MD Anderson Shares Latest Research Breakthroughs

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.

Antibody-Drug Conjugate Achieves High Response Rates as Frontline Treatment in Aggressive, Rare Blood Cancer

Read the full release | Read the study in Journal of Clinical Oncology

Seventy-five percent of patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) who were treated with the antibody-drug conjugate pivekimab sunirine (PVEK) had a complete response, according to new data from the Phase I/II multicenter international CADENZA trial. The study was led by principal investigator and corresponding author Naveen Pemmaraju, M.D., professor of Leukemia, and senior author Naval Daver, M.D., professor of Leukemia.

“These strong, durable response results offer hope to BPDCN patients with limited treatment options,” Pemmaraju said. “An effective and safe frontline treatment for patients would be practice changing, and these positive results suggest that PVEK should be considered a potential standard treatment for BPDCN patients.”

Study Shows Strong Evidence for Effectiveness of Metastasis-Directed Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer

Read the full release | Read the study in Lancet Oncology

Metastasis-directed therapy significantly improved outcomes in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer, according to a first-of-its-kind meta-analysis evaluating the addition of metastasis-directed radiation therapy to standard-of-care treatment. According to corresponding author Chad Tang, M.D., associate professor of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology, gathering level one evidence of the benefits of MDT in this cancer type has been a challenge due to several factors. Most significant among them are that only a small number of patients have oligometastatic cancer - meaning they have multiple metastases but not enough to be considered widely metastatic - and the relative indolence of oligometastatic disease.

“If we can identify and treat this disease in the narrow window before it spreads too far, we know that patient outcomes are significantly better. But gathering this data is difficult,” Tang said. “By bringing together all available patient data from randomized clinical trials, we have provided the best evidence to date that MDT improves patient outcomes.”

Blood Biomarker Points to Increased Risk of Brain Metastasis in Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Read the full release | Read the study in Neuro-Oncology

Researcers identified a targetable driver of brain metastases in patients with aggressive inflammatory breast cancer. The study uncovers a novel role for soluble E-cadherin (sEcad) in promoting tumor invasion while resisting cancer cell death and triggering brain inflammation via the CXCR2 signaling pathway. The results suggest that targeting sEcad or the CXCR2 pathway could treat or prevent brain metastasis. The study was led by Xiaoding Hu, M.D., Ph.D., instructor of Breast Medical Oncology, and Bisrat Debeb, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor of Breast Medical Oncology.

“This readily measurable blood biomarker plays a key role in driving brain metastasis,” Debeb said. “Targeting this pathway has tremendous potential to treat and prevent this serious complication and could help guide future therapies.”

Americans Prefer to Screen for Cervical Cancer In Clinic vs. at Home

Read the full release | Read the study in JAMA Network Open

American women now have the option of screening for cervical cancer at home, using newly approved self-collection tools. While experts hope this will increase uptake in the under-screened population, a first-of-its kind study found the majority (60.8%) still prefer to see a medical professional in-clinic. The study also revealed that marginalized populations were more likely to prefer at-home self-sampling, and women with low income and those who do not trust the health care system were more likely to be uncertain about which option to choose. Of 2,300 screening-eligible women, just 20.4% prefer to screen for cervical cancer at home, and 18.8% were unsure about their choice.

“Home-based self-sampling has the potential to remove many of the barriers women face when it comes to cervical cancer screening,” said lead author Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., deputy division head of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. “By expanding screening options and pairing them with targeted education, we can empower more women to participate in screening in a way that fits their lives.”

Biomarkers Predict Patients With Glioblastoma Who Will Survive Longer After Treatment With Cancer-Targeting Virus

Read the full release | Read the study in Clinical Cancer Research

Researchers identified blood-based biomarkers that can help distinguish patients with glioblastoma who are most likely to live longer from novel treatment with an engineered oncolytic virus, Delta-24-RGD, that targets and eliminates cancer cells. The study was led by Frederick Lang, M.D., chair of Neurosurgery and co-director of MD Anderson’s Cancer Neuroscience Program, and Chibawanye Ene, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Neurosurgery.

“Identifying a biomarker of response after treatment allows us to identify patients who are responding to therapy early in their course, before definitive responses are seen on MRI,” Ene said. “This information will tell us who is most likely to benefit from additional doses of Delta-24-RGD to treat their brain tumor. Additional treatments with Delta-24-RGD could further activate the immune system in these patients to continue to fight the tumor, resulting in longer overall survival.”

First-in-Human Study Finds Novel Immune Cell Therapy Is Safe and Effective in Advanced Lymphoma

Read the full release | Read the abstract

In a first-in-human study, researchers observed strong responses and early signs of antitumor activity in patients with difficult-to-treat non-Hodgkin lymphomas who received the novel cell therapy RB-1355. The therapy was effective for those who have relapsed after multiple treatments or no longer responded to standard-of-care options, such as CAR T cell therapy.

Data from the study was presented by Paolo Strati, M.D., associate professor of Lymphoma, at the 2026 Tandem Meetings of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) and Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).

“These early results are very encouraging and shine a light on how we can harness the power of the body’s immune system in a new way when treating patients,” Strati said. “This approach has the potential to open a new pathway for challenging lymphoma cases and patients who do not have effective treatments available to them.”

Awards and Honors

Ferdinandos Skoulidis, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, and Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., professor of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, have been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation.