A new study found that fructose increases the spread of aggressive ovarian cancer by suppressing cholesterol production in neighboring cells. This discovery raises the possibility that simple dietary changes could influence cancer progression and potentially lead to new treatment strategies.
Researchers found that chemotherapy triggers an inflammatory cascade recruiting immune cells to protect the tumor, leading to chemoresistance. Blocking this pathway with existing drugs may restore chemotherapy sensitivity.
Researchers developed a novel DNA delivery platform to deliver bispecific T cell engagers (BTEs), improving how T cells recognize and attack cancer. The approach uses an antibody 'knob' that accurately fits with an 'hole', delivering BTEs directly within the body, reducing manufacturing costs and treatment burden.
Researchers have created a single-dose DNA method that produces weight loss and blood glucose control in murine models lasting up to 10 times longer than current therapies. The approach delivers instructions to cells to produce long-acting incretin hormones, eliminating the need for repeated dosing.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute and Temple University have identified a metabolic target that can help overcome chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. Elevated alpha-ketoglutarate activates an enzyme called TMLHE, which drives carnitine production and loosens the DNA-histone complex, allowing cells to access and fix damaged DNA.
Researchers have discovered a vulnerability in pancreatic cancer that could be targeted as a potential therapy. Damaged mitochondria leak double-stranded RNA within cancer cells, causing inflammation that fuels cancer growth.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have designed a two-vaccine approach targeting T cell receptors and cancer-specific mutations, significantly improving tumor control and survival in preclinical models. The combination therapy, developed in collaboration with Geneos Therapeutics, offers a promising new tool for treating T cell lymphom...
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have developed a new chimeric molecule that targets both Aurora kinase A and HSP90 proteins in cancer cells, improving its pharmacokinetic properties and increasing its exposure in the tumor. This approach could lead to more effective treatment with reduced side effects.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have developed an innovative HIV vaccine candidate that induces neutralizing antibodies against HIV after a single immunization in nonhuman primates. The approach could significantly shorten and simplify HIV vaccination protocols, making them more accessible worldwide.
Researchers found a previously unknown mechanism for how aggressive brain cancers reprogram immune system cells. By inhibiting glucose metabolism and lactate accumulation, they eliminated the neutrophils' ability to suppress immune responses.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute's HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center have identified a new approach using natural killer cells to target and kill HIV-positive cells. CD64 expression enhances binding activity for holding onto antigen-specific antibodies, allowing for specific targeting and killing of infected cells.
Researchers identified S6K2 as a potential target for treating NRAS MUT melanoma, which accounts for 30% of all melanoma cases. The team found that silencing S6K2 killed cancer cells by disrupting lipid metabolism, and combining treatment with two compounds improved therapeutic outcomes.
Researchers at the Wistar Institute have designed a novel trispecific antibody that targets glioblastoma antigens, providing long-term survival and sustained antitumor efficacy in heterogeneous GBM challenge models. The treatment promotes antitumor cytotoxicity with patient immune cells.
Researchers have discovered a critical component in the development of neural cells, revealing its role in maintaining cellular identity and early neural fate commitment. This finding provides valuable insights into neurodevelopmental syndromes and suggests new potential solutions.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have discovered a new combination therapy approach that shrinks tumors and improves survival rates in metastatic ovarian cancer. By activating myeloid cells, the treatment overcomes immunosuppression around tumors and makes them more receptive to chemotherapy.
Researchers from the Wistar Institute and University of Buea have discovered HIV latency reversing properties in Croton oligandrus, an African plant used in traditional healing. The study confirms that four out of six isolated compounds reverse HIV latency in vitro, with some synergizing for improved strength.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a novel series of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors that effectively inhibit viral replication in vitro against multiple COVID variants. These compounds also synergize with existing antivirals, offering promise for developing future therapies.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have developed a new, long-lasting antibody treatment called Persistent Multivalent T Cell Engager (CA9-PMTE) that targets clear cell renal cell carcinoma. This innovative therapy has shown promise in pre-clinical models and could potentially be used to treat other difficult-to-treat cancers.
Researchers discovered how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B cells contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) inflammation and disease. A new treatment strategy targeting these problematic cells may offer a selectively cytotoxic approach to MS therapy.
Glioblastoma suppresses immune system by inducing pro-tumor macrophages via glucose-based epigenetic modification, allowing tumor growth. Targeting PERK enzyme may be a viable strategy to fight deadly brain cancer.
A new clinical trial demonstrates a novel, personalized neoantigen vaccine therapy showed promising anti-tumor efficacy in patients with liver cancer who failed their original front-line treatment. The therapy induced potent induction of T cell immunity and regressed tumors in preclinical model studies.
Researchers have identified a 'sugar signature' in the blood of people living with HIV that may accelerate biological aging and inflammation. The findings could lead to new strategies for mitigating the negative effects of chronic viral infections.
Researchers found a significant connection between disrupted gut microbiomes, increased intestinal permeability, and faster biological aging in people living with chronic HIV infection. The study highlights specific bacteria as potential accelerators of aging, opening new avenues for developing strategies to mitigate these effects.
Researchers successfully tested a simple intervention that boosts T cells' ability to destroy human tumors using fenofibrate. The treatment improves the efficacy of CD8+ T cell therapy for melanoma by providing an alternative energy source, thereby enhancing cancer-killing power.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have engineered novel monoclonal antibodies that engage Natural Killer cells through Siglec-7, a conserved glyco-immune marker, to fight against cancer. These new approaches demonstrate preclinical feasibility and potential for treating treatment-resistant ovarian cancers.
