Researchers have found a surprisingly common vulnerability in a broad variety of cancers and have begun designing drug compounds to exploit it, in a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

According to a new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center investigators, colorectal tumors often find multiple ways to survive treatment, including additional genetic mutations and activation of cellular pathways typically associated with inflammation and regeneration.

A new, very precise gene-editing tool created by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators will enable scientists to study the impact of these specific genetic changes in preclinical models rather than being limited to more broadly targeted tactics, such as deleting the entire gene.

Five teams led by Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have been awarded funding from the Starr Cancer Consortium in its 16th annual grant competition.

Dr. Maria Paz Zafra, a postdoctoral associate in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, has won a 2021 Tri-Institutional Breakout Award for Junior Investigators.