The findings, published in Nature Immunology, could be especially important for colorectal cancer, which has become the leading cause of cancer-related death among people under 50. Many patients with difficult-to-treat forms of the disease have limited options, particularly when chemotherapy and newer immunotherapy treatments fail. The research suggests that a protein normally associated with cancer growth could instead become a powerful cancer-fighting “force” when activated in the right cells.

Turning a Cancer-Promoting Protein Into an Immune System Weapon

Scientists have long understood that a patient’s physical fitness can influence their ability to withstand illness. But CSHL Assistant Professor Semir Beyaz is exploring a different kind of fitness: the metabolic health and performance of individual cells.