HOUSTON, JUNE 4, 2026 ― At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , research breakthroughs are made possible through seamless collaboration between the institution's world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. The studies below showcase the latest advances in cancer care, research and prevention.
AI-powered atlas reveals new insights into tertiary lymphoid structures as prognostic and response biomarkers in cancer
Read the full release | Read the study in Science
In a new study, researchers developed a spatial atlas of specialized immune structures, called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), across multiple cancer types. This first-of-its-kind atlas revealed that TLS maturation state, spatial location and composition within tumors may provide clinically meaningful information about cancer prognosis and treatment response. The research was led by Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Genomic Medicine , executive director and head of the Center for Cellular Language Intelligence , associate member of the James P. Allison Institute ™, and focus area co-lead with the Institute for Data Science in Oncology . The research team developed scalable artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks to detect, profile and classify TLSs from spatial omics data and routine pathology slides. They also created a composite scoring system to more effectively stratify patients by prognosis and treatment response across different cancer types and treatment contexts.
"Prior to this study, most of the focus on TLSs as biomarkers was simply on whether or not they were present and, in some cases, whether they were mature," Wang said. "Here, we show that we can go much deeper. TLSs in tumor tissues are much more complex than that. Their maturation state, spatial location and composition within tumors can tell us critical information about the tumor immune microenvironment, treatment response and clinical outcomes."
Researchers identify drivers of resistance to KRAS inhibitors in colorectal cancer
Read the full release | Read the study in Cancer Cell
A new preclinical study uncovered genetic and cell-state adaptive mechanisms that drive resistance to KRAS inhibitors in patients with KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer . These findings suggest that targeting early inflammatory responses by adding TBK1 blockade with KRAS inhibition may be a promising combination strategy to overcome treatment resistance. The study was co-led by Salvador Alonso Martinez, M.D. , assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at UT MD Anderson, and Kevan Chu, a graduate student at Weill Cornell Medicine. Lukas Dow, Ph.D., professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, served as co-corresponding author alongside Alonso Martinez.
"Our findings uncovered the genetic and cell-state shifts that colorectal tumors use to escape KRAS inhibition," Alonso Martinez said. "Targeting the adapted early inflammatory response may be the key to stopping resistance and improving the effectiveness of KRAS therapies for these patients."
Researchers uncover how aging cells may lead to heart attacks and strokes
Read the full release | Read the study in Circulation Research
Researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that drives certain stressed or aging cells to become abnormally active, causing inflammation inside blood vessel plaques. This results in disturbed blood flow and high-risk lesions that can lead to blood clots that cause heart attacks or strokes. The findings may also help explain cardiovascular side effects seen with some cancer treatments, which can accelerate cellular aging. The study was co-led by Sivareddy Kotla, Ph.D. , associate professor of Cardiology , and Jun-ichi Abe, M.D., Ph.D. , professor of Cardiology.
"Our findings provide a previously unknown mechanistic link between senescence and thrombosis, which helps explain why some plaques can suddenly become dangerous," Kotla said. "Understanding how aging cells rewire their surroundings and trigger plaque instability is essential for the development of therapeutic strategies that can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events."
Study identifies new marker to find patients with advanced prostate cancer more likely to benefit from combination immunotherapy
Read the full release | Read the study in Nature Communications
Researchers have discovered a new gene expression signature within tumors that can help identify patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who are more likely to experience lasting benefits from combined immunotherapy treatment. The Phase 2 CheckMate 650 trial demonstrated that ipilimumab plus nivolumab achieved antitumor responses in a subset of patients with chemotherapy-resistant disease. Using the unique capabilities of the James P. Allison Institute ™ immunotherapy platform, researchers discovered an immune signature linked with prolonged overall survival, which has the potential to help physicians identify who would be most likely to benefit from this combination. The study was led by Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D. , professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology , vice president of Immunobiology, and director of scientific programs for the Allison Institute.
"These findings provide evidence that combination immunotherapy has the potential to benefit certain patients with treatment-resistant advanced prostate cancer a disease with high unmet medical need," Sharma said. "This study reinforces the utility of our approach to better understand the tumor-immune microenvironment in order to better identify patients that could benefit from immunotherapy."
Direct-to-consumer pharmacies may lower costs for generic prescriptions
Read the full release | Read the study in Annals of Internal Medicine
The direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmacy model, offering transparent cash pricing, may substantially reduce out-of-pocket costs for some patients taking generic medications. In a large national analysis, researchers found that purchasing generic drugs directly through the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company would have resulted in lower out-of-pocket costs for nearly 80% of generic prescriptions when patient cost-sharing exceeded $15. For prescriptions with the highest cost-sharing ($100+), median out-of-pocket expenses were $140 through insurance compared with just $25 through the DTC pharmacy, representing a savings of more than $100. The study was co-led by John Lin, M.D. , assistant professor of Health Services Research and Genitourinary Medical Oncology at UT MD Anderson, and Jenny Xiang, M.D., assistant professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado.
"Many patients assume that using their insurance will always result in the lowest cost for medications, but that is not always the case," Lin said. "These data show that, for patients facing higher out-of-pocket costs, direct-to-consumer pharmacies can offer meaningful and sometimes substantial savings, helping improve access to essential medications."
Tumor microenvironment features may predict immunotherapy response in rare cancers
Read the full release | Read the study in Cell Reports Medicine
A new study identified key features that may help predict which types of rare cancers are likely to respond to immunotherapy. In a Phase 2 study of 154 patients with rare cancers, led by Aung Naing, M.D., professor of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics , the immunotherapy pembrolizumab had a modest overall response rate of 14.8% and a clinical benefit rate of 26.8%. However, researchers found that certain other features of the tumor microenvironment may serve as predictive markers of response beyond what can currently be provided by genomic analysis.
"This is an important finding because it is difficult to generate data on rare cancers," Naing said. "What we show in this study is that, beyond the conventional genomic markers of response, several features within the tumor microenvironment may provide new insight into what types of rare cancers might respond to immunotherapy."
Early immunotherapy aids in treating potentially fatal fungal pneumonias in preclinical models
Read the full release | Read the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Early administration of immunotherapy with standard antifungal treatment improved outcomes and largely alleviated immune system paralysis caused by fungal lung infections in preclinical models. These findings could herald new clinically relevant strategies for treating a variety of life-threatening invasive fungal pneumonias, which disproportionately affect immunocompromised cancer patients. The study was led by Sebastian Wurster, M.D. , assistant professor, and Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis, M.D., Ph.D. , professor, both of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health .
"Despite an expanded arsenal of antifungal treatments, immune system dysfunction still is a major cause of failure when treating infections, with significantly high morbidity and mortality rates associated with pneumonias caused by opportunistic molds. There is an urgent need for adjunct immune-enhancing therapies to improve outcomes," Kontoyiannis said. "Our research shows that adding an immune checkpoint inhibitor to antifungal treatments is helpful in experimental mold pneumonias, especially when given early."
Awards and Honors
- Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, M.D., Ph.D. , professor of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health , was awarded into the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Immunocompromised Host Society
- Sattva Neelapu, M.D. , professor of Lymphoma & Myeloma , was elected to the Association of American Physicians
- Qing Meng, M.D., Ph.D. , professor of Laboratory Medicine , received the Professor Alvin Dubin Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession and the Academy by The Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine
UT MD Anderson at ESTRO
Read highlights from UT Anderson presentations at the Congress of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO 2026) .
- ESTRO: Select breast cancer patients may be able to omit surgery following ablative radiation
- ESTRO: ctDNA improves treatment monitoring for patients receiving metastasis-directed therapy
UT MD Anderson at ASCO
Read highlights from UT MD Anderson presentations at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting . More information can be found at MDAnderson.org/ASCO .
- ASCO: UT MD Anderson faculty honored as 2026 Special Award recipients
- ASCO: UT MD Anderson spotlights emerging precision therapies for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers
- ASCO: Targeted drug outperforms chemotherapy for patients with hard-to-treat lung cancer
- ASCO: Tile-based radiation therapy lowers risk of recurrence in brain metastases
- ASCO: Targeted therapy combo nearly doubles time without disease progression for patients with advanced colorectal cancer
