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Radiation therapy enhances immune environment in brain metastases, improving treatment response

Researchers found that radiation therapy not only targets tumor cells but also activates immune pathways to make tumors more receptive to immunotherapy. The study suggests that radiation-immunotherapy combination strategies could improve patient outcomes by reshaping the surrounding immune landscape and recruiting T cells.

SourceUniversity of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center·JournalClinical Cancer Research·DateJun 17, 2026

ACE-ing protein detection in single cells

A new DNA-powered signal amplification technology called ACE significantly enhances the sensitivity of mass cytometry, enabling the detection of multiple proteins in single cells. This breakthrough allows researchers to investigate complex biological processes and study immune cell functions with unprecedented depth.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 30, 2024

How immune cells recognize their enemies

Researchers discovered how Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognize pathogens and cancer cells by their altered cell metabolism. The study found that phosphoantigens bind to special molecules inside the cell, triggering a signal to kill. This finding can improve the clinical use of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in tumor treatment.

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 8, 2023

Deadly communication

Researchers developed a new strategy for T-cell-based immunotherapy using aptamers, which directly activates immune cells against cancer cells without genetic modifications. The innovative regulatory circuit establishes an artificial interaction between T cells and cancer cells.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 23, 2023

Improving CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumours through inhibition of conventional signalling pathway

Researchers have discovered that inhibiting conventional signalling pathway by disrupting LCK allows more efficient tumour cell killing, using FYN protein instead. This approach enhances T-cell function and reduces graft-versus-host disease, making CAR-T therapy more accessible to patients.

SourceNational University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine·JournalCell Reports Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 2, 2023

Reinvigorating ‘lost cause’ exhausted T cells could improve cancer immunotherapy

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that even terminally exhausted T cells retain some capacity to function again. They identified approaches to overcome exhaustion by targeting co-stimulation pathways and reprogramming T cells to be resistant to hypoxia, a common tumor microenvironmental signal.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalScience Immunology·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 5, 2022

Illumination of immune checkpoint LAG3 ‘black box’ could yield new cancer and autoimmune therapies

Researchers have shed light on how immune checkpoint protein LAG3 modulates T cell activity, providing crucial information for the development of new LAG3-blocking therapies. The study found that LAG3 suppresses T cell activation by disrupting coreceptor-Lck association, even in the absence of MHC Class II molecules.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalNature Immunology·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 18, 2022

The body fights infection amidst 'waves' of regulatory CD4+ T cells

A new study from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology reveals that two groups of regulatory CD4+ T cells develop at different times to combat acute inflammation. The early Tregs reduce autoimmune damage, while the second wave shuts down the entire immune response to signal infection clearance.

SourceLa Jolla Institute for Immunology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 21, 2022

Boosting the immune defense: Interleukin-2 promotes fate decisions in CD8 T cells for long- or short-term immune protection

Researchers found that interleukin-2 promotes the development of two subsets of CD8 T cells, one producing IL-2 and the other not, with distinct fates. The IL-2-producing cells develop into immune memory cells with long-term protection, while the non-IL-2-producing cells gain effector traits but lose memory formation.

SourceUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham·JournalScience Immunology·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 11, 2022

Stopping intestinal bacteria in their tracks

A research team at Pohang University of Science & Technology has uncovered the mechanism for regulating T cell differentiation via intestinal epithelial cells. This finding highlights the importance of intestinal immune homeostasis and suggests a new role for PD-1 signaling in CD4+ T cell differentiation into intraepithelial lymphocytes.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine·DateFeb 3, 2021

Genetically engineered T cells could lead to therapies for autoimmune diseases

A novel T cell genetically engineered by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers targets and attacks pathogenic T cells that cause Type 1 diabetes. The 5MCAR T cells, which mimic the evolutionary design of natural killer T cells, were tested in a non-obese diabetic mouse model with promising results.

SourceUniversity of Arizona Health Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 3, 2020

Insulin gives an extra boost to the immune system

Researchers at Toronto General Hospital have identified a specific insulin signaling pathway that revs up the response of T cells in the immune system, enabling them to divide rapidly and secrete cytokines. This finding opens avenues for better regulating the immune system and potentially developing new therapies.

SourceUniversity Health Network·JournalCell Metabolism·DateAug 30, 2018

Turning T cell immunology on its head

Researchers at Monash University discovered that regulatory T cells can function even when their receptors bind to MHC in a completely different orientation, challenging established views on the immune system. This finding opens up new avenues for investigating and potentially treating autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.

SourceMonash University·JournalNature Immunology·DateOct 5, 2015

The company you keep

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology report that Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells (NFAT) plays a key role in CD8 T cell exhaustion, leading to impaired immune responses. The study identifies NFAT as a molecular hub that orchestrates T cell activation and exhaustion.

Invisibility cloak for immune cells

Scientists at ETH Zurich have identified a mechanism that protects immune cells from natural killer cells. Type I interferon receptors play a crucial role in this process, and its absence can lead to the elimination of healthy immune cells. This discovery may have implications for understanding autoimmune diseases.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalImmunity·DateJun 25, 2014

T cells rely on 'rheostat' to help ensure that the immune response matches the threat

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital identified a 'rheostat' mechanism in T cell receptors that regulates the immune response, enabling cells to scale their response according to the threat. This finding offers insights into advancing understanding and treatment of problems like autoimmune disorders and cancer.

SourceSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital·JournalNature Immunology·DateApr 30, 2013