Deming DA, Kraus SG, Brand J, Johnson KA, Abbott D, Kratz J, Turk AA, Emmerich P, Carchman E, Lubner SJ, LoConte NK, Uboha NV, Chaudhuri S, Shah R, Field A, Field E, Pasch CA, Kim DH, Weber S, Heise C, Lawson E, Sanger C, Matkowskyj K, Asimakopoulos F, Eickhoff J, Dinh HQ, Bassetti MF. Tumor Matrix Proteoglycan Accumulation and Processing Alter T-cell Effector Function and the Response to Immunotherapy in Patients with Oligometastatic Colorectal Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2026 May 1;32(9):1707-1723. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-2780. PMID: 41671077.
Immune cells are often denied access to solid tumors by the tumor-associated matrix, limiting the efficacy of immunotherapies. Dr. Deming and associates demonstrate that when a specific extracellular matrix molecule, versican, is cleaved proteolytically, effector T cell infiltration is increased, and this outcome is associated with better treatment outcomes for colorectal cancer patients.
Jung O, Beauvais DM, Ibaan GL, Wooldrik CC, Flietner E, Choi S, Zhang J, Rapraeger AC. SSTNIV, a syndecan-1-targeting peptide chimera, reverses immune suppression and inhibits myeloma progression. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2026 May 12;11(1):175. doi: 10.1038/s41392-026-02709-1. PMID: 42115585; PMCID: PMC13161272.
Despite therapeutic advances, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable. Syndecan-1 (CD138) is a highly expressed cell surface molecule known to be important to the MM tumor growth and immune evasion: this study therefore uses syndecan-1 as a template for tailored peptide drug design. Results show strong anti-tumor efficacy in a preclinical mouse model for high-risk MM, especially in combination with the standard of care, bortezomib (a proteasome inhibitor).
Udgata S, Schmitz AE, Gillette AA, Sorenson AG, Riendeau JM, Engeldinger R, Stoecker JN, Steimle AK, Johnson KA, Kittelson D, Isaak A, Kratz JD, Carchman E, Kimple R, Pasch CA, Skala MC, Deming DA. Organoid Level Assessments of Human Primary and Metastatic Colorectal Cancer-Derived Organoids Predict Response to Chemotherapy and Chemoradiation. Cancers (Basel). 2026 May 13;18(10):1587. doi: 10.3390/cancers18101587. PMID: 42192947; PMCID: PMC13205027.
For any given therapy, there are typically a range of patient responses. Dr. Deming’s team examined the response of tumor-derived patient organoid samples to drug treatment in vitro and demonstrate here that this approach can predict the effectiveness of specific drug treatments for individual patients. This study paves the way for more individualized and effective chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients.