July 17, 2025
FOXM1 protein identified as key driver in immunotherapy resistance, unlocking new therapeutic avenues
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 Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has now led to understanding its exact role in cancer development and is the first study to define the cascade of events that FOXM1 initiates to help cancer cells escape immune detection. The study, published in April 2025 in Nature Communications, examines how this key protein allows several types of cancer to evade the immune system. The insight opens the door to more effective immunotherapies, personalized treatments, and even therapies to prevent cancer recurrence.
“In many cancers, FOXM1 expression is high, but it was unclear how and whether it contributed to immune evasion,” said Manjeet Rao, PhD, professor in the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, deputy director of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, and Greehey Distinguished Chair in pediatric heme-malignancies at UT Health San Antonio. “We discovered that FOXM1 has an amazing ability to support cancer cell survival and progression by dampening the anti-tumor immune response.”