BLOCK-ID cancer research
BLOCK-ID: New Technique Finds Treatment Targets in Hard-to-Treat Cancers
When cancer is difficult to control, it’s often because the cancer cells have learned how to survive under intense stress. Even when their DNA is damaged or unstable — a situation that would normally cause a healthy cell to stop dividing or die — these cancer cells find ways to keep going.
This ability to survive under pressure is one reason some cancers become aggressive, resistant to treatment, or quick to return after therapy. Understanding how cancer cells manage this stress is a major focus of modern cancer research.
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have now developed a powerful new research tool that helps explain how certain cancers adapt and survive under these extreme conditions. While this discovery is not a treatment yet, it offers important clues that may eventually lead to new targeted therapies for cancers that currently have limited options.
Why DNA copying matters in cancer
Every time a cell divides, it must make an exact copy of its DNA. In healthy cells, this process is carefully regulated to prevent mistakes. But in cancer cells, DNA copying often becomes chaotic.
DNA is copied at structures called replication forks, which are Y-shaped points where the DNA strands separate so new copies can be made. In many cancers, these replication forks frequently slow down, stall, or collapse. When this happens repeatedly, it creates DNA replication stress.
Replication stress is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it causes DNA damage and genetic instability — changes that can drive cancer growth and spread. On the other hand, cancer cells that learn how to survive replication stress gain a powerful advantage, allowing them to adapt, resist treatments, and continue dividing despite severe internal damage.
Many aggressive cancers exist in a constant state of replication stress. Understanding how they tolerate this stress — and which proteins help them survive it — is critical for finding new ways to disrupt cancer growth.
What is BLOCK-ID?
To better understand what happens when DNA is under stress or damage, researchers developed a new laboratory technique called BLOCK-ID, an Emory technique (short for biotinylation of lac operator array replication stress protein network identification).
In simpler terms, BLOCK-ID allows scientists to:
- Create stress in a cancer cell’s DNA on purpose.
- They then watch how cancer cells respond to that stress.
- This helps researchers see which proteins cancer cells use to survive.
This Emory technique solves a long-standing challenge in cancer research. Until now, it has been extremely difficult to identify which proteins are involved at replication forks during stress. BLOCK-ID provides a detailed and precise way to map the protein networks cancer cells rely on to survive.
A key discovery: TRIM24 and other proteins
Using BLOCK-ID, researchers identified multiple proteins that appear at stressed replication forks. One protein, called TRIM24, stood out as particularly important.
The team then applied this discovery to a specific cancer survival mechanism known as Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT).
Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. In normal cells, telomeres shorten each time a cell divides, which eventually limits how long a cell can continue reproducing. Cancer cells must overcome this limit to survive.
Some cancers — estimated at 10–15% — use the ALT pathway to maintain their telomeres without relying on the more common enzyme-based method. ALT is often seen in aggressive or difficult-to-treat cancers, including:
- Osteosarcoma
- Glioblastoma
- Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
The research showed that TRIM24 helps cancer cells protect their chromosome ends so they can keep dividing.
Why this is hopeful: four potential treatment targets
In addition to TRIM24, the researchers identified three other proteins involved in the ALT pathway. Together, these findings highlight four potential treatment targets in ALT-driven cancers.
Identifying targets is one of the most important early steps in cancer drug development. While it can take time to move from discovery to therapy, knowing which proteins are essential to cancer survival gives researchers a clearer path forward.
The next phase of research will focus on determining whether these targets can be safely disrupted — and whether doing so can slow or stop cancer growth.
What this could mean for patients
BLOCK-ID is not a new treatment, but it represents meaningful progress in understanding cancer biology. Research like this helps explain why some cancers behave aggressively and why they may stop responding to standard treatments.
For patients living with advanced or hard-to-treat cancers, this work supports a growing shift toward precision oncology — matching treatment strategies to the specific biological features of a tumor. Discoveries like this strengthen the importance of:
- Testing the cancer to learn what makes it grow
- Understanding how the cancer survives
- Looking into clinical trials when needed
As researchers uncover new weaknesses in cancer cells, new treatment options may become possible, even for patients who have been told there are few options left.
You’re Not Alone—Connect with the Stage 4 Hope Community
Whether you’re navigating treatment options, looking for emotional support, or trying to keep up with promising research, Stage 4 Hope is here for you. Join our community to stay connected to trusted resources, new updates, online training, and encouragement from others who understand this journey.
References:
https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/newsroom/articles/2025/new-technique-identifies-potential-new-treatment-targets.php?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40614724/
Theranostics for Cancer
Theranostics: A Powerful Diagnostic Tool and Cancer Treatment in One
Radiation therapy has been used to fight cancer for more than a century. But when cancer has spread to multiple areas of the body, traditional radiation can be limited—because it’s usually aimed at one location at a time and can affect healthy tissue nearby. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) highlights a newer approach that is changing what’s possible for advanced and metastatic cancers: theranostics.
What Is Theranostics?
Theranostics combines the words therapy and diagnostics. It’s a treatment strategy that uses radioactive medicines to first find cancer cells and then treat them—using the same target. MSK’s theranostics motto captures the concept simply: “We see what we treat, and we treat what we see.”
