Tackling high-grade neuroendocrine tumors, unlocking the mysteries of kidney cancer metabolism, making comprehensive cancer services more accessible, emerging trends after an FDA committee ruling favors using a new endpoint in multiple myeloma trials, and more are in this month鈥檚 tip sheet from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
APRIL 2025 TIP SHEET
Neuroendocrine Cancer
Newswise — Enrollment is now open for a new clinical trial to tackle high-grade neuroendocrine tumors, a complex and aggressive condition that has seen few medical advances in recent years, primarily due to its rare nature. The trial, led by , leader of Sylvester’s , offers a fresh approach – patients will receive a combination of immunotherapy drugs and a tumor-busting “oncolytic” virus injected directly into their tumors.
Kidney Cancer
Funded by a two-year, $400,000 Sylvester Team Science Award, a multidisciplinary group of scientists aims to unlock the mysteries of renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer. The researchers seek to gain a deeper understanding of the cancer’s metabolic quirks through detailed laboratory and clinical studies and use of a cutting-edge dietary intervention. “We have complimentary disciplines coming together to answer hard questions that will change outcomes for patients,” said , co-lead of Sylvester’s Cancer Control Program and director of Lifestyle Medicine, Prevention and Digital Health.
Cancer Care
Broward County residents now have more convenient access to comprehensive cancer care with the addition of radiation oncology services at the Sylvester Plantation campus. The 40,000-square-foot facility already serves as a hub for leading-edge cancer services. By adding radiation oncology, Sylvester expands its reach as the only NCI-designated cancer center in the region. Nearby residents can now access all non-surgical cancer services in one accessible location outside the main campus in downtown Miami
Blood Cancer
Last April, a Food & Drug Administration committee ruled in favor of using a measurement called minimal residual disease (MRD) as an endpoint to support the accelerated approval of new multiple myeloma treatments. Although the FDA has not issued final guidance yet, MRD has already begun to supplant older ways of assessing success in clinical trials, says , director of the , who led an intensive research effort to gain the favorable ruling.
Cancer & AI
A new artificial intelligence (AI) model accurately predicts a key aspect of the human genome – its modification by a molecular marking to DNA called methylation, according to a recent Sylvester in Science Advances. These marks can have a powerful effect on DNA, often shutting down a gene entirely, and their location can reveal a lot about a cell, including whether it’s cancerous. “Studying DNA methylation is extremely relevant, and it’s one of the things that has been demonstrated to capture cellular identity most accurately, such as whether a cell is benign or malignant,” explains , associate director of translational research at Sylvester.
Cancer Profile
Cancer cells are greedy because they grow aggressively and rely heavily on metabolic pathways, which become points of vulnerability, according to , co-leader of the and professor of radiation oncology at Sylvester. Her research looks broadly at vulnerabilities associated with this metabolic “greed” and how to eliminate cancer cells while protecting normal cells.
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