Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a novel triple immunotherapy combination targeting checkpoints in T cells and myeloid suppressor cells, improving anti-tumor responses and survival rates in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. The study found that neutralizing specific immunosuppressive mechanisms dramatical...
A wafer-thin device called NICHE has been developed to treat Type 1 diabetes by delivering islet cells and immunotherapy directly into the body. The device restored healthy glucose levels and eliminated symptoms for over 150 days, avoiding severe adverse effects of anti-rejection therapy.
Researchers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a preclinical evaluation pipeline for characterization of bacterial therapies in lung cancer models. They combined bacterial therapies with other modalities of treatment to improve treatment efficacy without any additional toxicity.
The CodeBreaK 100 trial demonstrates meaningful anticancer activity with sotorasib in heavily pretreated patients with KRAS G12C-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer. The results show an objective response rate of 21.1% and a median time-to-response of 1.5 months.
Smidt Heart Institute researchers have identified a way to control the natural 'fight back' response of heart cells against RNA therapies, leading to increased effectiveness. By targeting specific microRNAs, they were able to stabilize the heartbeat and boost gene expression.
UCSF researchers identified glioma's cellular source of recurrent disease, finding cells shift to mesenchymal, radiation-resistant phenotype in response to standard therapy. Paracrine signals from tumor microenvironment drive this transition through AP1 pathway, leading to therapy resistance and tumor recurrence.
Researchers investigate how lung cancers evade the immune system to develop more effective immunotherapy treatments. The study aims to uncover a new way lung cancers disguise themselves from the immune system, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes.
Researchers have demonstrated successful re-treatment with CAR T cell therapy for patients whose cancers relapsed after previous treatment. The novel fourth-generation CAR T therapy, huCART19-IL18, showed safe and potent antitumor efficacy in a Phase I clinical trial.
Researchers from The Mount Sinai Hospital found that talquetamab, a bispecific antibody, was successful in killing multiple myeloma cells in over 70% of patients. This therapy directs the immune system to target cancer cells and has shown promise even for those who have resisted all other treatments.
A team led by UMass Amherst scientist Margaret Stratton is studying the calcium-sensitive protein CaMKII to understand long-term memory and its potential therapeutic applications. The research has far-reaching implications for treating neurologic diseases, cardiac dysfunction, and infertility.
The TIL trial has demonstrated that cell therapy using patient's own immune cells is an extremely powerful immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, with significant shrinkage of metastases in half of patients. Progression-free survival after six months was 53%, significantly better than standard immunotherapy with ipilimumab.
A University of Ottawa-led team identified a new entry route for SARS-CoV-2 using metalloproteinases, which may lead to more widespread cell infection and severe illness. The study suggests that variants like the Delta strain may prefer this entry method, while others like Omicron do not.
Rice University researchers are developing implants that can produce and deliver monoclonal anti-HIV antibody therapeutics for at least a year. The project aims to reduce the cost and improve the logistics of HIV treatment, making it more accessible and beneficial for patients worldwide.
Researchers from Seoul National University identified genes that suppress T cell exhaustion and stimulate effector cells to kill cancer cells. They found that Klf4 enhances cytotoxic secretions and reinvigorates exhausted T cells.
Researchers at Texas A&M University engineered DARPins to block the interaction between the COVID-19 virus and host cells, significantly reducing disease progression. The nasal sprays showed effectiveness against various variants, including omicron, and could provide a lower-cost therapeutic option for those at high risk.
Nucleic acid therapies aim to treat genetic disorders and diseases, but delivering therapeutics is a significant challenge. Researchers are investigating nanoparticle delivery systems to target specific cells and sub-cellular compartments for effective delivery.
SourceWiley·JournalWiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology·DateNov 23, 2022
Researchers have engineered a family of adeno-associated viral vectors that can deliver cargo to the primate brain, offering a safer and more efficient way to treat genetic diseases. The PAL family of AAVs has been shown to be three times better at delivering their cargo into the brain than current leading AAV delivery vehicle AAV9.
Researchers have identified a protein that can predict how well breast cancer patients will respond to chemotherapy. Increasing levels of this variant p53 makes breast cancer cells unresponsive to existing therapies, highlighting its potential as a target for enhanced treatments.
A Rice University bioengineer has developed a noninvasive technology to measure gene expression in deep tissues, particularly in the brain. This innovation could improve the monitoring of gene therapy treating neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy, ALS, and Huntington's disease.