How Theranostics Works
Theranostics typically happens in two steps:
- Find the cancer (“see it”)
Doctors infuse a patient with a radioactive drug containing a diagnostic isotope that binds to a specific target on cancer cells. Then a PET scan “lights up” where the drug has attached, revealing cancer sites that may be hard to see on standard imaging. - Treat the cancer (“treat it”)
If the target is confirmed, doctors give a treatment version of the same approach—this time loaded with a therapeutic isotope. The radiation works like a highly precise “smart bomb,” damaging cancer cell DNA while helping protect surrounding healthy tissue.
Why Theranostics Is Such a Big Deal
MSK notes several practical advantages of theranostics, especially for cancers that have spread:
- It can reveal the exact location of cancer cells that might be missed on conventional scans.
- It can help doctors evaluate whether treatment is working sooner.
- It can help clinical trials move more efficiently from imaging to treatment phases.
- It can treat multiple sites of disease throughout the body, not just one spot at a time.
- Even when it isn’t a cure, theranostics can be meaningful because it may offer effective control with good tolerability—supporting quality of life and daily living for many patients.
A Real Example: Theranostics for Metastatic Prostate Cancer (Pluvicto)
MSK shares the story of a patient with metastatic (stage 4) prostate cancer who joined a clinical trial using lutetium-177 PSMA-targeted therapy (Pluvicto). The treatment targets PSMA, a protein on prostate cancer cells, delivering radiation directly to those cells.
MSK also notes that the FDA approval expanded in 2025 to include more patients—specifically, people who had not yet received chemotherapy, increasing who may be eligible for this type of treatment.
Theranostics Beyond Prostate Cancer
Theranostics is also being developed for other cancers. MSK describes ongoing work to identify new targets, including efforts in neuroendocrine cancers and research into targets like DLL3. MSK researchers are also working toward theranostics applications in cancers such as breast cancer, brain tumors, melanoma, and pancreatic cancer.
What’s Next: A More Powerful Next Wave (Alpha Particles)
MSK highlights a “next wave” of theranostics using alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals—described as the most powerful form yet—and notes they opened a facility dedicated to producing these agents for clinical trials.
Questions to Ask Your Care Team
If you or a loved one is living with advanced cancer, you might consider asking:
- Do I have a target (biomarker) that could make me eligible for theranostics?
- Would a PET scan help identify targets or sites of disease more clearly?
- Are there clinical trials involving targeted radionuclide therapy that fit my diagnosis?
- What side effects are typical, and how might this compare to other options?
(This is informational only—your oncology team can help you understand what’s appropriate for your specific diagnosis.)
You’re Not Alone—Connect with the Stage 4 Hope Community
Whether you’re exploring treatment options, seeking emotional support, or trying to make sense of a new diagnosis, Stage 4 Hope is here for you. Join our community to access trusted resources, education, and encouragement from others who understand the stage 4 journey.
Reference:
https://www.mskcc.org/news/theranostics-powerful-diagnostic-tool-and-cancer-treatment-in-one
Cancer Vaccines Offer New Hope
Cancer Vaccines Offer New Hope: mRNA Breakthroughs for Stage 4 Cancer
Discover how therapeutic and personalized mRNA cancer vaccines are training the immune system to fight advanced cancers, with promising early clinical trial results.
Cancer vaccines, once considered a distant dream, are becoming a hopeful reality thanks to groundbreaking research inspired by the success of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Unlike traditional vaccines designed to prevent illnesses, therapeutic cancer vaccines teach the body’s own immune system how to recognize and attack cancer cells. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) researchers, building on ideas first imagined over a century ago, have significantly advanced these vaccines. Dr. David Scheinberg, a leading researcher at MSK, explains that new technologies now allow vaccines to target multiple proteins specific to cancer cells, making treatments more effective and reducing side effects compared to chemotherapy and radiation.
One promising area is personalized mRNA cancer vaccines, custom-made for each patient based on their tumor’s unique characteristics. Early trials, particularly in pancreatic cancer, have shown encouraging results, with vaccinated patients’ immune cells remaining active for years. Additionally, MSK researchers are developing off-the-shelf vaccines targeting common cancer markers, such as WT1, found in leukemia and ovarian cancer. These vaccines could soon offer accessible, affordable options for many patients. The rapid progress in cancer vaccine development at MSK offers genuine optimism, especially for patients fighting advanced or hard-to-treat cancers. (Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering)
Read the complete article here >
Resources for Living With Stage 4 Cancer
Learn more about topics like mRNA cancer vaccines for stage 4 cancer. Become a member of our community to gain access to trusted resources, as well as online support and education from Dr. Sharon May, Ph.D., LMFT.
New Targets Found in Rare Cancers
Researchers Identify New Treatment Targets for Hard-to-Treat Cancers
Researchers have discovered four new possible treatment targets for hard-to-treat cancers like osteosarcoma (a bone cancer), glioblastoma (a fast-growing brain tumor), and rare pancreatic tumors. These cancers often survive by using a backup system to protect their DNA called the ALT pathway (short for Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres). This system helps cancer cells keep dividing and growing, even when most treatments stop working.
To find these weak spots, scientists developed a new tool called BLOCK-ID, which acts like a microscope for cancer’s stress points. When cancer cells try to copy their DNA and make new cells, things can go wrong—this is called replication stress. BLOCK-ID lets researchers see which proteins rush in to help the cancer survive during this stress. One of the newly discovered proteins, TRIM24, along with three others, may be helping these tough cancers grow. Blocking them could shut down the cancer’s defenses.
More research is underway to test whether these new targets can lead to real treatments. For patients with aggressive or rare cancers, this offers new hope for future therapies that go after cancer at its core. (Source: Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University)
