News | Graduate School of Medical Sciences

How a Tiny RNA Modification Helps Control Cell Stress Responses

A tiny chemical modification commonly found on messenger RNAs plays a surprisingly large role in how cells respond to stress, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The finding clarifies an important aspect of cell biology, and may have clinical implications, since this messenger RNA modification, known as m6A, is the target of an emerging class of cancer treatments.

Messenger RNA (mRNA)—the molecule that carries genetic instructions to make proteins—is...

A group of people cutting a ceremonial ribbon

Ribbon Cutting Commemorates Student Residence Completion, Official Name

As a third-year medical student, Stone Streeter cut his teeth during his medical education at Weill Cornell Medicine while living in the institution’s student housing—first at Olin Hall during his classroom instruction, then at Lasdon House for his clerkships. As he eyes his last year at Weill Cornell Medical College, he’s preparing for yet another move: to the Feil Family and Weill Family Residence Hall.

“Now, I’m standing here today, a mosaic of past experiences, ready to tackle the...

Science and Community Shine at 44th Vincent du Vigneaud Symposium

Vincent du Vigneaud Symposium co-chairs Jian Zheng and Tzippora Chwat-Edelstein

The Griffis Faculty Club buzzed with excitement as doctoral students from the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences presented their research, drawing peers, faculty and alumni to the 44th annual Vincent du Vigneaud Symposium on April 24. Entirely student run,...

blue and red drawing of different types of viruses

A VAST New View of Viruses

A major new effort at Weill Cornell Medicine seeks to catalog the normal human virome, the immense ecosystem of viruses that lives in and on us. The work, part of a multi-institution collaboration called Viromes Across Space and Time (VAST), supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, will pioneer new techniques, illuminate a crucial aspect of human biology that was impossible to study before, and establish a baseline set of data that could help...

Three-Dimensional Gene Hubs May Promote Brain Cancer

The way DNA folds inside the nucleus of brain cells may hold the key to understanding a devastating form of brain cancer called glioblastoma, suggests a new preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The findings, published April 3 in Molecular Cell, offer a new way to think about cancer beyond gene mutations, based on the way that genes are connected and regulated in three-dimensional space.

Dr. Effie Apostolou

Study Finds Protein Partnership Protects Chromosomes

A new study from Weill Cornell Medicine provides insights into how cells maintain the tiny end caps of chromosomes as they divide, a key process in keeping cells healthy. Using yeast, the researchers reveal protein interactions that could explain how the enzyme telomerase is tightly regulated to prevent cells from dividing uncontrollably or aging prematurely. The preclinical study, published April 17 in Nucleic Acids Research, brings us closer to understanding the mechanisms behind aging and...

Cartoon image of green figures blocking blue figures from accessing a castle turret with cancer cells

Gut Microbes Release Cancer-fighting Bile Acids that Block Hormone Signals

Bacteria naturally present in the human intestine, known as the gut microbiota, can transform cholesterol-derived bile acids into powerful metabolites that strengthen anti-cancer immunity by blocking androgen signaling, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study was published on April 15 in Cell.

Dr. Chun-Jun Guo. Credit: Ashley Jones

New Strategy May Enable Cancer Monitoring from Blood Tests Alone

A new, error-corrected method for detecting cancer from blood samples is much more sensitive and accurate than prior methods and may be useful for monitoring disease status in patients following treatment, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Genome Center investigators. The method, based on whole-genome sequencing of DNA, also represents an important step toward the goal of routine blood test-based screening for early cancer detection.

In the study, published...

Awards Recognize Diversity Champions Across Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine’s Celebration of Diversity honored leaders who go beyond their official roles, dedicating time, energy and empathy to build inclusive environments. The ceremony, part of the institution’s seventh annual Diversity Week, was held April 7 in Griffis Faculty Club.

“This is one of the most important evenings of the year at Weill Cornell Medicine,” said Dr. Robert A. Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in opening remarks. “We are...

When Protective Lipids Decline, Health Risks Increase

New research from Weill Cornell Medicine has uncovered a surprising culprit underlying cardiovascular diseases in obesity and diabetes—not the presence of certain fats, but their suppression. The study, published Feb. 25 in Nature Communications, challenges the conventional belief that a type of fat called ceramides accumulates in blood vessels causing inflammation and health risks. Instead, their preclinical findings reveal that when ceramides decrease in endothelial cells lining...

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