TIL + pembro regimen achieves 24% response rate in solid epithelial tumors, marking a step forward in immunotherapy research

The Directors: Gary Schwartz and Ramon Parsons on the best of times (for science), the worst of times (for funding)
Cancer centers fund small grants to boost morale amid low paylines

As NCI paylines drop to 4%, cancer centers are tapping into their institutional funds to provide “bridge funding,” typically in $50,000 to $100,000 increments, to enable investigators to keep their labs open until better times return—next year God willing.

January 30, 2026

Vol.52 No.04

By Paul Goldberg and Claire Marie Porter

Cancer Policy

NIH suspends new embryonic stem cell line submissions

NIH is suspending the addition of new human embryonic stem cell lines to the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry, all while looking for alternatives. The agency also issued a request for information on “emerging biotechnologies to reduce or potentially replace remaining research reliance on human embryonic stem cells.”

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

The U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 22 passed a three-bill minibus package that is expected to be the grand finale of the drama of the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process. The package, which funds the HHS as well as the departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education, gives NIH and NCI modest raises over FY25, and nullifies several aggressive cuts the White House had proposed for NIH.

NIH ends fetal tissue research—again

NIH will no longer fund scientific research that uses human fetal tissue from elective abortions, a practice that has contributed to the study of cancer, the development of vaccines, and the treatment of other diseases.

Personalis Real-Time Variant Tracker identifies resistance mutations across several hundred clinically relevant hotspots

Personalis announced the early access launch of Real-Time Variant Tracker, a powerful new option added to its ultrasensitive NeXT Personal molecular residual disease test designed to detect small traces of circulating tumor DNA in the blood that represent residual or recurrent cancer.

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

Clinical Roundup

Mutation predicts chemoresistance and better responses to immunotherapy in advanced bladder cancer, MD Anderson study finds

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have determined that mutations in the KDM6A gene—common in advanced bladder cancer—may serve as a predictive biomarker to determine which patients are less likely to benefit from standard chemotherapy but may respond better to immunotherapy.

January 16, 2026

Vol.52 No.02

TIL + pembro regimen achieves 24% response rate in solid epithelial tumors, marking a step forward in immunotherapy research

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

The Directors: Gary Schwartz and Ramon Parsons on the best of times (for science), the worst of times (for funding)
Cancer centers fund small grants to boost morale amid low paylines

NIH suspends new embryonic stem cell line submissions

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

NIH ends fetal tissue research—again

Personalis Real-Time Variant Tracker identifies resistance mutations across several hundred clinically relevant hotspots

Mutation predicts chemoresistance and better responses to immunotherapy in advanced bladder cancer, MD Anderson study finds

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TIL + pembro regimen achieves 24% response rate in solid epithelial tumors, marking a step forward in immunotherapy research

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

The Directors: Gary Schwartz and Ramon Parsons on the best of times (for science), the worst of times (for funding)Cancer centers fund small grants to boost morale amid low paylines

NIH suspends new embryonic stem cell line submissions

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128MLegislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

NIH ends fetal tissue research—again

Personalis Real-Time Variant Tracker identifies resistance mutations across several hundred clinically relevant hotspots

Mutation predicts chemoresistance and better responses to immunotherapy in advanced bladder cancer, MD Anderson study finds

Never miss an issue!

Login

The Directors: Gary Schwartz and Ramon Parsons on the best of times (for science), the worst of times (for funding)
Cancer centers fund small grants to boost morale amid low paylines

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched