Photograph of Humsa Venkatesh
Humsa Venkatesh Probes Cancer’s Grip on the Brain
At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the cancer biologist is combining research into the tumor microenvironment with the principles of neuroscience to tease apart how cancers grow—and how to stop them.
Humsa Venkatesh Probes Cancer’s Grip on the Brain
Humsa Venkatesh Probes Cancer’s Grip on the Brain

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the cancer biologist is combining research into the tumor microenvironment with the principles of neuroscience to tease apart how cancers grow—and how to stop them.

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the cancer biologist is combining research into the tumor microenvironment with the principles of neuroscience to tease apart how cancers grow—and how to stop them.

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brain tumor
Air Pollution Tied to Brain Cancer: Study
Emily Makowski | Nov 13, 2019
Inhaling combustion-produced particles may lead to the development of brain tumors.
Immune-Activating Gene Therapy for Glioblastoma
Ruth Williams | Aug 14, 2019
The results of an early trial in 31 brain cancer patients finds immune activity boosted in the tumor, and possibly longer survival.
brain tissue
Glioblastoma on a Chip
Jef Akst | Jul 15, 2019
Researchers use 3-D printing technology to construct a brain cancer model that accurately recapitulated in vivo biology and predicted patient drug responses.
Genetic Neurologist: A Profile of Huda Zoghbi
Anna Azvolinsky | Nov 1, 2018
Turning to molecular genetics, the Baylor pediatric neurologist and geneticist works to discover the biological basis for the rare neurological diseases she sees in her patients.
PD-L1 in Extracellular Vesicles May Help Glioblastoma Evade Immunotherapies
Jim Daley | Mar 8, 2018
The discovery suggests that the immune checkpoint can operate at a further distance from tumor cells than previously believed.
Breaching the Blood-Brain Barrier
Jef Akst | Nov 11, 2015
Researchers deliver cancer-fighting drugs to a patient’s brain via the bloodstream, penetrating the blood-brain barrier for the first time.
Cancer Diet Shared by Healthy Cells
Beth Marie Mole | Jan 23, 2013
Tumor cells rapidly divide by usurping a metabolic trick from normal cell development.
Stem Cells Not Needed for Cancer
Ruth Williams | Oct 18, 2012
Fully developed neurons can revert to stem cell-like states and give rise to brain tumors.
Dental X-rays Linked to Brain Tumors
Sabrina Richards | Apr 10, 2012
A traditional dentist’s checkup may give patients more than just clean teeth.