Oncotarget

BUFFALO, NY – September 9, 2026 – A new #review was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on September 8, 2026, titled “Re-expression of MHC-I to treat CNS cancers.” The review examines emerging strategies to restore major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression in cancers of the central nervous system (CNS), with the goal of making these tumors more visible and vulnerable to immune attack. The review was authored by Arseniy E. Yuzhalin from the Sirius University of Science and Technology in Sochi, Russia. Malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors such as glioblastoma and brain metastases are often immunologically “cold,” with limited T-cell infiltration and poor responses to immune checkpoint therapy. One important mechanism of immune escape is the reduction or loss of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), which normally displays tumor-associated antigens to cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. When MHC-I expression falls, cancer cells become less visible to immune surveillance. The review examines several strategies for restoring MHC-I expression. Epigenetic therapies, including histone deacetylase and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, could potentially reverse epigenetic silencing of MHC-I genes, although blood-brain barrier penetration remains a major limitation in CNS cancers. A more direct approach could use adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver patient-specific HLA-A, HLA-B, or HLA-C genes or transcription factors such as NLRC5 that promote MHC-I expression. However, efficient tumor targeting, gene delivery, and control of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment remain unresolved challenges. The review also highlights PCSK9 inhibition as a clinically relevant strategy. PCSK9 can promote MHC-I degradation, and a recent surgical-window trial tested the cholesterol-lowering drug evolocumab in patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent glioma. A single preoperative dose showed measurable blood-brain barrier penetration, and tumors with higher drug concentrations displayed increased surface MHC-I expression, greater CD8+ T-cell infiltration, and enhanced cytotoxic activity. These findings provide proof-of-mechanism, although drug delivery into the brain remains a limiting factor. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/restoring-mhc-i-expression-could-strengthen-immune-responses-against-cns-cancers/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28917 Correspondence to - Arseniy E. Yuzhalin - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDvQ7QS3DFg Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28917 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, brain tumor, CNS cancer, glioblastoma, brain metastasis; MHC-I To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can return even after patients complete surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or combinations of these treatments. Preventing recurrence therefore remains an important challenge in head and neck cancer care. Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV type 16, is also an established cause of a subset of these cancers, especially oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. A research paper published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget, titled “A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled phase I/II clinical trial of a human papillomavirus therapeutic vaccine, PepCan, for reducing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma recurrence,” investigated whether an experimental therapeutic HPV vaccine could safely reduce the risk of HNSCC recurrence after standard treatment. Full blog post - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/09/08/therapeutic-hpv-vaccine-pepcan-tested-for-preventing-head-and-neck-cancer-recurrence/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28892 Correspondence to - Mayumi Nakagawa - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh0MNrrPGhw Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28892 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, human papillomavirus, head and neck cancer, therapeutic vaccine, adjuvant, clinical trial To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

BUFFALO, NY - September 8, 2026 – Oncotarget is proud to support the WIN 2026 Symposium, organized by the Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) Consortium, taking place October 2–3, 2026, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The two-day symposium, themed “Precision Oncology: Innovation and Equity Across the Globe,” will bring together researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, industry leaders, and other experts from around the world to explore advances in precision oncology and strategies for improving personalized cancer care. The WIN Consortium is chaired by Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, who also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Oncotarget. Dr. El-Deiry is also the Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Director of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and affiliated hospitals. As a peer-reviewed oncology journal dedicated to publishing impactful cancer research, Oncotarget is pleased to support initiatives that encourage international collaboration and advance innovative approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/oncotarget-supports-win-2026-symposium-advancing-precision-oncology/ To learn more about the symposium and registration, visit https://winconsortium.org/symposia To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh

BUFFALO, NY – September 1, 2026 – A new #review was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on August 28, 2026, titled “Emerging biomedical imaging applications of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles for premetastatic niche detection: Biological rationale, engineering strategies, and translational challenges.” The review was led by first author Omkar Dhaygude, who is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. Corresponding authors Franck Housseau and John Michel are affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, with Housseau also affiliated with the Cancer Research Center of Lille in France. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed particles released by cells that transport proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, metabolites, and other molecular cargo. In cancer, tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (TEVs) can influence the tumor microenvironment and distant tissues by promoting processes such as angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammatory signaling, immune evasion, and stromal reprogramming. Of particular interest is the role of TEVs in establishing premetastatic niches—biological environments in distant organs that become permissive to metastatic cells before overt tumors are detectable. TEVs can carry organ-specific molecular signals, and their surface molecules may influence which tissues they reach. For example, previous experimental research has linked the integrins α6β4 and α6β1 with lung tropism, providing a biological rationale for using TEVs to direct imaging probes toward metastasis-prone organs. This possibility could address an important limitation of conventional cancer imaging. Computed tomography and other anatomical methods are designed primarily to detect established structural lesions, whereas premetastatic niches are characterized by earlier molecular and microenvironmental alterations. The authors therefore examine whether TEV-associated imaging could provide information about metastatic conditioning before conventional imaging can identify overt metastatic lesions. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/tumor-derived-extracellular-vesicles-show-promise-for-earlier-detection-of-metastatic-risk/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28916 Correspondence to - Franck Housseau - [email protected], and John Michel - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zygNvj4_YY Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28916 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, lung metastases, cancer imaging, theranostic, premetastatic niches, extra-cellular vesicles To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

