Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) continued to make strides against cancer in 2024. Laboratory research teams across the institution worked to advance the global understanding of cancer and to develop new therapies, while also making fundamental insights into human biology and disease.
"Patients come to MSK seeking the very best in cancer care, which is driven by our commitment to cancer research," said MSK President and CEO Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS . "MSK scientists continue to expand our understanding of cancer and to apply what we learn in the lab to improve the lives of patients. The discoveries that we're making today provide the foundation for the therapies of tomorrow."
Here are some of the most exciting scientific discoveries reported over the past year, in chronological order.
CAR T Cells Show Promise Against Age-Related Diseases in Mice
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have transformed the treatment of blood cancers in recent years. And there have been positive signs that these "living drugs" can be harnessed against other diseases, such as autoimmune disorders.
Laboratory research led by MSK and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory published January 24 in Nature Aging suggests these engineered immune cells also hold promise for treating some diseases related to aging — specifically, those caused by the accumulation of senescent cells (cells that stop dividing due to age or damage).