USCF researchers have developed a new approach called CAR Pooling to compare different re-engineered T cells with varying molecular features. The screen revealed new and surprising receptors that make these therapeutic cells more powerful, promising a better treatment for blood cancers.
Researchers from the University of Zurich have discovered why a stem cell transplant is effective in treating multiple sclerosis. The study found that memory T cells reappear immediately after the transplant and do not trigger an autoimmune reaction due to pre-damage caused by chemotherapy. This knowledge enables the body to gradually ...
Researchers have found therapies that can help patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who tried CAR-T therapy, including bispecific antibodies and other types of CAR-T cell therapy. The study analyzed 79 patients and found that stem cell transplants and other drug combinations showed some efficacy in these patients.
Researchers found that vitamin C improves dendritic cell activation, promoting immune response and antigen presentation. This discovery may lead to more potent dendritic cell-based therapies against cancer.
A new preclinical study discovered the underlying cause of gender differences in immunotherapy-associated myocarditis and identified potential treatment strategies. Hormone therapies targeting the endocrine-cardiac-immune pathway may reduce this risk without affecting treatment efficacy.
Researchers at the University of Seville have discovered a method to attack cancer cells using an origin-of-life molecule. The study found that inhibiting RNA production boosts the utility of radiation therapy in cancer cells, offering a promising approach to treating various types of cancer.
The University of Missouri has earned an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand its National Swine Resource and Research Center. The center will support research using genetically modified pigs to study human diseases, with a focus on therapies that can be translated from pig models to humans.
Researchers developed a new machine-learning approach to classify macrophages, which are key immune cells involved in pro- or anti-inflammatory responses. This technology could be used as a diagnosis tool or to highlight the role of specific cell types in disease environments.
Researchers have designed a potential therapeutic that dampens the activity of regulatory T cells, which can prevent the immune system from unleashing its full potential against tumor cells. The molecule, known as FOX3P, acts as a transcription factor for many Treg genes but isn't vital for other types of T cells.
Researchers identified a kinase molecule that directs microglia activity, potentially treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and MS. The molecule, called spleen tyrosine kinase, targets plaque buildup and debris accumulation in the brain.
Researchers have used single-cell sequencing to uncover novel gene expression patterns in injured kidney cells, providing new avenues for biomarker discovery and treatment. The studies reveal that epithelial cells of all tubule segments are involved in the injury processes, with distinct molecular patterns across patients.
Researchers at Universidad de Navarra identified a biomarker that predicts CAR T cell therapeutic capacity, which could improve treatment outcomes for patients. The study found that high CAR density in CAR T cells is associated with a worse clinical response in hematological tumors.
A new CAR NK cell engineering approach requires two signals to eliminate target cells, improving tumor specificity and enhancing anti-tumor activity. This strategy mitigates NK cell exhaustion and fratricide, leading to better focus on and attack of only the tumor cells.
Researchers have developed a new approach to test the efficacy of multiple anticancer drug combinations simultaneously, rapidly, and accurately. Combi-seq overcomes limitations of conventional technologies by using microfluidics to carry out large-scale experiments with small sample volumes.
The NCCN Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies will address key findings on chronic lymphocytic leukemia management and CAR T-cells in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The event also features updates on immunotherapies in multiple myeloma treatment.
Monon Bioventures has received a grant to develop a novel glioblastoma treatment using armed natural killer cells. The treatment, created by Purdue University researcher Sandro Matosevic, shows promise in preclinical proof of concept and aims to manufacture the therapeutic for clinical studies.
A team from UNIGE and HUG identified a protein regulation mechanism that reduces melanoma cells' capacity to adapt and resist treatment. They found that targeting this mechanism with an enzyme inhibitor reduces therapeutic resistance in all melanoma cells.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in treating autoimmune diseases by using genetically modified CAR T cells to target and destroy harmful B cells. This innovative therapy has shown promising results in six young patients with severe forms of systemic lupus erythematosus, curing them completely without returning.
Researchers discovered a type of triple-negative breast cancer cell that can trigger dormancy, evading therapies and allowing for efficient survival in distant organs. This finding highlights the need for more selective therapeutic strategies targeting both dividing and invasive dormant cells.
A team of researchers has identified TSG101 as a crucial regulator of the PARP1 enzyme, which is responsible for repairing DNA damage. In cancer cells with BRCA mutations, TSG101 is essential for PARP1 activation, making it a promising target for cancer treatment.