BUFFALO, NY – August 31, 2026 – A new #editorial was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on June 8, 2026, titled “Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy for treating the solid tumors: Challenges and future perspectives.” The editorial was led by first and corresponding author Bhartendra Sharma from Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, along with co-authors Sukhbir Kaur, Vikas Sharma and Sanjay Soni. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a form of adoptive cellular therapy that uses immune cells naturally present within tumors to attack cancer. Unlike chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s T cells to recognize specific tumor antigens and has achieved its greatest success in hematological malignancies, TIL therapy has shown potential in several types of solid tumors. The approach has a history spanning more than four decades. Steven Rosenberg first isolated TILs from a mouse tumor in 1982, and subsequent experiments demonstrated antitumor effects when TILs were combined with cyclophosphamide and interleukin-2 (IL-2). In 1988, Rosenberg and colleagues reported favorable clinical outcomes after administering TIL therapy to patients with metastatic melanoma. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/tumor-infiltrating-lymphocyte-therapy-offers-a-promising-approach-for-treating-solid-tumors/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28883 Correspondence to - Bhartendra Sharma - [email protected] Intro video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAr_R4WCJfk Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28883 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, solid tumors, adoptive cellular therapy, immunotherapy To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

BUFFALO, NY – August 28, 2026 – A new #research paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on August 19, 2026, titled “Incidence of KRAS G12C mutations in genitourinary malignancies; emerging target in precision medicine.” The study was led by first author Kelly Crane from the Department of Urology at SUNY Upstate Medical University. The corresponding author is K. R. Seetharam Bhat, who is affiliated with the Department of Urology at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Upstate Urology at MVHS. KRAS is one of the most extensively studied oncogenes in cancer, and the G12C variant has become clinically important following the development of mutation-specific inhibitors. Although KRAS G12C-targeted therapy is established in other malignancies, its frequency and genomic characteristics in genitourinary cancers have remained less well defined. To address this gap, the researchers performed comprehensive genomic profiling of 13,654 tumor specimens from patients with metastatic disease, including 1,453 renal clear cell carcinomas, 3,879 urothelial bladder carcinomas, and 8,322 prostate acinar adenocarcinomas. Tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and PD-L1 expression were also evaluated. Across the full cohort, KRAS alterations were detected in 367 tumors, or 2.7%, while KRAS G12C was identified in only 25 tumors, representing approximately 0.2% of all specimens. No G12C variants were found among the renal clear cell carcinomas. In urothelial bladder carcinoma, 24 of 202 KRAS-altered tumors, or 12%, carried G12C, while only one of 158 KRAS-altered prostate tumors contained the variant. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/kras-g12c-mutation-identified-as-a-rare-potential-target-in-genitourinary-cancers/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28912 Correspondence to - K. R. Seetharam Bhat - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me9HXtnDmp4 Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28912 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, KRAS mutation, genitourinary malignancy, precision medicine, emerging target To learn more about the journal, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

