Two mechanistic studies revealed how microenvironmental features blunt cancer therapy: MD Anderson researchers showed tumor‑infiltrating Fusobacterium nucleatum drives reversible cancer cell quiescence and chemo‑resistance in colorectal and oral cancers, while a Cell paper from Harvard described melanoma cell surface 'CRATERs'—domains that concentrate CD8+ T cells and predict immunotherapy‑associated killing. MD Anderson’s spatial and preclinical analyses linked bacterial accumulation between epithelial cells to lower transcriptional activity, immune evasion and impaired chemotherapy response. The authors proposed targeting intratumoral microbes as a route to sensitize tumors. Zon’s zebrafish and human tissue work on CRATERs identified discrete antigen‑presentation pockets where sustained T cell engagement leads to apoptosis; immunotherapy increased CRATER coverage and correlated with tumor cell death. Together, the studies point to microenvironmental and microbial determinants of therapeutic success and new targets for combination strategies.