Cover Story
My Mighty Mouse
Megan Scudellari | Apr 1, 2015
Personal drug regimens based on xenograft mice harboring a single patient’s tumor still need to prove their true utility in medicine.
Features
Resisting Cancer
George Klein | Apr 1, 2015
If one out of three people develops cancer, that means two others don’t. Understanding why could lead to insights relevant to prevention and treatment.
From Many, One
Elena E. Giorgi | Apr 1, 2015
Diverse mammals, including humans, have been found to carry distinct genomes in their cells. What does such genetic chimerism mean for health and disease?
Contributors
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the April 2015 issue of The Scientist.
Editorial
To Each His Own
To Each His Own
Cancer treatment becomes more and more personal.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
Speaking of Science
April 2015's selection of notable quotes
Notebook
Through a Spider’s Eyes
Through a Spider’s Eyes
Deciphering how a jumping spider sees the world and processes visual information may yield insights into long-standing robotics problems.
Two-Faced RNAs
Two-Faced RNAs
The same microRNAs can have opposing roles in cancer.
Cancer Kismet
Cancer Kismet
Fate mapping allows researchers to follow cancer progression from its cell type of origin.
Mining the Outliers
Mining the Outliers
Even when a clinical trial fails, some patients improve. What can researchers learn from these exceptional responders?
Critic at Large
The Challenges of Precision
The Challenges of Precision
Researchers face roadblocks to treating an individual patient’s cancer as a unique disease.
Control ALT, Delete Cancer
Control ALT, Delete Cancer
Treating cancer by shutting down the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway
Modus Operandi
Bursting Cancer’s Bubble
Bursting Cancer’s Bubble
Scientists make oxygen-filled microbubbles designed to increase tumor sensitivity to radiation.
The Literature
Toggling Between Life and Death
Toggling Between Life and Death
In estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, the transcription factor IRF1 tips the balance between cellular suicide and survival through autophagy.
Signaling Resistance
Signaling Resistance
Activating signaling pathways, rather than individual genes, reveals roles for both growth and dedifferentiation in establishing resistance to cancer treatments.
Manipulative Microbiomes
Manipulative Microbiomes
Gut bacteria control tumor growth via the mammalian immune system.
Profile
Professional Marksman
Professional Marksman
Charles Sawyers, who began his research career just as the genetic details of human oncogenes were emerging, codeveloped Gleevec, the quintessential targeted cancer therapy.
Scientist to Watch
Yvonne Saenger: Immunotherapy Pioneer
Yvonne Saenger: Immunotherapy Pioneer
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Columbia University. Age: 41
Lab Tools
In Custody
In Custody
Expert tips for isolating and culturing cancer stem cells
Getting Your Sugar Fix
Getting Your Sugar Fix
A guide to glycan microarrays
Bio Business
The CAR T-Cell Race
The CAR T-Cell Race
Tumor-targeting T-cell therapies are generating remarkable remissions in hard-to-beat cancers—and attracting millions of dollars of investment along the way.
Reading Frames
Setbacks and Great Leaps
Setbacks and Great Leaps
The tale of p53, a widely studied tumor suppressor gene, illustrates the inventiveness of researchers who turn mishaps into discoveries.
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Capsule Reviews
Junk DNA, Cuckoo, Sapiens, and Cool
Foundations
Leukemia Under the Lens, 1845
Leukemia Under the Lens, 1845
Alfred Donné’s microscopic daguerreotypes described the cellular symptoms of leukemia for the first time.