COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., Jan. 2, 2025 — The varying responses of cancer patients to treatment pose a significant challenge. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the University of Pennsylvania have identified a potential explanation for this variability in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common adult kidney cancer.

CSHL Assistant Professor Katherine Alexander, working with Professor Shelley Berger’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania, has discovered two distinct patterns of nuclear speckles in kidney tumor cells. Importantly, their research suggests a possible link between these patterns and patient outcomes. As Dr. Alexander explains, the effectiveness of different therapies may depend on the speckle pattern, potentially allowing for tailored treatment based on the patient’s specific speckle configuration. Further research is needed to confirm this.

Nuclear speckles, discovered over a century ago, are tiny structures within the cell nucleus believed to interact with DNA and regulate gene expression. Alexander’s study shows two speckle patterns in ccRCC: a normal-like pattern concentrated in the nucleus center and an aberrant pattern showing more dispersed speckles.

While the exact impact of these patterns on patient outcomes is still unclear, Professor Berger notes that this discovery could pave the way for more personalized cancer therapies. Dr. Alexander emphasizes the potential to select more effective treatments based on a tumor’s speckle pattern, thereby reducing the harsh side effects of conventional cancer treatments.

The team also analyzed speckles in over 20 other cancer types; however, only ccRCC exhibited a correlation between speckle patterns and patient outcomes. Their research suggests that the protein HIF-2𝛼, frequently overactive in ccRCC, may play a crucial role. The Alexander lab will investigate this further in collaboration with researchers at CSHL’s Cancer Center.

Dr. Alexander’s ongoing research aims to fully understand the role of nuclear speckles in cancer, striving to improve treatment strategies for cancer patients.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. Home to eight Nobel Prize winners, the private, not-for-profit Laboratory employs 1,000 people including 600 scientists, students and technicians. For more information, visit 

SOURCE Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory