New study reveals an unexpected survival mechanism of a subset of cancer cells

Embedded at the ends of chromosomes are structures called telomeres, which in normal cells become shorter as cells divide. Progressive shortening triggers cell proliferation arrest or death. Cancer cells adopt different strategies to overcome this control mechanism that keeps track of the number of times that a cell has divided. One of these strategies is the alternative lengthening of telomeres […]

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Trial identifies a medulloblastoma subset that requires less aggressive therapy

The youngest patients with the brain tumor medulloblastoma are among the most challenging because their rapidly developing brains limit treatment options. Now a team of researchers led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have discovered a subtype that responds to a therapy that is less likely to cause long-term cognitive problems. The report appears today in the journal Lancet Oncology […]

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