BUFFALO, NY – August 25, 2026 – A new precision oncology paper was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on August 14, 2026, titled “Systematic methodological flaws in DNA contamination assessment of mRNA vaccines: A critical analysis of Achs et al. (2025).” The article was led by first and corresponding author Kevin McKernan from Medicinal Genomics, Beverly, Massachusetts, along with co-authors David J. Speicher from Cyrus Scientific Inc, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and Jessica Rose from Brownstone Institute, Austin, Texas. Rather than presenting a new experimental vaccine analysis, the paper critically examines the methodology used by Achs et al. in a 2025 study that reported no excessive residual DNA impurities in COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. McKernan and colleagues argue that several methodological choices in that study could systematically underestimate residual DNA and therefore limit its suitability for regulatory safety assessment. One major concern involves how quantitative PCR results were converted from DNA copy numbers into mass. Achs et al. used full-length plasmid molecular weight in their calculations even though their own sequencing data suggested much shorter median DNA fragment sizes. The critique argues that this approach requires fragmentation-correction factors because random DNA breakage can disrupt qPCR target regions and reduce the number of detectable amplicons. Without such correction, the authors contend that residual DNA mass may be underestimated. The paper also highlights the importance of primer and amplicon design. Achs et al. used qPCR targets with substantially different amplicon lengths, including shorter kanamycin-resistance targets and longer spike-encoding targets. Because the reported median DNA fragment sizes were approximately 130–201 base pairs, longer amplicons would be less likely to remain intact after fragmentation. The authors therefore argue that this design could preferentially reduce detection of spike-associated DNA relative to shorter plasmid regions. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28913 Correspondence to - Kevin McKernan - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSWS3HDQUus Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28913 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, mRNA vaccines, DNA contamination, qPCR; plasmid DNA, RNA:DNA hybrids To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, in part because mutations in the KRAS gene are extraordinarily common in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). These mutations keep growth-promoting signals switched on, allowing cancer cells to proliferate and survive. Although drugs targeting certain KRAS mutations have emerged in recent years, they work against only a subset of mutant forms, leaving a need for strategies capable of targeting a broader range of KRAS-driven cancers. A research paper published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget, titled “The anticancer effects of PCAIs in pancreatic cancer cells involve MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways hyperactivation,” investigated a class of experimental compounds known as polyisoprenylated cysteinyl amide inhibitors, or PCAIs. Rather than simply shutting down signaling pathways normally associated with cancer growth, the researchers uncovered a more unexpected effect: PCAIs pushed some of these pathways into unusually high activity while simultaneously promoting oxidative stress, disrupting cell structure, and triggering cancer cell death. Full blog post - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/08/24/experimental-compounds-push-cancer-promoting-pathways-into-overdrive-in-pancreatic-cancer-cells/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28879 Correspondence to - Nazarius S. Lamango - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asbhjME7rFQ Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28879 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, PCAIs, PDAC, MAPK, PI3K/AKT, KRAS To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

BUFFALO, NY – August 10, 2026 – A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on August 7, 2026, titled “Delayed growth of SK-ES-1 Ewing sarcoma tumor xenografts is associated with reduced Trk and IGF1R pathway markers.” The study was led by first author Bruna Almeida dos Santos and corresponding author Caroline Brunetto de Farias, primarily affiliated with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and the National Science and Technology Institute for Children’s Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology (INCT BioOncoPed), with de Farias also affiliated with the Children’s Cancer Institute (ICI) in Brazil. The research team investigated whether targeting tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) and related signaling pathways could interfere with Ewing sarcoma growth. Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents and can arise in bone or soft tissue. Although modern multimodal treatments have substantially improved outcomes for patients with localized disease, the prognosis remains considerably poorer for metastatic or relapsed Ewing sarcoma. This has driven efforts to identify molecular pathways that could provide additional therapeutic targets. One potential target involves the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases. TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC are encoded by the NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 genes, respectively, and regulate intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell survival, differentiation, and growth. Previous work from the research group showed that TrkA and TrkB are expressed in Ewing sarcoma and that blocking these receptors can reduce tumor-cell proliferation. Full press release - https://www.oncotarget.com/news/pr/trk-and-igf1r-related-signaling-linked-to-delayed-ewing-sarcoma-growth/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28911 Correspondence to - Caroline Brunetto de Farias - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG-vhYfHjuw Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28911 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, Ewing sarcoma, K252a, Trk, NTRK, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]

Colorectal cancer does not develop in isolation. Cancer cells exist within a complex tumor microenvironment made up of fibroblasts, immune cells, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix. Increasing evidence suggests that these surrounding cells and structures can influence whether tumors grow, regress, or evade the immune system. A research paper published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget, titled “Microenvironmental CTHRC1 has a pro-tumorigenic role in colorectal cancer,” investigated the role of collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1), a secreted protein found in cancer-associated stroma. Full blog post - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/08/10/cthrc1-in-the-tumor-microenvironment-drives-colorectal-cancer-growth-in-mouse-study/ DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28878 Correspondence to: Sergey Ryzhov - [email protected]; Volkhard Lindner- [email protected]; Michaela R. Reagan - [email protected] Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTbYy6vGd7E Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28878 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, Cthrc1, CRC, colorectal cancer, subcutaneous tumor model, immune analysis To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh [email protected]