Topics and Trends in Most Cited Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research Papers, Class of 2026

What topics and trends defined most-cited Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research research in the Class of 2026?

Ferroptosis, lipid peroxidation, and long non-coding RNAs dominate the most impactful cancer molecular mechanism research of 2024. While targeted topics like immune evasion surged significantly, broader subjects like biomarkers and metastasis saw a relative decline compared to the previous year.

See details ↓

Updated July 19, 2026

At a glance

Field: Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research
Cohort label: Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed: 12,024
Papers ranked: 20
Top topics in ranked papers: Ferroptosis, Lipid peroxidation, Long non-coding RNA, N6-methyladenosine (m6A)
Publication window: Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility: Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window: 18 months post-publication
18m citation range: 56–178
Data source: OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License: CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 12,024

17818m citations

miRTarBase 2025: updates to the collection of experimentally validated microRNA–target interactions

Shidong Cui et al.Nucleic Acids Research202410.1093/nar/gkae1072

Liang WangThe Chinese University of Hong Kong, China

microRNAexperimentally validated MTIsdrug resistanceBiomarkerstoxicity assessmentoxidized miRNA sequencesoxidative modificationsLLAMA3 modelNLP pipelineprompt engineeringtherapeutic agentsmolecular oncologydrug development

Badge

#2 of 12,024

16718m citations

Phospholipids with two polyunsaturated fatty acyl tails promote ferroptosis

Baiyu Qiu et al.Cell202410.1016/j.cell.2024.01.030

Brent R. StockwellColumbia University, United States

Ferroptosisphospholipidspolyunsaturated fatty acyl tailsLipid peroxidationPUFA-containing phospholipidsCell deathOxidative stressmembrane lipid compositionacyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4ACSL4arachidonic acidlipid remodeling

Badge

#3 of 12,024

10818m citations

Zeb1 mediates EMT/plasticity-associated ferroptosis sensitivity in cancer cells by regulating lipogenic enzyme expression and phospholipid composition

Annemarie Schwab, Zhigang Rao, Simone Brabletz, Andreas Koeberle, Thomas Brabletz et al.Nature Cell Biology202410.1038/s41556-024-01464-1

Andreas Koeberle, Thomas BrabletzFriedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

ZEB1Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)Ferroptosisphospholipid compositionpolyunsaturated fatty acidsmonounsaturated fatty acidsstearoyl-CoA desaturase 1fatty acid synthasefatty acid desaturase 2elongation of very long-chain fatty acid 5long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4TGF-β signalingtherapy resistanceLipid peroxidationSCD inhibitorsFADS2 inhibitorslipogenic enzyme regulationmesenchymal phenotype

Badge

#4 of 12,024

10518m citations

Targeting and engineering long non-coding RNAs for cancer therapy

Michela Coan et al.Nature Reviews Genetics202410.1038/s41576-024-00693-2

Rory JohnsonUniversity College Dublin, Ireland

Long non-coding RNACancer therapyAntisense oligonucleotidesRNA interferenceCRISPR-Cas systemsRNA therapeuticsRNA delivery systems

Badge

#5 of 12,024

9218m citations

Claudin 18.2 as a novel therapeutic target

Izuma Nakayama, Changsong Qi et al.Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology202410.1038/s41571-024-00874-2

Lin Shen, Kohei ShitaraNational Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan

CLDN18.2Therapeutic targetgastric cancerpancreatic cancertight junction proteinzolbetuximabmonoclonal antibody therapytumor-associated antigenantibody-drug conjugateCAR-T cell therapyCancer immunotherapy

Badge

#6 of 12,024

8818m citations

PD-1 signaling limits expression of phospholipid phosphatase 1 and promotes intratumoral CD8+ T cell ferroptosis

Yu Ping et al.Immunity202410.1016/j.immuni.2024.08.003

Yi ZhangZhengzhou University, China

PD-1 signalingphospholipid phosphatase 1CD8+ T cellsFerroptosisT cell exhaustionLipid peroxidationimmune checkpointtumor microenvironmentTumor immunityimmunotherapy resistance

Badge

#7 of 12,024

8818m citations

Lactate reprograms glioblastoma immunity through CBX3-regulated histone lactylation

Shuai Wang et al.Journal of Clinical Investigation202410.1172/jci176851

Dimitris G. Placantonakis, Jeremy N. RichUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center, United States

