MD Anderson researchers reported that tumor‑infiltrating Fusobacterium nucleatum can induce reversible quiescence in epithelial cancer cells, impair immune detection and blunt chemotherapy responses in oral and colorectal cancers. Spatial and preclinical analyses linked bacteria‑rich tumor regions to lower transcriptional activity and poorer treatment outcomes, pointing to microbes as actionable contributors to resistance. Complementary Cell work from Leonard Zon’s lab identified specialized cancer‑cell surface domains (termed CRATERs) where CD8+ T cells concentrate and sustain killing; immunotherapy increased CRATER area and apoptotic events. Together the studies expose multiple, spatially defined mechanisms by which tumors evade immune and drug assaults and suggest new biomarker and interventional strategies that account for microbial and topological tumor features.