News & Events

Non-cancerous cells called stromal cells, which are found in and around prostate tumors, may be useful in assessing these tumors’ potential to spread, and may even be targets for future prostate cancer treatments, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Stromal cells, found in all organs, contribute to wound-healing, blood vessel formation and structural support for tissues. Scientists know that tumors often co-opt stromal cells to create a more supportive...

A new study reported that patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a combination of low-dose radiation and immunotherapy had higher progression-free survival compared to patients who received immunotherapy alone two years after treatment. The findings from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons offer hope to those affected by NSCLC, the most common type of lung cancer in the United ...

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have painstakingly catalogued the cellular response to stroke in a preclinical model, identifying the immune cells involved and the roles they may play in the days and weeks following a stroke. During a stroke, loss of oxygen leads to brain damage and cell death. It also triggers a powerful inflammatory response in which the brain’s resident immune cells, along with cells recruited from the blood, infiltrate the injured tissue.

The...

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers received a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program to validate a new blood test for the early detection of breast cancer.

Researchers are evaluating Syantra DX Breast Cancer (Syantra Inc.), an experimental diagnostic test that detects specific biomarkers in blood associated with breast cancer. The test uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to determine whether a patient is positive for cancer as soon...

A common type of brain bleed in older adults, known as subdural hemorrhage, is associated with the presence of amyloid deposits in cerebral blood vessels, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and Yale School of Medicine. The study is the first to link cerebral vessel amyloid to subdural hemorrhages and should lead to a better understanding of both conditions.

For the...

A drug screening system that models cancers using lab-grown tissues called organoids has helped uncover a promising target for future pancreatic cancer treatments, according to a new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

In the study, published Dec. 26 in Cell Stem Cell, the scientists tested more than 6,000 compounds on their pancreatic tumor organoids, which contain a common pancreatic cancer...

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers and the TB Drug Accelerator have received two grants totaling $6.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study tuberculosis (TB) drug development. This effort will expediate finding new drug targets within the bacteria and identifying new lead compounds, two significant bottlenecks in TB drug development.

“These grants allow us to apply the assays we’ve developed in the last few years...

In the nucleus of cells, long strands of DNA are tightly wrapped around a scaffolding of proteins in a complex called chromatin, like a rolled-up ball of yarn. A new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators reveals that beyond providing a convenient way to store DNA in a tight space, the 3-dimensional (3D) organization of noncoding gene regulators in chromatin contributes to the control of key cell identity programs in early embryonic development. The results have implications for...

The end of 2023 will mark the close of several longstanding careers at Weill Cornell Medicine, including three senior administrators who total more than 80 years of distinguished service to the institution. They are L. Jeanie Faulkner, deputy secretary in the Office of the Secretary, whose tenure spanned 20 years; Angela Lent, senior director of staff and organizational development, who has been at the institution for 18 years; and Scott Puccino, chief financial officer, who...

Important signaling molecules called phospholipids are active throughout cells in small compartments called condensates, rather than functioning primarily in cell membranes as previously thought, according to a study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The finding helps open a new avenue of investigation in cell biology and may also be relevant to the study of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease.

Condensates in cells,...

San Francisco and New York — Dec. 13, 2023 — The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), the largest concentration of immuno-oncology (IO) expertise in the world, announced it has added Weill Cornell Medicine to its network of preeminent academic and medical research institutions at the forefront of the fight against cancer. Under the agreement, Weill...

Hard-to-detect colorectal pre-cancerous lesions known as serrated polyps, and the aggressive tumors that develop from them, depend heavily on the ramped-up production of cholesterol, according to a preclinical study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The finding points to the possibility of using cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent or treat such tumors.

In the study, published Dec. 13 in Nature Communications,...

The current class of anti-obesity drugs is proving remarkably effective at removing excess pounds. However, a phase 3 randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian found that people who stopped taking the medication regained much of that weight within a year. At the same time, the study shows that remaining on the drug not only promotes additional weight loss but preserves improvements in metabolic and cardiovascular health.

The results...

A preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals be more resistant to obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell which may contribute to more efficient metabolism.

The study, posted online in Molecular Metabolism on Nov. 2, provides new insight into how human...

Removing race information from cardiovascular risk calculators—which predict the probability of developing heart disease—doesn’t affect patients’ risk scores, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators.

The study published in JAMA Cardiology on Dec. 6 adds to a growing body of evidence questioning the use of race in medical decision-making. Currently,...

Three minutes and one projected slide–that’s all each graduate student had to present a big-picture research goal to a non-specialist audience in a way they could understand and appreciate.

The eleven students from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences participated in the eighth annual Three-...

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have found that controlling high blood pressure may not be enough to prevent associated cognitive declines. The findings point to an immune protein called cytokine IL-17 as a culprit for inducing dementia and suggest new approaches to prevent damage to brain cells.

The study, published on Dec. 4 in Nature Neuroscience, uncovered a new mechanism involving increased levels of IL-17 in the brain which suppressed blood flow...

A historic investment from Board of Fellows member Israel Englander will advance Weill Cornell Medicine’s growing research enterprise and support critical initiatives throughout the institution.

The gift will expand the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine and bolster institutional biobanking services. Notably, it is also the first major gift that will support the construction of Weill Cornell Medicine’s new, state-of-the-art medical...

Five people who had life-altering, seemingly irreversible cognitive deficits following moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries showed substantial improvements in their cognition and quality of life after receiving an experimental form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a phase 1 clinical trial. The trial, reported Dec. 4 in Nature Medicine, was led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, Stanford University, the...

Eileen Sheil, an accomplished leader in health care communications, has been appointed assistant vice provost for communications and public affairs for Weill Cornell Medicine, effective Feb. 1.

In her new role, Sheil will jointly lead the Office of External Affairs and oversee its more than 40-member Division of Communications and Public Affairs, which encompasses functions including editorial, multimedia, media relations, social media, marketing and brand, and government and community...