News and Breakthroughs

Carolyn Passaglia Appointed Associate Director for Administration at Lurie Cancer Center

CAR T-cell immunotherapy improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma, according to a recent clinical trial published in The Lancet.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a potent immunotherapy approach for treating meningiomas, the most common type of primary brain tumor, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified cellular mechanisms that cause immune cells to differentiate and ultimately lose function during viral infection, findings that could improve therapeutic strategies for controlling chronic infection, according to a recent study.

Scientists in the laboratory of Rendong Yang, PhD, have developed a new large language model that can interpret transcriptomic data in cancer cell lines more accurately than conventional approaches, as detailed in a recent study published in Nature Communications.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered new mechanisms underlying transcriptional initiation and elongation control that support proper gene expression, which may inform targeted therapeutic approaches for many diseases, according to a recent study published in Molecular Cell.

A Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Communications has revealed how HIV can protect infected cells by altering the sugars on their surface, hindering the host immune system and avoiding detection. 

Tanning bed use is tied to almost a threefold increase in melanoma risk, and for the first time, scientists have shown how these devices cause melanoma-linked DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute – along with the University of Michigan – have developed a new and faster approach to determine if a treatment for the brain cancer glioblastoma is working.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a novel biomarker for immune immunotherapy resistance in cancer that may also serve as a potential therapeutic target for patients who don’t respond well to immunotherapy, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Before cancer, I lived on flights and in hotel rooms and in the in-between spaces that only a certain kind of traveler understands.

Transforming breast cancer treatment – locally, nationally, and globally – depends on a united commitment to progress. The 27th Annual Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium, hosted in Chicago by the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, brought together leading experts and early-career oncologists from across the globe to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and elevate patient care.

Nine Lurie Cancer Center members were named to the 2025 list of Highly Cited Researchers, published by Clarivate Analytics. The annual list identifies investigators who have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their chosen fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the past decade.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is sharing new NCCN Guidelines Navigator resources for breast cancer treatment as well as genetic/familial high-risk assessment.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a specific transcription factor promotes genetic reprogramming and chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer cells, findings that may inform new targeted treatment approaches that inhibit this process and improve patient outcomes, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.