Gliomahistone lactylationlactateCBX3CD47phagocytosismicrogliaMacrophagesEP300histone acetyltransferaselactyl-CoAanti-CD47 therapyTumor microenvironmentMetabolic reprogrammingglycolysisImmune evasionepigenetic reprogrammingheterochromatintumor-associated macrophages

Badge

#8 of 12,024

7518m citations

Itaconate transporter SLC13A3 impairs tumor immunity via endowing ferroptosis resistance

Heng Lin et al.Cancer Cell202410.1016/j.ccell.2024.10.010

Heng LinUniversity of Michigan, United States

SLC13A3SLC1A1FerroptosisImmune checkpoint blockadetumor microenvironmenttumor-associated macrophagesNrf2immune-mediated ferroptosisACOD1SLC13A3 inhibitorimmunometabolic targetmacrophage-derived itaconateICB resistanceTumor immunitystructural modelingmolecular docking

Badge

#9 of 12,024

7118m citations

OPA1 promotes ferroptosis by augmenting mitochondrial ROS and suppressing an integrated stress response

Felix G Liang et al.Molecular Cell202410.1016/j.molcel.2024.07.020

Richard N. KitsisAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, United States

OPA1FerroptosisMitochondrial reactive oxygen speciesIntegrated stress responsemitochondrial dynamicsLipid peroxidationGPX4cristae remodelingiron-dependent cell deathOxidative stressMitochondrial functionreactive oxygen speciesCell death

Badge

#10 of 12,024

6918m citations

RNA m5C oxidation by TET2 regulates chromatin state and leukaemogenesis

Zhongyu Zou, Xiaoyang Dou, Ying Li et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07969-x

Mingjiang Xu, Chuan HeThe University of Chicago, United States

TET2RNA m5C oxidationchromatin state regulationmyeloid malignancyMBD6H2AK119ubretrotransposon RNADNA 5-methylcytosine oxidationhaematopoietic stem cell self-renewalopen chromatinmethyl-CpG-binding-domain proteinTET2-mutant leukaemiaTET2 deficiencyGene regulationleukaemogenesishaematopoiesis defectsTherapeutic target

Badge

#11 of 12,024

6618m citations

Spatial transcriptomics reveals discrete tumour microenvironments and autocrine loops within ovarian cancer subclones

Elena Denisenko et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-47271-y

Elena Denisenko, Paul A. Cohen, Yu Yu, Alistair R. R. ForrestHarry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Australia

High-grade serous ovarian carcinomaHGSOCspatial transcriptomicsVisium spatial transcriptomicsCosMx single molecule imagingTumor heterogeneityCopy number variationTumor microenvironmentcell-to-cell communication analysisautocrine loopsligand-receptor expressionstromal cellsimmune cell populationsfibroblastsendothelial cellsChemotherapy resistancesubclone-specific signalling

Badge

#12 of 12,024

6618m citations

crVDAC3 alleviates ferroptosis by impeding HSPB1 ubiquitination and confers trastuzumab deruxtecan resistance in HER2-low breast cancer

Yutian Zou et al.Drug Resistance Updates202410.1016/j.drup.2024.101126

Jindong Xie, Tao Wu, Zhigang Zhou, Xiaoming Xie, Jin WangSun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, China

crVDAC3FerroptosisHSPB1Ubiquitinationtrastuzumab deruxtecanHER2-low breast cancerdrug resistanceVDAC3antibody-drug conjugate resistance

Badge

#13 of 12,024

6518m citations

NF-κB role on tumor proliferation, migration, invasion and immune escape

Afrasyab Khan et al.Cancer Gene Therapy202410.1038/s41417-024-00811-6

Yongzhong HouJiangsu University, China

NF-κBCell proliferationCell migration and invasionImmune evasionCancer progressionMetastasistumor microenvironmentNF-κB signaling pathwayTherapeutic target

Badge

#14 of 12,024

6018m citations

A non-canonical role for a small nucleolar RNA in ribosome biogenesis and senescence

Yujing Cheng et al.Cell202410.1016/j.cell.2024.06.019

Joshua T. MendellUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United States

SNORA13small nucleolar RNAcellular senescenceribosome biogenesispseudouridylationribosomal decoding centerfree ribosomal proteinsRPL2360S ribosomal subunitp53 activationp53-mediated senescencegenome-wide screenoncogene-induced senescencenon-canonical snoRNA functionribosomal protein accumulationTranslation regulationnucleolar stress response

Badge

#15 of 12,024

6018m citations

PTBP1 Lactylation Promotes Glioma Stem Cell Maintenance through PFKFB4-Driven Glycolysis

Zijian Zhou, Xianyong Yin, Hao Sun et al.Cancer Research202410.1158/0008-5472.can-24-1412

Zijian Zhou, Xianyong Yin, Hao SunThe First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, China

PTBP1 lactylationGliomaPFKFB4glycolysislysine lactylationSIRT1K436 lactylationTRIM21UbiquitinationRNA-binding capacitymRNA stabilizationMetabolic reprogrammingepigenetic modificationspolypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1lactate accumulationGSC maintenanceRNA processing

Badge

#16 of 12,024

5918m citations

SOX17 enables immune evasion of early colorectal adenomas and cancers

Peter M K Westcott, Saori Goto et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07135-3

Judith Agudo, Ömer H. YilmazMassachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

SOX17Immune evasionColorectal cancerTumorigenesistumor microenvironmentImmune infiltrationGene regulationTumor immunity

Badge

#17 of 12,024

5818m citations

Mitophagy mediated by BNIP3 and NIX protects against ferroptosis by downregulating mitochondrial reactive oxygen species

Shun-Ichi Yamashita et al.Cell Death and Differentiation202410.1038/s41418-024-01280-y

Shun‐ichi Yamashita, Tomotake KankiNiigata University, Japan

MitophagyBNIP3NIXFerroptosisMitochondrial reactive oxygen speciesmitochondrial quality controlOxidative stressCell death

Badge

#18 of 12,024

5718m citations

Revealing the role of serum exosomal novel long non-coding RNA NAMPT-AS as a promising diagnostic/prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer patients

Nehal I Rizk et al.Life Sciences202410.1016/j.lfs.2024.122850

Mohamed M. Kamal, Nadia Μ. HamdyHeliopolis University, Egypt

Long non-coding RNANAMPT-ASColorectal cancerBiomarkersExosomeliquid biopsy

Badge

#19 of 12,024

5618m citations

Targeted activation of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer via LGR4 targeting overcomes acquired drug resistance

Hao Zheng, Jinming Liu, Qi Cheng et al.Nature Cancer202410.1038/s43018-023-00715-8

Quan ChenNankai University, China

FerroptosisColorectal cancerLGR4acquired drug resistancetargeted activationLGR4 targeting

Badge

#20 of 12,024

5618m citations

Integrative analysis of genomic and epigenomic regulation reveals miRNA mediated tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion in lower grade glioma

Zhen Yang, Xiaocen Liu, Hao Xu et al.Communications Biology202410.1038/s42003-024-06488-9

Zhen Yang, Kun Lv, Hui YangFudan University, China

microRNADNA methylationCopy number variationmiRNA expression dysregulationGliomapromoter methylationMulti-omics integrationImmune evasionimmunotherapy responseCell migration and invasionCell proliferationTumor heterogeneityprognosis-related miRNAsimmune regulationpatient stratificationbiomarkers for immunotherapy

Badge

Topic trends

Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

Ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation are the most prominent themes defining the 2024 cohort for cancer molecular mechanisms, reflecting a deep, growing interest in targeting alternative cell death pathways for cancer therapy. Non-coding RNAs, particularly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and epigenetic modifications like N6-methyladenosine (m6A) also feature heavily, underscoring the critical role of post-transcriptional regulation in tumor progression. The prominence of these highly specific molecular mechanisms highlights a broader shift towards precision oncology and the search for novel therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancer cells.

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition from the 2023 to 2024 cohort reveals a notable shift towards specialized, actionable mechanisms. Topics like immune evasion and cancer immunotherapy saw the most significant growth, with immune evasion experiencing an impressive 3.5-fold increase in relative frequency. Ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation also continued to rise. Conversely, broader, more traditional topics such as biomarkers, cell death, and metastasis decreased in relative prominence. This trend indicates a maturing field where researchers are increasingly focusing on the precise molecular interactions that drive therapeutic resistance and immune escape, rather than general tumor characteristics.

Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodology GitHub bioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/cancer-related-molecular-mechanisms-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-19.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459