News

New research published today in JAMA Oncology reports how two separate DNA changes appear to predict aggressive childhood leukemias when they occur in combination. This study illuminates genetic understanding of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children with the worst outcomes, including relapse and/or death.

A new study published today in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, reports findings that may change the understanding of how synovial sarcoma develops and spreads. The study was led by Kevin B. Jones, MD and Bradley R. Cairns, PhD from Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute have found critical new insights into how cells defend against melanoma. In a report published in Nature Communications, the team describes how an enzyme called nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, or NAMPT, initiates antitumor activity. The researchers suggest that new therapies strengthening this pathway in immune cells could be the foundation for more effective treatments against melanoma.

Huntsman Cancer Institute recognizes new and renewed endowed chairs, along with the distinguished professorship of faculty. Endowed chairs play an important role in creating a partnership between donors and researchers. Distinguished professors are recognized for academic achievements and dedication to teaching.

When cancer researchers from different disciplines work together, they gain new insights into how cancer begins and how it can be treated. HCI is committed to providing an atmosphere where ideas can be created, cultivated, and shared. Here are some examples of how HCI scientists are collaborating to accelerate progress in cancer research.

Utah scientists have discovered new functions of a key cellular machine that regulates gene packaging and is mutated in 20% of human cancers. The study was published in print today in the journal Molecular Cell. Cairns and colleagues wanted to know how nucleosomes are moved along or removed from the DNA to unpackage and expose genes.

You might not see us during your visit to Huntsman Cancer Institute, but we want to let you know that we are working hard in the Varley Lab in the HCI research building next door. We conduct research that improves the treatment and care of patients like you. We are a small group of dedicated young men and women who are developing new strategies to diagnose and treat breast and ovarian cancer.

Two researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah received awards from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund innovative childhood cancer research.

You may not see us during a visit to Huntsman Cancer Institute. But rest assured, we are working hard to learn more about sarcoma in the research building next door. We are committed to learning the most we can in order to do the best we can for every patient. Read this Letter of Hope to sarcoma patients and their loved ones, from the KB Jones Lab.

The National Cancer Institute has renewed the designation of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest federal rank possible for a cancer research organization. This grant awards HCI more than $29 million over seven years, an increase of 84% in annual funding from the previous award cycle.

Don Ayer, PhD, is a leader in the study of gene regulation and its role in normal and cancer cell growth. He believes the best scientists are the ones who are most creative and can think outside the box. Join the conversation in this clip with Dr. Ayer about diversity in the cancer research workforce and why representation matters.

Mediante una mejor comprensión del cáncer en sus etapas más tempranas—y un conocimiento más profundo del comportamiento de las células saludables—esclarecemos los precursores del cáncer y lo que permite que un cáncer crezca. Lea algunos puntos destacados de estudios notables recientes en HCI que impulsan nuestro empeño por entender el cáncer desde sus inicios y usar dicha información en la creación y las mejoras de nuevos tratamientos contra el cáncer.

By better understanding cancer in its earliest stages—and a deeper knowledge of healthy cell behavior—we shed light on the precursors of cancer and what allows a cancer to grow. Read just a few highlights of noteworthy recent studies at HCI that advance our quest to understand cancer from its beginnings and to use that information in the creation and improvement of new cancer treatments.

The hormone estrogen plays many critical roles in men and women, in both healthy tissues and in cancer. In breast and gynecologic cancers, estrogen sends signals to tumors instructing the cancer cells to grow out of control. . In endometrial cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus, estrogen is known to play a critical role in tumor development, yet many insights from how it affects breast cancer do not apply to endometrial cancer. New research from HCI Researchers outlines findings scientists hope will advance our understanding of endometrial cancer and lead to more effective treatments.

Kimberley Evason, MD, PhD, and Gregory Ducker, PhD, were two of only twelve scientists nationwide to receive a Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. This award is given by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation annually to help “exceptionally creative thinkers” who pursue “high-risk, high-reward” research concepts.

In the first-ever genome-scale analysis of the puberty process in humans, researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah outline distinct and critical changes to stem cells in males during adolescence. They further outline how testosterone, and the cells that produce testosterone, impact stem cells in male reproductive organs.

Cellular machines that control chromosome structure, such as the RSC complex, are mutated in about one-fifth of all human cancers. Now, for the first time, scientists have developed a high-resolution visual map of this multi-protein machine, elucidating how the RSC complex works and what role it has in healthy and cancer cells.

When Kiera Jorgensen was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 19, she fought not only sarcoma, but also a mystery that had loomed over her family for generations. Now years out of treatment, Kiera has answers and is conducting research to help families like hers better understand a rare genetic mutation.

A personalized prognosis for patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer was the goal of a new study by Katherine Varley, PhD, researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and assistant professor of oncological sciences at the University of Utah.

Bryan Welm, PhD, has found a unique way to merge his love for science and art.

Brad Cairns, PhD, focuses on determining, at the mechanistic level, how a cell normally regulates processes important to cancer. He is not only a scientist, he also loves mountain biking and jazz music. Learn more about his many passions, including his work at Huntsman Cancer Institute, in this episode of Talks with Docs.

