Paper of the Month

The evolution of polyclonal competition in aging hematopoiesis

Team: Benjamin Werner

Cancer Discov. 2026 Sep 1;16(9):1765-1779.

The team developed a new way to understand how genetic changes linked to blood cancer evolve in our cells and why most people who carry these mutations never develop disease.

3D pentaculture model unveils malignant cell-driven macrophage polarization in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Team: Fran Balkwill

Nat Commun. 2026 Mar 25;17(1):2451

This paper details a new way to grow miniature ovarian tumours in the lab that mimic the tumour environment found in patients. The new approach offers a useful way to study how cancer cells interact with the immune system and to explore potential treatments. Ultimately, it could help accelerate progress for patients and reduce reliance on research methods involving animals.

Unbiased recording and identification of thymic cellular interactomes using synthetic Notch receptors.

Team: Miguel Ganuza

Nat Commun. 2026 Mar 9.

Researchers developed a new method using engineered receptors to directly label and identify which cells physically interact with developing T cells in the thymus, revealing a detailed map of these cellular connections and how they change with age. This could help to provide a clearer picture of how T cells mature and are maintained, which could inform future research into immune ageing and diseases where the immune system does not function properly.

The genetic and biochemical basis of human leading strand synthesis

Team: Roberto Bellelli

Nat Commun. 2025 Dec 4;17(1):412.

This study maps the factors that support DNA Polymerase Epsilon during leading strand DNA synthesis, showing that iron–sulphur cluster metabolism and two distinct regulatory mechanisms are essential for maintaining genome stability, and that disrupting these processes together is incompatible with cell survival.

Sacituzumab Govitecan plus Pembrolizumab for Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med. 2026 Jan 22;394(4):354-366.

A phase 3 international trial found that combining sacituzumab govitecan with pembrolizumab significantly extended progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in patients with previously untreated, PD-L1-positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer (11.2 vs 7.8 months). The combination also produced longer-lasting responses and fewer treatment discontinuations due to side effects, while overall survival results are still being assessed.

Intensive Surveillance and Aggressive Multimodal Treatment for Liver Metastases From Uveal Melanoma

Team: Hemant Kocher

Ann Surg Open. 2025 Oct 8;6(4):e620.

The chordoid glioma PRKCA D463H mutation is a kinase inactive, gain-of-function allele that induces early-onset chondrosarcoma in mice

Team: Angus Cameron

Sci Signal. 2025 Nov 4;18(911):eadr0235

ctDNA-Guided Adjuvant Atezolizumab in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Team: Thomas Powles

N Engl J Med. 2025 Oct 20.

Extrachromosomal DNA-Driven Oncogene Spatial Heterogeneity and Evolution in Glioblastoma

Team: Benjamin Werner

Cancer Discov. 2025 Oct 6;15(10):2078-2095.

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath of blood cancer patients identifies products of lipid peroxidation as biomarkers for lymphoma detection

Team: John Riches

Hemasphere. 2025 Jul 18;9(7):e70168.

Development and characterisation of improved unifocal primary mouse lung cancer models with metastatic potential

Team: Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

J Pathol. 2025 Aug;266(4-5):405-420

Phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity in colorectal cancer metastasis

Team: Mirjana Efremova

Cell Genom. 2025 Jul 9;5(7):100881.

Autophagy is an upstream mediator of chromatin dynamics in normal and autoimmune germinal center B cells

Team: Andrejs Braun

J Clin Invest. 2025 May 15;135(13):e178920.

Adaptive Therapy Exploits Fitness Deficits in Chemotherapy-Resistant Ovarian Cancer to Achieve Long-Term Tumor Control

Team: Michelle Lockley

Cancer Res. 2025 Sep 15;85(18):3503-3517.

Local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy versus transrectal prostate biopsy in prostate cancer detection (TRANSLATE): a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial

Team: Alastair Lamb

Lancet Oncol. 2025 Mar 21:S1470-2045(25)00100-7.

Matrix mechano-sensing at the invasive front induces a cytoskeletal and transcriptional memory supporting metastasis

Teams: Oscar Maiques and Victoria Sanz-Moreno

Nat Commun. 2025 Feb 14;16(1):1394.

