A small molecule discovered and developed by a team of scientists led by Fengzhi Li, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, eliminates human pancreatic and colorectal tumor cells by binding to and degrading DDX5, a powerful cancer-causing protein. The latest research results from Dr. Li’s lab, published today in Clinical and Translational Medicine, suggests that FL118, a compound derived from Chinese tree bark, could be further developed into a targeted treatment for pancreatic cancer and colon cancer, and possibly for other solid and liquid tumors as well.

A multidisciplinary team from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has uncovered a previously unknown function of a gene that regulates p53, a protein that plays a significant role in more than half of all cancers. Their findings, published this week in the journal PlosGenetics, could have big implications for the development of cancer therapies targeting MDM2.

Patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy are less likely to require opioids or a feeding tube if they received a higher dose of prophylactic gabapentin before their treatment, findings from a team of radiation oncologists at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center show. Their discovery, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggests that a prophylactic, or preventative, gabapentin dose of 3600 mg daily can delay or eliminate the need for opioids to manage the pain associated with radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer.