The study, published in Nature, revealed actionable targets in the pathway which can reverse this resistance and improve treatment response.
These new insights were made possible by a collaboration between MD Anderson’s Cancer Neuroscience Program and the Immunotherapy Platform, part of the Allison Institute™.
11. Histone modification regulates CD8+ T cell activity, suggesting new treatment strategies
A study led by Allison Institute™ member Sangeeta Goswami, M.D., Ph.D., revealed a new epigenetic mechanism that strengthens the cancer fighting ability of CD8 T cells. The team found that two lactate derived histone marks, H3K18la and H3K9la, are enriched during CD8 T cell activation and help initiate the expression of key genes that drive T cell function.
The study, published in Nature Immunology, shows that different CD8 T cell subsets carry distinct patterns of these lactylation marks, reflecting their metabolic states. By targeting metabolic and epigenetic pathways that regulate H3K18la and H3K9la, the researchers were able to enhance CD8 T cell effector activity and improve antitumor immunity in preclinical models.
This work identifies histone lactylation as an important regulator of T cell mediated tumor control and points to new therapeutic opportunities to boost the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.
12. Pre-surgical combination therapy boosts survival in patients with rare thyroid cancer
A Phase II multicenter trial led by Mark Zafereo, M.D., and Maria Cabanillas, M.D., increased average progression-free survival for patients with rare BRAF V600E-mutated anaplastic thyroid cancer from 6.7 months to over one year.
The trial evaluated a pre-surgical combination of the standard of care targeted therapies dabrafenib and trametinib plus the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab. This triple therapy regimen enabled 74% of patients to have their tumor removed surgically, compared to only 5% historically.
“With this treatment plan, not only are more patients able to undergo surgery, but they’re also living longer without their cancer coming back," Zafereo says.
13. New genetic marker linked to improved survival with immunotherapy in ovarian and other cancers
An ongoing multidisciplinary collaboration, including a Phase II trial and laboratory research, revealed a new predictive biomarker for ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Patients whose tumors had specific mutations in the PPP2R1A gene had a median overall survival of more than five years after immunotherapy — significantly longer than the 9.2 months in patients without the mutations.
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma is a difficult-to-treat subtype, and developing effective immunotherapies remains a significant unmet clinical need. The translational findings, published in Nature with co-senior authors Amir Jazaeri, M.D., Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D., and Rugang Zhang, Ph.D., also confirmed survival benefits in other cancer types with this mutation.
14. Research shows most Americans unaware of cancer risks associated with drinking alcohol
A study led by Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., based on data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey, found that only 40% of American adults recognize consuming alcohol as a cancer risk. This highlighted a lack of public awareness of this connection.
Alcohol use remains prevalent among American adults, with nearly 70% of those surveyed responding that they drink alcoholic beverages. The study also showed that just over 30% believe that cancer prevention isn’t possible.
These findings emphasize the importance of continued work to raise public awareness.
15. Epigenetic targets and genomic stem cell pathways drive adult hair regeneration
Regulation of retrotransposons — repeating sequences that make up more than 40% of the human genome — is required for tissue regeneration. But little is known about the regulation process.
In a study led by Yejing Ge, Ph.D., and published in Cell, researchers examined preclinical models of hair cell regeneration. They found that an epigenetic regulator, SETBD1, drives retrotransposon suppression and protects regeneration of hair follicle stem cells. Without SETBD1, there was hair loss and stem cell exhaustion. They also identified two pathways which may be leveraged to deter tumor development.
16. First-in-class covalent Werner helicase inhibitor shows clinical proof-of-concept in Phase I trial
Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., led a first-in-human Phase I trial evaluating the targeted therapy RO7589831. RO7589831 is a first-in-class inhibitor which targets Werner helicase, a DNA repair enzyme. Cancers with genetic changes called microsatellite instability or deficient mismatch repair are especially dependent on this enzyme.
Initial efficacy results were promising with tolerable side effects, and cohorts are underway to determine the optimal recommended dose for next steps. “This also further validates Werner helicase as an actionable target, which is exciting because many cancers are highly dependent on it for survival,” says Yap.
17. Targeting brain-liver pathway with electronic wearables could prevent cancer-associated weight and muscle loss
Nearly one-third of cancer-related deaths are caused by cachexia, a currently incurable condition characterized by rapid muscle and weight loss. Cachexia is known to be driven in part by inflammation affecting the parasympathetic nervous system and liver function.
Xiling Shen, Ph.D., and colleagues examined the role of the vagus nerve, which regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Their results, published in Cell, suggest targeting the vagus nerve with non-invasive electronics is a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent or delay the onset of cachexia.
18. MD Anderson and UT Austin launch joint initiative to advance breakthroughs in cancer research
Together with The University of Texas at Austin, MD Anderson launched the Collaborative Accelerator for Transformative Research Endeavors. The initiative has funded five teams so far, with research projects ranging from investigating the influence of microplastics pollution on cancer rates to using computer modeling and robotics to improve surgical implant treatment options for tumors in the spine, sacrum and pelvis.
Each interdisciplinary team brings together researchers from both institutions, capitalizing on the unparalleled talent and expertise at both to enable innovative research.
“By working collaboratively across disciplines and making the best use of our significant resources, we will continue to drive breakthroughs across the spectrum of cancer science for the benefit of patients,” says Eyal Gottlieb, Ph.D., vice president of research at MD Anderson.
By working collaboratively across disciplines and making the best use of our significant resources, we will continue to drive breakthroughs across the spectrum of cancer science for the benefit of patients.
Eyal Gottlieb, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research