From mRNA vaccines to mobile screening vans, Sylvester maps its cancer research priorities

Cancer centers produce tip sheets the way factories produce widgets - monthly, reliably, and in standardized format. But the March 2026 roundup from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami contains several threads worth pulling on, from an mRNA-based therapy designed to boost immunotherapy response in colorectal cancer to liquid biopsy data suggesting that a single genomic snapshot at diagnosis may not be enough for managing advanced prostate cancer.

Training the immune system with mRNA

Kevin Van der Jeught, a researcher at Sylvester, has received a $72,000 Stanley J. Glaser Foundation Award to develop an experimental mRNA-based immunotherapy strategy for colorectal cancer. The approach aims to enhance patients' immune response to anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors - drugs that work by removing a molecular brake that tumors use to evade immune detection.

The problem is that checkpoint inhibitors work well in some cancer types but help only a minority of colorectal cancer patients. Van der Jeught's project uses mRNA technology - the same platform that powered COVID-19 vaccines - to train immune cells to better recognize and attack tumor cells, potentially expanding the pool of patients who respond to immunotherapy.

This is preclinical work heading toward an early-phase clinical trial at Sylvester. Whether mRNA can meaningfully improve checkpoint inhibitor response rates in colorectal cancer remains to be demonstrated in humans, and the timeline for trial results stretches years into the future.

Exercise as medicine during chemotherapy

A separate Sylvester-led study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity examined whether structured exercise during breast cancer chemotherapy improves quality of life. The answer was yes - measurably so, with improvements in mood, energy, and overall well-being.

This is not a new idea. Exercise oncology has been building evidence for over a decade. But the Sylvester study adds to a growing body of data suggesting that exercise should be considered a standard component of cancer care rather than an optional complement. Lead author LaShae D. Rolle emphasized that quality of life should be treated as a central outcome during treatment, not something addressed only after chemotherapy ends.

Liquid biopsies reveal prostate cancer's shape-shifting

Perhaps the most clinically significant finding in the roundup involves metastatic prostate cancer. A Sylvester study published in Clinical Cancer Research used serial liquid biopsies - blood tests that detect tumor DNA circulating in the bloodstream - to track how the cancer evolves under treatment pressure.

The key finding: androgen receptor (AR) alterations consistently emerged over time and were linked to poorer outcomes across different therapies. This matters because it suggests that a one-time genomic test at diagnosis may give an incomplete picture. The tumor changes as it is treated, acquiring new mutations that can render initially effective drugs useless.

The implication is that real-time molecular monitoring through repeated liquid biopsies could guide more personalized treatment adjustments. But serial liquid biopsy monitoring adds cost and complexity to clinical care, and the optimal frequency and timing of testing remain undefined.

Prevention on wheels

Beyond laboratory research, Sylvester highlighted its mobile outreach program, Game Changer, which brings cancer screening directly to underserved South Florida neighborhoods. For many residents, cancer screening does not begin in a clinic - it begins when a Sylvester vehicle arrives in their community, offering free screenings, education, and referrals.

The program is part of Sylvester's broader community engagement strategy, led by Erin Kobetz, and represents the kind of practical public health infrastructure that can reduce cancer disparities in populations that face barriers to accessing traditional healthcare.

The center also announced that the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, an annual ride, run, and walk event, has surpassed $100 million raised for Sylvester since its launch in 2010. All participant-raised funds go directly to research and patient care.

A pancreatic cancer immunotherapy push

Surgical oncologist Jashodeep Datta also received a Glaser Foundation Award for work on pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. His research focuses on blocking the interleukin-1 (IL-1) inflammatory pathway, which tumors can exploit to suppress immune response. The team plans to translate this into an investigator-initiated clinical trial combining IL-1 pathway blockade with existing treatments for patients with operable pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has resisted immunotherapy more stubbornly than almost any other cancer type. Whether targeting IL-1 can crack that resistance remains to be seen, and clinical trials in this space have a sobering track record of promising preclinical results that fail to translate.

Collectively, Sylvester's March roundup reflects a center working across multiple fronts - from molecular biology to community outreach - with the understanding that reducing cancer's burden requires both scientific innovation and practical action at the neighborhood level.