Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

The document highlighted several studies from 2014 that explored various aspects of cancer biology. Schramek et al. found that MYH9 acted as a tumor suppressor in squamous cell carcinomas by stabilizing p53. Viaud and Iida's studies suggested that gut microbiota influenced the effectiveness of cancer treatments, with antibiotics potentially reducing treatment efficacy. Fantozzi et al. demonstrated that VEGFA-mediated angiogenesis linked EMT-induced cancer stemness to tumor initiation. White et al. showed that hair follicle stem cells were protected from oncogenic signaling during quiescence, suggesting quiescence as a tumor suppressor. Lastly, Lubanska et al. identified the cyclin-like protein SPY1 as a regulator of stemness and cell division in glioma-initiating cells, with its amplification linked to poor prognosis. These findings collectively advanced the understanding of cancer mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.