Mays Cancer Center Annual Report
What does the cancer journey look like? One depiction is a mosaic — a composite of the thousands of patients, family members and friends, caregivers, physicians, providers and researchers who have joined the battle to end cancer so that every cancer journey can become a survivor story. At the Mays Cancer Center, we strive every day to find new therapies, to increase the diversity of participants in our clinical trials and to expand rehabilitation opportunities to more patients, because we know that every cancer journey gives us all a reason to fight.
Story Highlights
Our Mission
In 2025, the Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas at San Antonio continued advancing its mission as the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in South Texas, expanding access to research, clinical innovation and patient-centered care across the region. This year marked significant momentum across our research and clinical enterprise. With more than […]
Cracking cancer’s code: New research identifies novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia treatment
By Claire Kowalick Despite advances in cancer treatment in recent years, five-year survival rates for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain low at just 30% on average, according to the National Cancer Institute. Factors in the development of AML are diverse and have many different drivers. A longtime goal for scientists in this field is to […]
Drug-discovery breakthrough for large and polar drugs: Discovery of chemical endocytosis could redefine precision medicine
By Claire Kowalick A team of scientists, notably Zhengyu Wang, PhD, assistant professor in the department of pharmacology at The University of Texas at San Antonio and the Barshop Institute, led by Hong-yu Li, PhD, professor of medicinal chemistry and chemical biology with the department of pharmacology and the Barshop Institute, together with two other […]
Targeted drug offers hope for safe, effective senolytic treatment for liver disease, cancer
By Claire Kowalick San Antonio has one of the highest rates of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in the United States, largely driven by high rates of obesity and diabetes in the region. This chronic liver condition can lead to serious health conditions including severe liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and liver cancer, posing a […]
Drug found to double survival time for glioblastoma patients
By Steven Lee A drug developed at The University of Texas at San Antonio has been shown to extend survival for patients with glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Results of a trial led by the university revealed that a unique investigational drug formulation called Rhenium Obisbemeda (186RNL) more than doubled median […]
Uncovering how some cancers outsmart the immune system
By Claire Kowalick For years, scientists have found the overexpression of a specific protein called FOXM1 in a wide range of cancers, including ovarian, breast and pediatric cancers. A recent study by scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio has now led to understanding its exact role in cancer development and is the […]