Researchers create mammalian cells that synthesize a noncanonical amino acid, which can be used to make therapeutic proteins. The discovery could lead to the development of new treatments for various diseases.
A study by Kyoto University Professor Misao Fujita found that Japan's Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine lacks key provisions to prevent unproven treatments from being administered to patients. The lack of scientific verification and clear definitions for medical innovations and interventions are major concerns.
Bladder cancer researchers discovered a subset of CD8 T cells that adapts to tumor evasion strategies, offering a strategy to reduce tumor cells' ability to fight them off. The study also identified potential ways to make immunotherapy more effective against this deadly cancer by targeting the HLA-E/NKG2A axis.
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University discovered that a protein excreted by type I muscle fibers can differentiate surrounding myoblasts into type I fibers, upending the notion that fiber ratios are fixed at birth. This finding has significant implications for treating conditions such as type 2 diabetes and aging populations.
A phase 3 study shows that tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy significantly improves progression-free survival compared to standard immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma. The treatment reduces disease progression or death by 50% in patients treated with TILs.
A study led by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences has uncovered a possible path for improving T cell therapies. The study found that the CD4 molecule plays a more active role in regulating T cell receptor signaling, allowing for even more powerful versions of T cell therapy.
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine suggests that levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can predict neurotoxic side effects in patients undergoing CAR-T cell therapy. High NfL levels are present even before treatment begins and remain elevated throughout treatment.
Scientists have discovered three proteins with therapeutic potential to prevent cardiac damage and preserve cardiac function after a heart attack. The proteins, Chrdl1, Fam3c, and Fam3b, were identified through an innovative technology called FunSel that screens human proteins for protective effects.
A new study identifies how the suppression of a specific transcription gene triggers changes that impair oligodendrocyte function in Huntington's disease. The researchers believe replacing or fixing defective glia cells may prove a far easier proposition than replenishing neurons lost in the disease.
Researchers found that patients with longer progression-free survival after BCMA-targeted CAR T-cell therapy had more diverse baseline T-cell repertoires, fewer markers of immune exhaustion, and distinct changes to immune cell populations. These factors were associated with improved responses to the treatment.
Researchers developed a light-based therapy, photodynamic therapy (aPDT), to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The treatment showed promise in weakening bacteria, allowing lower doses of current antibiotics to effectively eliminate them.
Extracellular vesicles and exosomes are membrane-bound vesicles that facilitate intercellular exchange of proteins, lipids, and genetic material. They will be highlighted in upcoming events focusing on mitochondrial quality control, skin ageing, and microbiota.
A combination of immunotherapy and virotherapy using myxoma virus provides new hope for patients with treatment resistant cancers. The approach boosts the immune capacity to effectively target and destroy cancer cells, inducing a form of cell death called autosis.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UCSF have developed a new approach to introduce long DNA sequences into cells with remarkable efficiency. The technology, which uses single-stranded DNA templates, overcomes the limitations of traditional viral vectors and has the potential to make cell therapies faster, better, and less expensive.
Scientists have elucidated the regulatory functions of Pan1p, a key player in late-stage clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The protein drives actin assembly and disassembly, facilitating vesicle internalization.
A University of Houston engineer has developed technology to determine which patients are likely to respond to CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma, saving time and increasing success rates. The TIMING method analyzes interactions between T cells and tumor cells, identifying a key ligand molecule that predicts patient response.
Researchers at Terasaki Institute create micro-organospheres for direct viral infection, immune cell penetration, and high-throughput therapeutic drug screening. The technology holds promise for personalized medicine, tumor therapy and rapid drug testing.
Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a combination of antiviral drugs and antibody therapies that is more effective than either approach alone. The combination boosts the virus-fighting properties of antibodies, which work by binding to infected cells and triggering the immune system to kill them.
The study found an overall response rate of 57% and disease control rate of 83% in 23 patients with diverse cancer types. These results validate RET as a tissue-agnostic target with sensitivity to RET inhibition.
A research team at the University of Oklahoma has developed a new approach to triggering an adaptive immune response. The study presents a method to create molecules that can integrate into cells, cause stress on their membrane, and release signals that recruit immune cells to their location.
A study published in eLife identified three microRNAs that may impair healing in venous ulcers, a common type of chronic wound. The findings suggest that drugs targeting these microRNAs could help facilitate healing in patients, offering new approaches for treating this painful and slow-to-heal condition.