Approximately 500 patients visit the outpatient clinics and infusion center at Huntsman Cancer Institute each day. Our patients rely on our clinical teams and staff to provide safe, efficient, and high quality care during each clinic visit. In this letter from Don Milligan, director of outpatient services, highlights recent efforts to provide the best care possible.

New research published today in the journal Pediatric Blood and Cancer shows how early cancer screening and surveillance in patients with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) results in additional years of life, and is cost effective for third-party payers.

Research at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah yielded new insights into the environment surrounding different types of lung tumors, and described how these complex cell ecosystems may in turn ultimately affect response to treatment. The results were published today in Immunity and featured on the print cover of the journal.

The PathMaker program is a stepping stone for students interested in a career in health sciences or STEM with backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical workforce.

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah today announced the appointment of Cornelia Ulrich, PhD, MS, as director of its National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. She will oversee HCI’s academic consortium of nearly 200 cancer research teams. Ulrich will lead efforts to advance HCI’s research in laboratory, clinical and population science, with the goal of improving cancer prevention and treatment.

It is patients like you, your loved ones, and Dr. Gertz's parents who keep us motivated and excited to find ways to help in the fight against this terrible disease. We appreciate everything you do as patients—like donating samples and participating in clinical trials—and we want you to know that we are doing everything we can to help patients with breast and uterine cancer.

On May 16, 2018, HCI hosted a NASA astronaut and a team from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space to discuss the opportunity of researching cancer in space.

New research from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah indicates steroid and hormone receptors are simultaneously active in many endometrial cancer tissues. The findings, published today in the journal Cell Reports, yield insights about factors that contribute to more aggressive endometrial tumors.

In a study recently published in Acta Neuropathologica, L. Eric Huang, MD, PhD, Huntsman Cancer Institute researcher and associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Utah, and colleagues report on new findings in the function of an enzyme, IDH1, in the development of gliomas. Gliomas are life-threatening tumors of brain or spinal cord tissue, and this type of tumor affects approximately 25,000 people each year. As changes in IDH1 are found in the vast majority of gliomas, understanding the impact of IDH1 enzyme function is critical to advancing research in this disease.

The West is known for its "can-do" spirit, for the willingness of people to work together. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, we strive to push the boundaries of cancer research and care and attain results beyond what we thought was possible. We've made a commitment to advance cutting-edge cancer research and care in the Mountain West region.

Targeted therapy in cancer treatment is often called personalized or precision medicine, according to the National Institutes of Health. Targeted therapies are designed to be more effective and less harmful than other approaches because the drugs are specially designed to meet the individual characteristics of each patient.

New research from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah illuminates aspects of how an early embryo, the product of fertilization of a female egg cell by a male sperm cell, can give rise to all the many cell types of the adult animal. The findings, published in the journal Cell, have significant implications for understanding how early development is orchestrated, and provides a mechanism for how parental environment might impact the expression of these genes in the offspring.

Over the years, there have been many landmark discoveries in the effort to eradicate cancer. Progress can only continue with well-trained and passionate researchers and physicians. Huntsman Cancer Institute faculty work with students of all ages to cultivate the next generation of scientists who will carry on this life-saving work.

A study published today in Cell Systems highlights a new research method using the recently developed CRISPR technique. In short, CRISPR is a technology that allows researchers to cut out a section of DNA that causes a disease, like cancer, and then replace the section with normal, healthy genes.

New research from scientists at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah and collaborators at University of Utah Health (U of U Health) sheds light on the complex process that occurs in the development of human sperm stem cells. This is the first study to characterize the changes human sperm stem cells undergo as they mature. The results have implications for understanding male infertility as well as cancer development and were published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

SALT LAKE CITY –Almost 6,000 new cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, are expected to be diagnosed this year in the United States. The blood cancer can affect both children and adults. Scientists have found up to 30 percent of adult ALL patients have what’s called a Philadelphia chromosome, where two segments of chromosomes have aberrantly fused together. (The fusion chromosome is much less common in children.) Adult ALL patients exposed to standard treatments often see high relapse rates, and treatment-related deaths remain high. But researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have discovered new science, published this week in the journal Leukemia, that could provide better therapeutic options for patients.

University of Utah professors Bradley R. Cairns, professor and chair of Oncological Sciences and senior director of Basic Science at Huntsman Cancer Institute; Dana Carroll, distinguished professor of Biochemistry and HCI investigator; and Christopher D. Hacon, distinguished professor of Mathematics, were raised to a high honor in science today with their election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

More than 20 researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah made their mark on the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting this year. Held in Washington, D.C., the convention drew more than 21,500 cancer researchers from all over the world. Scientists attended sessions on topics from immunotherapy to precision medicine. About 15 researchers from HCI presented posters in the main conference hall, on a wide range of topics.

Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute, served as a panelist at an event organized by the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force. Beckerle participated in a discussion on addressing disparities in access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Bone marrow transplant patients at Huntsman Cancer Institute know all too well the importance of finding a donor who is a match. Maggie Kasten, a bone marrow donor and a research scientist in the Cairns Lab at HCI, also understands.

Compared to other types of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancers are often more aggressive and have fewer treatment options. In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah have identified a molecular mechanism that triple negative breast cancer cells use to survive and grow.