Oncotarget

Predicting Colorectal Cancer Survival: How Machine Learning Combines Clinical and Biological Clues

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most common and lethal cancers worldwide, accounting for approximately 10% of all cancer diagnoses. While advances in prevention and treatment have improved outcomes, predicting which patients will survive remains a complex challenge—one that depends on an intricate interplay between molecular biology and clinical factors. A research paper, titled “Machine learning-based survival prediction in colorectal cancer combining clinical and biological features” was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget by an international team of researchers, demonstrating how machine learning can integrate these two domains to achieve highly accurate survival predictions. The team’s investigation demonstrates that combining clinical features—such as pathological stage, age, and lymph node status—with biological markers—including the E2F8 gene and hsa-miR-495-3p—can significantly improve the ability to predict patient survival. Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/03/25/predicting-colorectal-cancer-survival-how-machine-learning-combines-clinical-and-biological-clues/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28783 Correspondence to - Lucas M. Vieira - lvieira@health.ucsd.edu Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy7UL5ZUKuI Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28783 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, colorectal cancer, machine learning, feature selection, non-coding RNAs, genes To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

CREB5 Linked to Stem Cell-Like Programs That Promote Prostate Cancer Progression

BUFFALO, NY – March 24, 2026 – A new #research paper was #published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on March 17, 2026, titled “CREB5 regulates stem cell-like transcriptional programs to enhance tumor progression in prostate cancer.” Led by corresponding authors Emmanuel S. Antonarakis and Justin Hwang from the Department of Medicine and the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, the study examines how CREB5 shapes basal-like and stem cell-like transcriptional states in prostate cancer. The authors note that about 30–40% of advanced prostate cancers harbor basal-like transcriptional programs, and that stem cell-like tumors are a major mechanism of resistance to androgen receptor-targeted therapies. Using transcriptomic analyses of primary prostate cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer cohorts (n = 493 and 208), the authors found that CREB5 expression strongly correlates with basal-like gene signatures and stem cell-like transcriptional programs. CREB5 was also shown to interact with AP-1 transcription factors and bind regulatory elements of AP-1 genes, suggesting a mechanistic role in promoting these aggressive tumor states. Functional experiments demonstrated that CREB5 overexpression enhances colony formation and tumor growth, supporting its role in tumor progression. “Taken together, this study indicates that CREB5 enhances PC tumor progression through genes that are associated with SCL traits.” Mechanistically, the study shows that CREB5 regulates transcriptional programs linked to tumor progression and stem cell-like features, positioning it as a central driver of aggressive prostate cancer phenotypes. The findings also suggest that CREB5 activity may already be present in primary tumors, potentially contributing to later therapy resistance and disease progression. The authors conclude that targeting CREB5-regulated transcriptional programs could represent a future strategy for addressing androgen receptor-independent prostate cancer. Further studies are needed to determine how disrupting CREB5 or its downstream pathways may improve therapeutic responses in advanced disease. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28826 Correspondence to - Emmanuel S. Antonarakis - anton401@umn.edu, Justin Hwang - jhwang@umn.edu Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zywrj5hV4ho Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28826 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, prostate cancer, CREB5, basal-like, stem cell-like, AP-1 transcription factors To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

Impact Journals to Participate at AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego

BUFFALO, NY – March 16, 2025 – Impact Journals (publisher of Aging-US, Oncotarget, Oncoscience, and Genes & Cancer), is pleased to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026. The meeting will take place April 17–22, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. Conference attendees are warmly invited to visit Booth 3641 to meet members of the Impact Journals team, discover notable recent publications, and discuss opportunities for collaboration. The mission of Impact Journals is to maximize research impact through insightful peer review, eliminate borders between specialties by linking different fields of oncology and biomedical science, and foster the application of both basic and clinical science. This mission is grounded in a strong commitment to ethical standards and scientific integrity. At Impact Journals, evolving digital technologies, tools, and ideas are continually integrated into a robust scientific integrity process. The AACR Annual Meeting serves as a focal point for the global cancer research community, bringing together scientists, clinicians, healthcare professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine. From population science and prevention to cancer biology, translational and clinical studies, survivorship, and advocacy, the AACR Annual Meeting highlights the work of leading researchers from institutions around the world. To learn more about Impact Journals, please visit impactjournals.com. For media inquiries, email media@impactjournals.com.

CAR-T Cell Therapy: A Revolutionary Approach to Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment has long been a battle of attrition—surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have saved countless lives, but for patients with advanced or refractory malignancies, the options remain limited. In recent years, however, a new approach has emerged that harnesses the power of the patient’s own immune system to seek and destroy cancer cells with unprecedented precision. An editorial perspective, titled “CAR-T therapy: Trailblazing CAR(ing) in cancer treatment.” published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget by researchers Uzma Saqib, Monika Pandey, and Krishnan Hajela from the School of Life Sciences, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, India, provides an overview of this revolutionary therapeutic strategy. The paper presents the current state of CAR-T therapy, its clinical successes, and the formidable challenges that remain before it can fulfill its transformative potential. Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/03/10/car-t-cell-therapy-a-revolutionary-approach-to-cancer-treatment/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28836 Correspondence to - Krishnan Hajela - hajelak@gmail.com Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4hbwPToVKI Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28836 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, CAR-T therapy, therapeutic approaches To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination and Cancer Risk: A Case-Based Review

The rapid development and global deployment of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 represented a landmark achievement in public health. However, the novel mechanism of these “genetic vaccines”—technically pro-drug gene therapies encased in lipid nanoparticles—has prompted ongoing scientific inquiry into their potential long-term effects. A comprehensive case report and review, titled “Exploring the potential link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations and cancer: A case report with a review of haematopoietic malignancies with insights into pathogenic mechanisms” published in Oncotarget by an international team of researchers investigates a consequential scientific question: whether there could be a link between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and the development of haematopoietic cancers. Led by first author Patrizia Gentilini, along with corresponding author Panagis Polykretis of the “Allineare Sanità e Salute” Foundation and Independent Medical Scientific Commission (CMSi), Milano, the paper presents a detailed case study alongside a systematic review of existing literature. It does not claim to have proven a causal link, but instead argues that the convergence of clinical observations and proposed biological mechanisms warrants deeper, more urgent investigation. Full blog - https://www.oncotarget.org/2026/02/27/mrna-covid-19-vaccination-and-cancer-risk-a-case-based-review/ Paper DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28827 Correspondence to - Panagis Polykretis - panagis.polykretis@gmail.com Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO-wewH7mEY Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28827 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - COVID-19 genetic vaccines, adverse effects, cancer, lymphoblastic leukaemia, lymphoblastic lymphoma To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM