Cancer biology explores the complex ways cells grow out of control, investigating the genetic mutations and environmental factors that drive tumor formation. This field seeks to understand how healthy cells transform into malignant ones and how these rogue cells spread throughout the body. By decoding these fundamental mechanisms, researchers aim to develop more effective treatments that target the disease at its source while sparing healthy tissue.

At Gist.Science, we process every new preprint published in this category directly from bioRxiv to ensure you stay ahead of the curve. Our team provides both accessible plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries for each study, bridging the gap between raw research data and practical understanding. Whether you are a specialist or a curious reader, our goal is to make these critical findings clear and actionable.

Below are the latest papers in cancer biology, offering fresh insights into the ongoing fight against this disease.

📄 cancer biology

Loss of piR-hsa-7221 regulation drives the expression of the LINE1-derived oncogenic lncRNA CASC9 in testicular cancer.

This study identifies the loss of piR-hsa-7221 regulation as a key driver of CASC9 oncogenic lncRNA expression in testicular germ cell tumors, revealing a novel epigenetic mechanism that promotes tumor progression and cisplatin resistance while highlighting potential new therapeutic targets.

Zyoud, A., Cardenas, R. P., Almalki, N., Modikoane, T., Hakami, M. A., Alsaleem, M., Tufarelli, C., Mongan, N. P., Alleg (…)2026-02-17
📄 cancer biology

Lung cancer-enriched p53 mutants occupy canonical p53 target genes without activating transcription, revealing a distinct loss-of-function behavior

This study reveals that lung cancer-enriched p53 mutants (specifically V157F and R158L) uniquely retain the ability to bind canonical target genes but fail to activate transcription, representing a distinct loss-of-function mechanism that occurs post-DNA binding and exerts a dominant-negative effect on wild-type p53.

Tracewell, M. A., Shankle, H. N., Barnada, S. M., Vyas, K. S., Kim, K. M., Qyshkollari, T., Karlin, J. E., Barta, J. A. (…)2026-02-17
📄 cancer biology

A combinatorial EVs-miRNA signature mediates the anti-tumoral activity of NFAT3-regulated extracellular vesicles in aggressive cancers.

This study demonstrates that a specific combination of fifteen NFAT3-regulated miRNAs, delivered via engineered extracellular vesicles, effectively suppresses tumor growth and invasion in aggressive cancers like triple-negative breast and pancreatic cancer, offering a promising therapeutic strategy where individual miRNAs fail.

Tossou, G., Ourari, N., Ralu, M., Montanede, A., Guaddachi, F., Beher, B., Paul, M., Ouanounou, E., le Bras, M., Brunet (…)2026-02-16
📄 cancer biology

ADT-030, a novel PDE10 inhibitor, demonstrates potent antitumor activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

The novel PDE10 inhibitor ADT-030 demonstrates potent antitumor activity against KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by inhibiting oncogenic signaling, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment to enhance anti-tumor immunity, all while showing efficacy in resistant models and reducing metastasis without systemic toxicity.

Bandi, D. S. R., Nagaraju, P., Sarvesh, S., Foote, J. B., Keeton, A. B., Chen, X., Ramirez-Alcantara, V., Holmes, T., Ak (…)2026-02-14
📄 cancer biology

Nerve Injury-Induced Protein 2 Is Necessary for the Lysosome Membrane Integrity and Protects Cells from Ferroptosis

This study identifies that NINJ2 maintains lysosomal membrane integrity by interacting with LAMP1, thereby preventing the leakage of labile iron and the degradation of ferritin, a mechanism that protects cells from ferroptosis and presents a potential therapeutic target for iron-addicted cancers.

Zhang, J., Bustamante, M., Shi, Y., Nakajima, K.-i., Chen, X.2026-02-11
📄 cancer biology

Cross-species graph-embedding unmasks the ageing microenvironment as a key determinant of pancreatic cancer malignant cell biology and therapy response

By employing cross-species graph-embedding on age-stratified murine PDAC models, this study reveals that ageing shapes a distinct inflammatory microenvironment driving malignant cell biology and uncovers IRAK4 as a specific therapeutic vulnerability in aged pancreatic cancer that is missed in younger models.

Araos Henriquez, J., Jihad, M., Jassim, A., Lloyd, E. G., Luo, W., Manansala, J. S., Harish, S., Pinto Teles, S., Cheng (…)2026-02-03
📄 cancer biology

Clove Aqueous Extract Triggers a Multi-Organellar Stress Crisis through Lysosomal Destabilisation and Mitochondrial Hyperpolarisation to Suppress Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Cells

This study demonstrates that clove aqueous extract suppresses patient-derived ovarian cancer cells by triggering a multi-organellar stress crisis characterized by lysosomal destabilization and mitochondrial hyperpolarization, which collectively induce a bioenergetic failure and cell death.

Ghanem, Y., Odwan, H., Yang, M., Malone, V., Alenazi, F., Abu Saadeh, F., Gray, S. G., Doherty, D., Martin, C., O`Toole (…)2026-02-02
📄 cancer biology

Does charging for corrections in the bioscience literature disincentivize pre-publication handling of problematic image data? An ImageTwin-AI study.

This study utilized ImageTwin-AI to investigate whether charging for corrections in the Journal of Cancer discouraged pre-publication image data scrutiny, finding that while the removal of such fees in 2025 coincided with a modest decrease in problematic images (from 20.3% to 15.9%), the policy change had only a limited impact on pre-publication handling.

Brookes, P. S.2026-01-28