Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1), a receptor tyrosine kinase activated by Wnt5, is mainly expressed during fetal development and plays a crucial role in processes such as neurodevelopment and angiogenesis. ROR1 is nearly absent in most adult and pediatric tissues but is overexpressed in various malignancies, including leukemia and lung and breast cancers. Its expression has been correlated with poor clinical outcomes, and therefore, it is considered a promising cancer therapeutic target.

Targeting SHP2 has emerged as a promising approach for treating cancers driven by receptor tyrosine kinases. Although allosteric SHP2 inhibitors have shown strong antitumor activity in preclinical studies, their clinical efficacy as monotherapies has been limited. Recent studies indicate that combining SHP2 inhibitors with kinase inhibitors may enhance treatment effectiveness and help overcome therapeutic resistance.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and collaborators have developed a new method to label and monitor dormant breast cancer cells over time, shedding light on how these cells survive chemotherapy and potentially trigger metastatic relapse in the lung. Breast cancer frequently recurs in distant metastatic sites, even after the primary tumor has fully regressed following initial therapy.

Aussie researchers have used CRISPR gene editing tools to “armor” chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to activate additional cancer-fighting proteins at the tumor site, enabling them to target cancer cells in solid tumors.

A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia investigated the potential of radiopharmaceutical therapy based on Terbium-161 (161Tb) both in vitro and in vivo using a novel tracer, [161Tb]Tb-BL34L20S, which uses the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4)-targeting peptide BL34L20S labeled to 161Tb.