AACR: UT MD Anderson shares latest breakthroughs in cancer research

MD Anderson Research News April 14, 2026

ABSTRACTS: NG05, 1296, 1297, 1361, 1366, 2709, 3451, 4010, 4020, 4033, 4053, 6724, 6743, 6761, 6788, 6803

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present breakthrough studies at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026.

A selection of oral presentations is included below, highlighting innovations in single-cell technologies, integrative computational approaches, experimental therapeutics, targeted therapies, mechanisms of treatment resistance, cancer modeling and more.

In addition to the studies below, forthcoming press releases will feature notable oral and plenary session abstracts on promising clinical trial results. More information on all UT MD Anderson AACR Annual Meeting content can be found at MDAnderson.org/AACR.

Research clarifies how mRNA vaccines improve immunotherapy responses (Abstract NG05)
According to previously published research, patients with cancer who received mRNA-based COVID vaccines within 100 days of starting immune checkpoint therapy were twice as likely to be alive three years after beginning treatment. In recognition of this work, Adam Grippin, M.D., Ph.D., senior resident in Radiation Oncology, earned distinction as an AACR Annual Meeting 2026 NextGen Star, an honor that recognizes promising early-career scientists. Grippin will present his research April 20.

Spatial multi-omics study characterizes microenvironment across various grades of gliomas (Abstract 1296)
Diffuse gliomas have many differences in metabolic signatures associated with their grade and location within the tumor. Researchers used spatial multi-omics techniques to uncover region-specific metabolic signatures within glioma cell states that cause treatment resistance and tumor proliferation across different grades of gliomas. The researchers hope to use these metabolic signatures to detect and verify complete removal of the recurrence-causing glioma cells during surgery and after chemotherapy. Chibawanye Ene, M.D., Ph.D., will present the results April 19.

Large language model improves integration across single-cell proteomics data (Abstract 1297)
Researchers developed an integrative statistical method in an agentic framework to specifically harmonize single-cell and spatial proteomics data in order to improve protein signal detection and cell type identification. This allows for more adaptive parameters to optimize data across different proteomic technologies. Ye Zheng, Ph.D., will present the results April 19.

Researchers identify key driver of esophageal cancer progression (Abstract 1361)
Researchers used spatial transcriptomics to identify KDM2A as a key epigenetic driver of esophageal cancer progression, providing a potential therapeutic target for early intervention and prevention in upper gastrointestinal cancers. The results suggest that KMD2A is involved in chromatin remodeling that silences protective genes while activating cancer-promoting genes. Shilpa Dhar, Ph.D., will present the results April 19.

Study identifies novel driver of radiotherapy resistance in cervical cancer (Abstract 1366)
Cervical cancer responds poorly to treatment with radiotherapy. Researchers used an integrative approach to identify that the long-coding RNA CYP4A220AS1 is overexpressed in cervical cancer and is also a novel driver of radiation resistance. Targeting this RNA and its signaling pathways could be a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome this resistance and improve patient outcomes. Mingyi Zhou, Ph.D., will present the results April 19.

Novel gene expression signature predicts patient outcomes in thyroid cancer (Abstract 2709)
Researchers developed a new gene expression signature, called Prognostic RNA Expression Cell-specific Integrated SignaturE (PRECISE), to better predict patient outcomes in papillary thyroid cancer. The gene signature was developed leveraging single-cell and bulk RNA-Seq technologies and a patient cohort with a median follow-up duration of 14 years. PRECISE identifies tumors that have dedifferentiated, resulting in poorer outcomes, including shorter progression-free and disease-specific survival. Jennifer Rui Wang, M.D., Ph.D., will present the results April 20.

Single-cell transcriptomics offers insights into treatment resistance in kidney cancer (Abstract 3451)
Adding ixazomib to two standard chemotherapy drugs (gemcitabine and doxorubicin) modestly increased radiographic response rates but did not extend disease control in patients with SMARCB1-deficient renal medullary carcinoma, a rare and highly aggressive kidney cancer with limited treatment options. Researchers used single-cell transcriptomics to provide further insights into the tumor immune dynamics driving resistance. Kai Yu, Ph.D., will present the results April 20.

Next-generation platform successfully combines NK cells with T cell receptors for specific targets inside of tumor cells (Abstract 4010)
Researchers engineered a new platform – NK-TCR – that combines natural killer (NK) cells with T cell receptors (TCRs), allowing for more specific targeting of antigens inside of tumor cells. This study focused on targeting the NY-ESO-1 and PRAME tumor antigens, and both approaches showed strong antitumor activity and had a low safety risk in models of multiple myeloma, with additional investigations ongoing in other cancer types. Rafet Basar, Ph.D., will present the results April 20.

