Cancer

Salk Professor Tony Hunter and colleagues, together with researchers from Switzerland’s University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, discovered a protein called LHPP that acts as a molecular switch to turn off the uncontrolled growth of cells in liver cancer. The tumor suppressor, which could be useful as a biomarker to help diagnose and monitor treatment for liver cancer, could also be relevant for other cancer types. The work appeared in the journal Nature on March 29, 2018.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an incredibly deadly brain cancer and presents a serious black box challenge. By editing two genes in just a few cells in human cerebral organoids, first author and Senior Research Associate Junko Ogawa and colleagues generated aggressive GBM tumors. This new model could be used to study tumor progression, investigate new drugs or even personalize treatments for patients. The study was published in the journal Cell Reports on April 24, 2018.