MD Anderson Reveals New Research Breakthroughs

Advances in cancer care, research and prevention showcased in latest studies

Mar. 19, 2026 at 5:15am

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Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have made several significant breakthroughs in cancer treatment and prevention, including a combination therapy that improves survival for breast cancer patients with leptomeningeal metastasis, a dual targeting approach that enhances immunotherapy response in glioblastoma, a finding that low testosterone levels may be associated with prostate cancer progression, and a new computational tool that can better predict chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer.

Why it matters

These studies demonstrate MD Anderson's continued leadership in advancing cancer research and care, with discoveries that have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with some of the most challenging cancer types. The findings highlight the institution's collaborative approach between clinicians and scientists, translating lab breakthroughs into real-world clinical applications.

The details

The key details of the research breakthroughs include: 1) A combination of targeted therapies and chemotherapy that extended median overall survival from 4.4 months to 10 months for breast cancer patients with leptomeningeal metastasis; 2) A dual targeting approach that blocks two "don't eat me signals" in glioblastoma cells, heightening the immune response and sensitizing tumors to immunotherapy; 3) A finding that low testosterone levels may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer progression during active surveillance; and 4) A new computational tool that can better predict chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer patients by accounting for changes in gene expression within tumors and their microenvironments.

  • The studies were conducted and the findings announced in March 2026.

The players

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

A comprehensive cancer center located in Houston, Texas that is known for its world-leading clinicians and scientists who collaborate to bring discoveries from the lab to the clinic.

Rashmi Murthy, M.D.

Associate professor of Breast Medical Oncology at MD Anderson and the lead author of the study on combination therapy for breast cancer patients with leptomeningeal metastasis.

Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate professor of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson and co-lead author of the study on the dual targeting approach to enhance immunotherapy response in glioblastoma.

Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson, core member of the James P. Allison Institute, and co-lead author of the study on the dual targeting approach to enhance immunotherapy response in glioblastoma.

Justin R. Gregg, M.D.

Associate professor of Urology and Health Disparities Research at MD Anderson and the corresponding author of the study on how low testosterone levels may be associated with prostate cancer progression during active surveillance.

Wenyi Wang, Ph.D.

Professor of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at MD Anderson and the lead author of the study on a new computational tool to better predict chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer.

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What they’re saying

“The combination achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival compared to historical controls. For these patients, who often face limited treatment options, our results represent a step forward, offering new hope in how we treat and manage leptomeningeal metastasis.”

— Rashmi Murthy, M.D., Associate professor of Breast Medical Oncology

“Blocking these signals together resulted in a heightened immune response, suggesting this is like a one-two punch in order to get optimal results. It's like unmasking the invisibility cloak from cancer so that T cells can better recognize tumor-derived antigens and allow immunotherapy to work more effectively.”

— Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., Associate professor of Radiation Oncology

“Active surveillance is a safe and effective option for many men with early-stage prostate cancer. However, identifying which patients may be more likely to experience progression remains a key challenge. Understanding how hormonal factors influence prostate cancer biology may help us refine surveillance strategies.”

— Justin R. Gregg, M.D., Associate professor of Urology and Health Disparities Research

“Deconvolution strategies are not one size fits all. We're focused on making these methods more accessible to researchers without extensive computational backgrounds, with the goal of translating these powerful analytical approaches into practical tools that the broader cancer research community can readily apply to advance precision medicine.”

— Wenyi Wang, Ph.D., Professor of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

What’s next

Researchers at MD Anderson plan to continue studying these novel approaches and further refine the computational tool to improve its predictive capabilities, with the goal of translating these breakthroughs into more effective cancer treatments and prevention strategies.

The takeaway

These research advances at MD Anderson demonstrate the institution's commitment to driving innovation in cancer care, leveraging its collaborative model between clinicians and scientists to rapidly translate lab discoveries into real-world clinical applications that have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with some of the most challenging cancer types.