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.

Regression-based Modeling of Spearman's Rho for Longitudinal Metabolomics and Mental Wellness in Breast Cancer Patients

This paper proposes a novel semiparametric regression framework to extend Spearman's rho for analyzing longitudinal metabolomics and mental wellness data with missing values, demonstrating its utility in identifying metabolic candidates linked to mental health outcomes in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Chen, Y., Gui, T., Huang, Z., Quach, N., Tu, S., Liu, J., Garrett, T. J., Starkweather, A. R., Lyon, D. E., Shepherd, B. E., Tu, X. M., Lin, T.2026-04-16📄 cancer biology

Comprehensive profiling reveals Sialyl-Tn upregulation and prognostic value in prostate cancer

This study utilizes a novel antibody to demonstrate that Sialyl-Tn (sTn) is frequently upregulated in prostate cancer, correlates with poor patient survival, and is present in metastatic and xenograft models, thereby establishing it as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for advanced disease.

Hodgson, K., Blencoe, L., Smith, E., Sasikumar, A., Peng, Z., Orozco Moreno, M., Beatson, R., Videira, P. A., Munkley, J.2026-04-15📄 cancer biology

Menin maintains enhancer-promoter interactions in a leukemia-specific manner

This study reveals that Menin acts as a context-dependent regulator of enhancer-promoter architecture, where its inhibition causes broad transcriptional dysregulation and disrupts enhancer connectivity specifically in MLL-rearranged leukemia but not in NPM1-mutant leukemia, thereby identifying enhancer-promoter interactions as a selective therapeutic vulnerability in the former.

Sharlandjieva, V., Chahrour, C., Lassen, F. H., Hamley, J. C., Damianou, A., Denny, N., Smith, A. L., Hester, S. S., Vendrell, I., Stam, R. W., Konopleva, M., Roy, A., Davies, J. O. J., Crump, N. T. (…)2026-04-14📄 cancer biology

Increased expression of a subset of genes within reduced copy number regions across multiple cancer types

This study reveals that despite widespread chromosomal copy number reductions in various cancers, a small subset of genes (less than 10%)—including the pro-tumorigenic transcription factor TGIF1 and mitotic regulators—exhibits paradoxically increased expression driven by key transcriptional programs, suggesting these genes as promising therapeutic targets.

Melhuish, T. A., Adair, S. J., Shah, A., Bauer, T. W., Wotton, D.2026-04-14📄 cancer biology

Modulation of Oncogenic KRAS Signaling by Branched Actin-driven Cell Membrane Protrusions

This study reveals that branched actin-driven membrane protrusions (BAMPs) function not merely as downstream outputs but as active positive feedback regulators of oncogenic KRAS signaling, where they enhance KRAS-TIAM1 interactions to inactivate the merlin tumor suppressor and drive proliferation independently of the MAPK pathway.

Gihana, G. M., Bhatt, K., Siruvallur Murali, V., Zhou, F. Y., Noh, J., Ravishankar, R., Borges, H., Lin, J., Oceguera, J., Nogueira, P. A. S., Perez-Castro, L., Venkateswaran, N., Chen, B., Fiolka, R. (…)2026-04-13📄 cancer biology

Single-cell lineage tracing maps clonal and transcriptional dynamics in melanoma metastasis

By applying the MeRLin single-cell lineage tracing platform to a spontaneous melanoma model, this study reveals that metastatic progression is driven by the selective expansion of pre-existing polyclonal subpopulations that maintain distinct neural crest-like and lipid metabolism transcriptional programs across organs, with specific spatial localization at invasive fronts.

Li, H., Chen, Y., Kaster, J., Dunne, M., Qi, C., Li, L., Xiao, M., Thomas, M., Promi, N., Fingerman, D., Brown, G. S., Zheng, Q., Villanueva, J., Tian, B., Xu, X., Hoon, D. S. B., Raj, A., Wei, Z., Au (…)2026-04-13📄 cancer biology

Exploiting an Epigenetic Resistance Mechanism to PI3 Kinase Inhibition in Leukemic Stem Cells

This study identifies EZH1 upregulation as a resistance mechanism to PI3K inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia leukemic stem cells and demonstrates that combining a PI3K inhibitor with an EZH1/2 dual inhibitor overcomes this resistance to effectively target the disease in preclinical models.

Glushakow-Smith, S. G., Kaur, I., Sidoli, S., Hemmati, S., Angeles, E., Sinclair, T., Chakraborty, S., Battle, A., Ames, K., Narayanagari, S.-R., Hyka, R., Soto, M., Tracy, M., Vankudoth, J., Kitamura (…)2026-04-11📄 cancer biology