Self-Assembling 3D Mini-Tumors Are Poised to Become a New Tool for Studying Cancer

There are many paths for women to travel to find success in science. That was a crucial theme conveyed by the four panelists at Women in Science Speak 2024. The panel marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and celebrated empowerment and mentorship among women in science.

NCI Frederick has a new chili champion. Dawn Goings, administrative assistant in Environment, Health, and Safety, blazed her way through a heated competition to clinch first place in the 17th Chili Cook-off. The cook-off, a storied lunch-hour tradition at NCI Frederick, returned to campus this year for the first time since 2019, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the pandemic.

Most available antibody-drug conjugates offer limited improvement and can still be toxic. But a study conducted by researchers in the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research and published in Cell Reports in December 2023 highlights a new ADC—carefully engineered, screened, and purified—that can eradicate large tumors in animal models at a dose per body weight that humans can tolerate.

The Spring Research Festival, Fort Detrick’s annual scientific showcase, is seeking participants. NCI Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory staff (including those located at the Advanced Technology Research Facility) are encouraged to participate in one or more of the festival’s functions. Registration for participants, namely presenters and judges, is open until April 5.

The cancer community will come together for a two-day conference designed to celebrate Black contributions in cancer research and to connect future investigators and collaborators, in order to pave the way for the next generation of Black cancer research professionals. Black in Cancer, a U.S./U.K.-based organization, and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research are co-hosts of the 2024 Black in Cancer Conference, set for June 20–21 at the Natcher Conference Center on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda.