An Article DOI is Not Proof of Digital Preservation

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A March 2024 Nature paper entitled “More than 2 million research papers have disappeared from the Internet” shed some much needed light on the fact that just because an article is published in a journal that assigns DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers), authors should NOT automatically assume that this publisher is also taking the needed measures to ensure that the digital content (that its DOIs are pointing to) is being preserved.

And journal content that is not digitally preserved can – and has, as per these articles – gone missing from the Internet:

Learn more about how to ensure that your publications are digitally archived for posterity so that they never disappear from the Internet.

Questions? Ask Us at the MSK Library!

New eBook: Clinical Immuno-Oncology

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A new eBook has been added to the MSK Library collection, Clinical Immuno-Oncology. This eBook offers focused, practical, and up-to-date content on immunotherapies used to treat a wide variety of cancer types. It covers the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cancer initiation and progression, and reviews the development of tumor specific antigens and the challenges of developing cancer immunotherapies. This resource explains the basics of cancer immunotherapy, discusses best practices, and provides recommendations from experienced clinicians in the field.

ClinicalKey eBooks are readable online; in order to download a PDF you will need to create a personal account with Elsevier/ClinicalKey. To register for a new account on ClinicalKey, click the “Register” link in the top right while on the ClinicalKey platform. Enter your name and MSKCC email on the registration form.

If you have any questions or issues, please email resources@mskcc.org

Chronic Stress Connection to Cancer Explained, Taking from Cancer to Fight Cancer, and More

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  • In a mice experiment, researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory got an insight into the exact nature of the connection between cancer and psychological stress. The researchers discovered that stress hormones called glucocorticoids impacted the neutrophils (white blood cells), forming structures called NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps). Usually, NETs play a positive role in immune defense in the body, but “in cancer, NETs create a metastasis-friendly environment.” The study was published in Cancer Cell.
  • Researchers at the University of Virginia Cancer Center identified a new, more efficient than existing methods, way to identify high-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia. By measuring specific molecules in cancer cells, the new method helps identify patients at risk of poor outcomes and how well patients would respond to treatments. In the future, the technique may lead to more personalized treatments and better outcomes for patients with blood cancer. This research was published in Blood Advances.
  • Researchers from UC San Francisco (UCSF) and Northwestern University borrowed from cancer stratagems to fight cancer by using a specific mutation found in lymphoma to drastically increase the potency of normal human T cells in killing cancer cells without triggering side effects. Also, while current immunotherapies are used only against hematological cancers, the T cells engineered by Northwestern U and UCSF could kill solid tumors – “tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach in mice.” Human trials can be expected in the future. An article reporting on this research was published in Nature.
  • In a preclinical study, researchers from Columbia University and other institutions explored a molecule called Malat1, responsible for activating breast cancer dormant cells and triggering metastasis. By deleting the Malat1 gene, researchers were able to suppress cancer’s ability to metastasize. Extended to humans in the future, this research may eventually lead to better treatments and improved patient outcomes. The study was published in Nature Cancer.
  • Researchers from Vanderbilt University developed a way to kill a tumor by “disrupting its acidic “microenvironment” without harming normal tissue”. The method targets hydroxyapatite (HAP), a naturally occurring mineral also produced by some tumors. The study was published in Cancer Medicine.