A constitutive interferon-high immunophenotype defines response to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer

Team: Francesca Ciccarelli

Cancer Cell. 2025 Feb 10;43(2):292-307.e7.

Overcoming resistance to arginine deprivation therapy using GC7 in pleural mesothelioma

Team: Peter Szlosarek

iScience. 2024 Dec 2;28(1):111525.

Immunotherapy that improves response to chemotherapy in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Team: Fran Balkwill

Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 22;15(1):10144.

The integrated molecular and histological analysis defines subtypes of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Team: Jun ‘Alex’ Wang and Yaohe Wang

Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 18;15(1):8988

Perioperative Durvalumab with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Operable Bladder Cancer

Team: Thomas Powles

N Engl J Med. 2024 Nov 14;391(19):1773-1786.

Overall Survival with Pembrolizumab in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med. 2024 Nov 28;391(21):1981-1991.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase inhibition is toxic to acute myeloid leukemia displaying high levels of the de novo fatty acid biosynthesis and desaturation

Team: Paolo Gallipoli

Leukemia. 2024 Aug 26.

Circulating Tumor DNA Assessment for Treatment Monitoring Adds Value to PSA in Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

Team: Thomas Powles

Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Sep 13;30(18):4115-4122.

Pivotal role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related XBP1s/miR-22/SIRT1 axis in acute myeloid leukemia apoptosis and response to chemotherapy.

Team: Kevin Rouault-Pierre

Leukemia. 2024 Aug;38(8):1764-1776.

Loss of POLE3-POLE4 unleashes replicative gap accumulation upon treatment with PARP inhibitors

Team: Roberto Bellelli

Cell Rep. 2024 May 28;43(5):114205.

Overall Survival with Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Renal-Cell Carcinoma

Team: Tom Powles

N Engl J Med. 2024 Apr 18;390(15):1359-1371.

The selective prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor IOX5 stabilizes HIF-1α and compromises development and progression of acute myeloid leukemia

Team: Kamil Kranc

Nat Cancer. 2024 Jun;5(6):916-937.

Enfortumab Vedotin and Pembrolizumab in Untreated Advanced Urothelial Cancer

Winner: Tom Powles

N Engl J Med. 2024 Mar 7;390(10):875-888.

Pegargiminase Plus First-Line Chemotherapy in Patients With Nonepithelioid Pleural Mesothelioma: The ATOMIC-Meso Randomized Clinical Trial

Team: Peter Szlosarek

JAMA Oncol. 2024 Apr 1;10(4):475-483.

Isolation of Live Immune Cells from the Tumor Microenvironment by FACS

Team: Luigi Ombrato

Methods Mol Biol. 2024;2748:1-12. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3593-3_1.

Impact of Double Expression of MYC and BCL-2 on Outcomes in Primary CNS Lymphoma: A UK Multicentre Analysis

Team: Jessica Okosun

Blood Adv . 2023 Dec 1:bloodadvances.2023011426. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011426.

Opposing roles for ADAMTS2 and ADAMTS14 in myofibroblast differentiation and function

Team: Richard Grose

J Pathol . 2024 Jan;262(1):90-104. doi: 10.1002/path.6214. Epub 2023 Nov 6.

S100PBP is regulated by mutated KRAS and plays a tumour suppressor role in pancreatic cancer

Team: Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic

Oncogene. 2023 Nov;42(46):3422-3434. doi: 10.1038/s41388-023-02851-y. Epub 2023 Oct 4.

Prognostic Factors for Relapse in Patients With Clinical Stage I Testicular Seminoma: A Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study

Team: Daniel Berney

J Clin Oncol. 2023 Sep 8:JCO2300959

CRISPR/dCas9 DNA methylation editing is heritable during human hematopoiesis and shapes immune progeny

Team: Gabriella Ficz

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Aug 22;120(34):e2300224120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2300224120. Epub 2023 Aug 14.

Centrosome amplification fine tunes tubulin acetylation to differentially control intracellular organization

Team: Susana Godinho

EMBO J. 2023 Aug 15;42(16):e112812. doi: 10.15252/embj.2022112812. Epub 2023 Jul 5.

ADAMTS3 restricts cancer invasion in models of early breast cancer progression through enhanced fibronectin degradation

Team: Richard Grose

Matrix Biol. 2023 Jun 17;S0945-053X(23)00074-4. doi: 10.1016/j.matbio.2023.06.005.

Extracellular matrix educates an immunoregulatory tumor macrophage phenotype found in ovarian cancer metastasis

Team: Oliver Pearce

Nat. Commun. 2023 May 15;14(1):2514. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38093-5.

Mannose metabolism inhibition sensitizes acute myeloid leukaemia cells to therapy by driving ferroptotic cell death.

Team: Paolo Gallipoli

Nat Commun. 2023 Apr 14;14(1):2132. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37652-0.

Purinergic GPCR-integrin interactions drive pancreatic cancer cell invasion

Team: Richard Grose

Elife. 2023 Mar 21;12:e86971. doi: 10.7554/eLife.86971.

Phase II Study Investigating the Safety and Efficacy of Savolitinib and Durvalumab in Metastatic Papillary Renal Cancer (CALYPSO)

Team: Thomas Powles

J Clin Oncol. 2023 Feb 21;JCO2201414. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.01414.

LAP1 supports nuclear adaptability during constrained melanoma cell migration and invasion.

Team: Victoria Sanz-Moreno

Nat Cell Biol. 2023 Jan;25(1):108-119. doi: 10.1038/s41556-022-01042-3. Epub 2023 Jan 9.

Nuclear FGFR1 promotes pancreatic stellate cell-driven invasion through up-regulation of Neuregulin 1

Team: Richard Grose

Oncogene. 2023 Feb;42(7):491-500. doi: 10.1038/s41388-022-02513-5. Epub 2022 Nov 10.

The evolutionary dynamics of extrachromosomal DNA in human cancers

Team: Benjamin Werner

Nat Genet 54, 1527–1533 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01177-x

MYC sensitises cells to apoptosis by driving energetic demand

Team: Andy Finch

Nat Commun. 2022 Aug 9;13(1):4674. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32368-z.

Pembrolizumab plus Chemotherapy in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med. 2022 Jul 21;387(3):217-226. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2202809.

Comparative effectiveness of ZUMA-5 (axi-cel) vs SCHOLAR-5 external control in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma

Team: John Gribben

Blood. 2022 Jun 9;blood.2021014375. doi: 10.1182/blood.2021014375.

MHC class II molecules on pancreatic cancer cells indicate a potential for neo-antigen-based immunotherapy

Team: Yaohe Wang

Oncoimmunology. 2022 May 27;11(1):2080329. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2022.2080329. eCollection 2022.

Targeting the lysine-specific demethylase 1 rewires kinase networks and primes leukemia cells for kinase inhibitor treatment

Team: Pedro Cutillas

Sci Signal. 2022 Apr 19;15(730):eabl7989. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.abl7989.

PHGDH is required for germinal center formation and is a therapeutic target in MYC-driven lymphoma

Team: John Riches

J Clin Invest. 2022 Mar 22;e153436. doi: 10.1172/JCI153436.

Event-free Survival with Pembrolizumab in Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med. 2022 Feb 10;386(6):556-567. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2112651.

Disruption of pancreatic stellate cell myofibroblast phenotype promotes pancreatic tumor invasion

Team: Angus Cameron

Cell Rep. 2022 Jan 25;38(4):110227. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110227.

Avelumab maintenance in advanced urothelial carcinoma: biomarker analysis of the phase 3 JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial

Team: Thomas Powles

Nat Med. 2021 Dec;27(12):2200-2211. doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01579-0. Epub 2021 Dec 10.

Lung cancer mortality reduction by LDCT screening: UKLS randomised trial results and international meta-analysis

Team: Stephen Duffy

Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021 Sep 11;10:100179. doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100179. eCollection 2021 Nov.

CITED2 coordinates key hematopoietic regulatory pathways to maintain the HSC pool in both steady-state hematopoiesis and transplantation

Team: Kamil Kranc

Stem Cell Reports. 2021 Nov 9;16(11):2784-2797. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.10.001. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Adipocytes disrupt the translational programme of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia to favour tumour survival and persistence

Team: Bela Wrench

Nat Commun. 2021 Sep 17;12(1):5507. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25540-4.

A preclinical pipeline to evaluate migrastatics as therapeutic agents in metastatic melanoma

Team: Oscar Maiques

Br J Cancer. 2021 Aug;125(5):699-713. doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01442-6. Epub 2021 Jun 25.

First-line atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: IMpassion130 final overall survival analysis.

Team: Peter Schmid

Ann Oncol. 2021 Aug;32(8):983-993. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.05.355. Epub 2021 Jul 1.

ctDNA guiding adjuvant immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma

Team: Tom Powles

Nature. 2021 Jul;595(7867):432-437. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03642-9. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

An adaptive, biomarker-directed platform study of durvalumab in combination with targeted therapies in advanced urothelial cancer

Team: Tom Powles

Nat Med. 2021 May;27(5):793-801. doi: 10.1038/s41591-021-01317-6. Epub 2021 May 3.

Chemotherapy induces tumor-associated macrophages that aid adaptive immune responses in ovarian cancer

Team: Fran Balkwill

Cancer Immunol Res. 2021 Apr 10;canimm.0968.2020. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-20-0968. Online ahead of print.

Drug ranking using machine learning systematically predicts the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs

Team: Pedro Cutillas

Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 25;12(1):1850. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22170-8.

Centrosome amplification mediates small extracellular vesicle secretion via lysosome disruption

Team: Susana Godinho

Curr Biol. 2021 Feb 9;S0960-9822(21)00061-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.028. Online ahead of print.

CEACAM7 Is an Effective Target for CAR T-cell Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Team: John Marshall

Clin Cancer Res. 2021 Jan 21. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-2163. Online ahead of print.

A combination of urinary biomarker panel and PancRISK score for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer: A case-control study

Team: Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic

PLoS Med. 2020 Dec 10;17(12):e1003489. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003489. eCollection 2020 Dec.

Subcellular mRNA Localization Regulates Ribosome Biogenesis in Migrating Cells

Team: Faraz Mardakheh

Dev Cell. 2020 Nov 9;55(3):298-313.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.006.

WNT11-FZD7-DAAM1 signalling supports tumour initiating abilities and melanoma amoeboid invasion

Team: Victoria Sanz-Moreno

Nat Commun. 2020 Oct 20;11(1):5315. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18951-2.

Evolutionary dynamics of neoantigens in growing tumors

Team: Trevor Graham

Nat Genet. (2020) Oct;52(10):1057-1066. doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-0687-1. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

Avelumab Maintenance Therapy for Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma

Team: Thomas Powles

N Engl J Med. (2020) Sep 24;383(13):1218-1230. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002788. Epub 2020 Sep 18.

This paper also won Paper of the Year 2020

Effect of mammographic screening from age 40 years on breast cancer mortality (UK Age trial): final results of a randomised, controlled trial.

Team: Stephen Duffy

Lancet Oncol. (2020) Aug 12;S1470-2045(20)30398-3. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30398-3. Online ahead of print.

Transition to naïve human pluripotency mirrors pan-cancer DNA hypermethylation

Team: Gabriela Ficz

Nat Commun 11, 3671 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17269-3

A PI3K- and GTPase-independent Rac1-mTOR mechanism mediates MET-driven anchorage-independent cell growth but not migration

Team: Stephanie Kermorgant

Sci Signal (2020) 13(637):eaba8627. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.aba8627.

Cancer Burden Is Controlled by Mural Cell-β3-Integrin Regulated Crosstalk With Tumor Cells

Team: Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

Cell (2020) May 28;S0092-8674(20)30147-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.003. Online ahead of print.

This paper also won Paper of the Year 2020

A case-control evaluation of 143 single nucleotide polymorphisms for breast cancer risk stratification with classical factors and mammographic density

Team: Adam Brentnall

Int J Cancer. 2020 Apr 15;146(8):2122-2129. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32541. Epub 2019 Jul 13.

Cancer associated fibroblast FAK regulates malignant cell metabolism

Team: Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

Nat Commun. 2020 Mar 10;11(1):1290. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15104-3.

Pembrolizumab for Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med (2020) Feb 27;382(9):810-821. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1910549.

Reconstructing kinase network topologies from phosphoproteomics data reveals cancer-associated rewiring.

Team: Pedro Cutillas

Nat Biotechnol (2020) Jan 20. doi: 10.1038/s41587-019-0391-9. [Epub ahead of print].

Capivasertib Plus Paclitaxel Versus Placebo Plus Paclitaxel As First-Line Therapy for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: The PAKT Trial.

Winner: Peter Schmid

J Clin Oncol (2019) Dec 16:JCO1900368. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.00368. [Epub ahead of print].

Use of anastrozole for breast cancer prevention (IBIS-II): long-term results of a randomised controlled trial.

Winner: Jack Cuzick

Lancet (2019) Dec 11. pii: S0140-6736(19)32955-1. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32955-1. [Epub ahead of print]

A Virus-Infected, Reprogrammed Somatic cell-derived Tumor cell (VIReST) vaccination regime can prevent initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer.

Team: Yaohe Wang

Clin Cancer Res (2019) pii: clincanres.1395.2019. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-1395.

A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Multigene Testing for All Patients With Breast Cancer.

Team: Ranjit Manchanda

JAMA Oncol (2019) Oct 3. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.3323.

Casein kinase 1 family proteins promote Slimb-dependent Expanded degradation.

Team: Paulo Ribeiro

Elife (2019) Sep 30;8. pii: e46592. doi: 10.7554/eLife.46592.

Fulvestrant Plus Vistusertib vs Fulvestrant Plus Everolimus vs Fulvestrant Alone for Women With Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: The MANTA Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Team: Peter Schmid

JAMA Oncol. 2019 Aug 29. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.2526. [Epub ahead of print]

The integrin αvβ6 drives pancreatic cancer through diverse mechanisms and represents an effective target for therapy

Team: John Marshall

J Pathol. 2019 Jul 1. doi: 10.1002/path.5320. [Epub ahead of print]

Tumor angiogenesis is differentially regulated by phosphorylation of endothelial cell focal adhesion kinase tyrosines-397 and -861

Team: Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

Cancer Research. June 12, 2019 doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3934

Targeting the RNA m6A Reader YTHDF2 Selectively Compromises Cancer Stem Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Team: Kamil Kranc

Cell Stem Cell. 2019 Jul 3;25(1):137-148.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2019.03.021. Epub 2019 Apr 25.

Pembrolizumab plus Axitinib versus Sunitinib for Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

Team: Tom Powles

N Engl J Med (2019) Mar 21;380(12):1116-1127. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1816714. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

A Phase I study of pegylated arginine deiminase (pegargiminase), cisplatin and pemetrexed in argininosuccinate synthetase 1-deficient recurrent high-grade glioma

Team: Peter W. Szlosarek

Clin Cancer Res (2019) Feb 22. pii: clincanres.3729.2018. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-3729. [Epub ahead of print]

Regional Activation of Myosin II in Cancer Cells Drives Tumor Progression via a Secretory Cross-Talk with the Immune Microenvironment

Team: Victoria Sanz-Moreno

Cell (2019), 176, 1–18 (article online ahead of press)

This paper also won Paper of the Year 2019

Inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity in cancer-associated fibroblasts of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Team: Hemant M. Kocher

J Pathol (2018) Dec 21. doi: 10.1002/path.5224. [Epub ahead of print]

Oxidative Stress in Cells with Extra Centrosomes Drives Non-Cell-Autonomous Invasion

Team: Susana Godinho

Dev Cell (2018) Nov 19;47(4):409-424.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.10.026.

Prp8 regulates oncogene-induced hyperplastic growth in Drosophila

Team: Paulo S. Ribeiro

Development (2018) Oct 17. pii: dev.162156. doi: 10.1242/dev.162156. [Epub ahead of print]

Atezolizumab and Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Team: Peter Schmid

N Engl J Med (2018) Oct 20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1809615. [Epub ahead of print]

Long-term Clinical Outcomes and Biomarker Analyses of Atezolizumab Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Phase 1 Study

Team: Peter Schmid

JAMA Oncol (2018) Sep 13. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2018.4224. [Epub ahead of print]

The evolutionary landscape of colorectal tumorigenesis

Team: Trevor Graham

Nat Ecol Evol (2018) Aug 31. doi: 10.1038/s41559-018-0642-z. [Epub ahead of print]