Researchers identify biomarker for pancreatic cancer risk in patients with new-onset diabetes (Abstract 4020)
New-onset diabetes (NOD) is an early indicator of pancreatic cancer, but there currently are no clinically approved biomarkers to identify those at risk. In this prospective study, researchers analyzed samples from 2,121 patients with NOD and they demonstrated that CA19-9 trajectories are predictive of underlying pancreatic cancer in patients with NOD. Johannes Fahrmann, Ph.D., will present the results April 20.

Artificial intelligence leads to target for overcoming PARP treatment resistance (Abstract 4033)
Cancer cells undergo DNA “replication stress,” a condition that should lead to their destruction or detection by the immune system. Instead, they exploit the protein GRB2 to shield damaged DNA and evade immune attack. Although GRB2 has long been considered an attractive but “undruggable” target, researchers used AI-driven structural approaches to develop a novel strategy, creating a first-in-class small molecule that locks GRB2 in its inactive state. These inhibitors target GRB2’s key function in DNA replication and repair pathways, enhance sensitivity to PARP inhibitors, and help expose cancer cells to immune detection. Zamal Ahmed, Ph.D., will present the results April 20.

First-in-class approach uses peptide-linked antibody to redirect immune cells to kill solid tumors (Abstract 4053)
NRP1, which is highly expressed in tumors and plays a role in tumor progression, also triggers a pathway that allows for  the presentation of non-tumor antigenes, or peptides, on tumor molecules for immune targeting. Researchers designed an immunogenic viral peptide-linked NRP1 antibody to redirect circulating T cells to kill tumors in NRP1-expressing tumors from several cancer types. This first-in-class strategy successfully engaged pre-existing antiviral T cells to eliminate tumors, highlighting a potential therapeutic platform against NRP1-expressing cancers. Jeffrey Molldrem, M.D., will present the results April 20.

Digital twin model predicts treatment response and guides trial design for ALK-positive lung cancer (Abstract 6724)
Patients with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer have unique characteristics that affect treatment response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but there are no known biomarkers to predict outcomes or identify alternative approaches. Therefore, researchers designed OncoTwin, an AI-driven digital twin that can predict individual response and optimize clinical trial participation. Hui Xu, Ph.D., will present the results April 21.

High dietary fiber improves immunotherapy response in melanoma (Abstract 6743)
The Phase II Diet and Immune Effects Trial (DIET) demonstrated that melanoma patients who ate a high-fiber diet instead of a healthy control diet at the start of or early in their immunotherapy treatment had decreased levels of immunosuppressive circulating monocytes, a feature associated with improved response to treatment. Other findings that suggest anti-tumor responses after a high fiber diet include functional shifts in the gut microbiome and circulating bile acid pool, as well as digital spatial profiling in a subset of neoadjuvant patients with a complete pathological response. Carrie R. Daniel, Ph.D., will present the results April 21.

Antibody-drug conjugate shows antitumor activity across multiple patient-derived cancer models (Abstract 6761)
Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with prior EGFR-directed and platinum-based chemotherapy and for patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer who received prior endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy. To understand possible mechanisms of resistance and find optimal combinations, researchers generated 19 patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from biopsies of patients starting therapy with Dato-DXd, across six different cancer types. The antitumor activity of Dato-DXd in PDXs was compared with matched patient outcomes to determine its usefulness in testing novel therapies. Dhruv Chachad, Ph.D., will present the results April 21.

Study uncovers why treatment works better in early lung cancer (Abstract 6788)
Treatment with IL-1β blockade only works during some tumor stages in lung cancer. To understand why, researchers used spatial single-cell analysis integrated with stage-matched sequencing to characterize the tumor immune microenvironment at various stages of progression. IL-1β blockade predominantly disrupts epithelial IL-1βnets at precancer stages, whereas in advanced disease it preferentially targets fibroblast-associated IL-1βnets, suggesting that failure of IL-1β blockade in advanced lung cancer is due to maladaptive spatial reorganization of inflammatory signaling within the tumor microenvironment. Bo Zhu, Ph.D., will present the results April 21.

Novel target overcomes chemotherapy resistance in advanced pancreatic cancer (Abstract 6803)
Some patients with advanced pancreatic cancer develop chemotherapy resistance. To overcome this, researchers used high complexity barcode technology and transcriptomic profiling of chemotherapy-sensitive and non-sensitive cell clones to identify a prognostic gene signature to predict treatment response. When applied to pancreatic cancer models, the results suggest that inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation in addition to chemotherapy can overcome resistance and prolong survival. The new inhibitor – IM156 – is currently undergoing further evaluation in a Phase Ib clinical trial. Sergio Attanasio, Ph.D., will present the results April 21.