Glioblastoma exhibits sex-specific differences in disease progression, incidence and immune regulation. Now, Pathak et al. identify GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) as a key driver of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell-mediated glioblastoma progression in women.

Nature Reviews Cancer, Published online: 28 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41568-026-00958-4In this Review, Hong and Li explore how defects in DNA damage response (DDR) pathways shape tumour immunogenicity and influence responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors. They highlight shared immunological consequences across distinct DDR alterations, discuss mechanisms of resistance and evaluate therapeutic strategies integrating DDR-targeting agents with immunotherapy to improve clinical outcomes.

This Review by Imianowski et al. outlines the various contributions that regulatory T cells, present in the tumour microenvironment, make towards tumour progression and highlight the ways in which they represent attractive next-generation immunotherapeutic targets.

Nanoparticle surfaces can be engineered for targeted delivery of cancer therapies. In this Review, Gomerdinger, Nabar and Hammond outline the role of surface chemistry at all levels of nanoparticle trafficking, from administration route, to tissue accumulation, cellular targeting and ultimately subcellular localization. They emphasize the utility of non-covalent surface modifications for improving stealth and targeting abilities of nanoparticles for cancer.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has a central role in mounting effective and durable antitumour immunity. In this Review, Hwang et al. outline how tumour-induced ER stress responses alter the function of intratumoural immune cells and the efficacy of immunotherapy, highlighting the potential of unfolded protein response-targeted interventions to improve cancer outcomes.

Cancer prevention vaccines have reduced cancer-related mortalities, yet therapeutic cancer vaccine development and clinical translation continues to face challenges. Here, Zaidi, Jaffee and Yarchoan summarize the failures of cancer vaccines of the past, to highlight recent advancements in the field.

Immune responses are complex, often defying rigid classifications. Instead of interpreting results according to reductionist categories, researchers should rely on comprehensive single-cell data to guide analysis and should remain open to unexpected immunological complexity.

Melanoma exhibits distinct patterns of organ-specific spread. Now, Gurung et al. find that age-based variations in stromal lipid species dictate melanoma metastatic tropism to the liver.

Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a critically important role in facilitating tumour cell invasion during metastasis. They also modulate local…