Researchers have identified a potential new treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, a form of breast cancer with limited treatment options. Silencing the ACSS2 gene improves existing treatments and boosts antitumor immunity, drastically reducing tumor growth.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered a potential target for gastric cancers associated with the Epstein-Barr Virus. Decitabine treatment disrupts the cancer's epigenetic profile, reactivating the lytic cycle of the latent EBV and leading to cell death.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have uncovered a key mechanism by which the p53 gene suppresses tumors. They discovered that a specific genetic variant, found in African Americans, triggers immune function that kills tumors.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute identified hopeaphenol as a plant-based compound that targets HIV reservoirs, reducing stress on the immune system and potentially decreasing age-related conditions. The compound was found to inhibit viral reactivation, blocking replication and production of new viruses in infected cells.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have discovered a gene signature that accurately predicts the functioning of P53 variants, enabling better assessment of cancer risk and optimizing treatment choices. This breakthrough knowledge could be used to screen individuals with genetic variants of P53 and inform them about their cancer risk.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered a correlation between mitochondrial dysfunction and aggressive pancreatic cancer. An 11-gene signature indicative of mitochondrial reprogramming in tumors has been identified, which correlates with poor patient outcomes and treatment resistance.
Researchers found mutations in leukocyte and T-cell proliferation regulation processes that contribute to ICI treatment response and resistance. The study provides a framework to develop predictors for melanoma, potentially enhancing responses and increasing patient numbers.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute and Jubilant Therapeutics Inc. found that PAD4 inhibition in neutrophils reduces primary tumor growth and metastasis, enhancing checkpoint inhibitor treatments. This novel mechanism targets PMN-MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment, presenting a potent anti-tumor effect.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute discovered that the enzyme ADAR1 plays a crucial role in regulating cellular senescence and tissue aging through a mechanism independent of RNA editing. This finding may lead to new therapeutic strategies for age-related disorders, such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular disease.
A novel DNA-delivered antibody approach has advanced to clinical trials to prevent COVID-19. The approach utilizes the body's own cells to produce targeted protective antibodies, simplifying the development and production process for biologics.
Wistar scientists have identified a novel therapeutic approach that inhibits the gene KDM5A, which improves immune cell infiltration and attack on tumors. This approach has shown promising results in both in vitro and in vivo studies, including reduced tumor burden and improved survival rates in mice with ovarian cancer.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have developed a DNA-encoded immunogen that produces tier-2 neutralizing antibodies in mice, opening up new possibilities for HIV vaccine development. The study demonstrates the potential of using native-like trimer to generate broadly neutralizing antibody responses.
The novel vaccine combines immune focusing and self-assembling nanoparticles to elicit a strong protective response. In animal studies, it showed higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than existing vaccines and protected mice from death in lethal challenge experiments.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute discovered a potential pathway to develop therapeutics targeting Epstein-Barr virus by exploiting its use of host cell proteins. One protein, PARP1, is already targeted by the existing drug olaparib, suggesting a new treatment option for EBV-positive lymphomas.
A Phase 2 clinical trial will assess the safety and efficacy of VK-2019 in patients with recurrent or progressing EBV-positive NPC. The treatment targets the underlying driver of growth, EBV, to potentially treat other EBV-related cancers.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute have identified genes that help ovarian cancer evade the immune system. These findings could lead to more effective immunotherapy for ovarian and other types of cancer.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute identified a glyco-immune checkpoint interaction that allows HIV-infected cells to evade immune surveillance. They developed a novel approach to selectively target these interactions, enabling killer cells to attack and kill infected cells in a selective manner.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute discovered that loss of ARID1A function enhances a cellular stress response pathway that promotes survival of cancer cells, making them sensitive to pharmacological inhibition. This finding points to a new therapeutic opportunity for ovarian clear cell carcinomas with ARID1A mutations.
Researchers found that Parkin, a tumor suppressor, blocks tumor growth and invasion by inhibiting metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial function. This study demonstrates that altering cancer cell metabolism is a potent driver of disease.
Researchers discovered APA's function in allowing certain mRNAs to reach specific sites of protein synthesis, shedding light on mRNA metabolism. APA impacts the connection between mRNAs and the endoplasmic reticulum, enabling signaling proteins to be encoded in specific cellular locations.
Scientists have identified biomarkers that predict HIV remission after antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption, which could help develop new therapeutic strategies for infection control. These biomarkers provide insights into the biological mechanisms controlling HIV replication and may aid in designing novel cure strategies.
A team of scientists identified a critical checkpoint mechanism that fine-tunes gene transcription and is implicated in cancer. By targeting this mechanism, researchers found promising results in preclinical models of solid and hematopoietic malignancies.
A synthetic DNA vaccine for MERS-CoV induced robust antibody neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune responses, protecting against MERS-CoV in NHP models. The low-dose regimen with intradermal delivery was more impactful in controlling disease than the higher dose delivered intramuscularly.
Scientists at The Wistar Institute have discovered a new mechanism by which senescent cells activate genes that promote tumor development. METTL3 and METTL14 proteins were found to regulate the expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, a complex network of inflammatory molecules that influence tumor growth.
The ADAR1p110 isoform regulates genome stability at chromosome ends, preventing R-loop accumulation and preserving telomere stability. In cancer cells, depletion of ADAR1p110 leads to extensive telomeric DNA damage and arrested proliferation.