Scientists have developed a new tool that can rapidly estimate the number of T cells (immune cells) in a cancerous tumor. With T cell abundance helping predict a patient’s response to immunotherapy, researchers are hopeful this could enable more target…
Building a better bioartificial pancreas
A team of researchers has designed a convection-enhanced MED (ceMED), which can continuously bathe cells in the nutrients they need and improve cell loading capacity, while increasing cell survival, glucose sensitivity and timely insulin secretion.
Metabolic changes in plasma and immune cells associated with COVID-19 severity, can predict patient survival
After examining the blood samples from nearly 200 COVID-19 patients, researchers have uncovered underlying metabolic changes that regulate how immune cells react to the disease. These changes are associated with disease severity and could be used to pr…
Gut bacteria influence brain development
Extremely premature infants are at a high risk for brain damage. Researchers have now found possible targets for the early treatment of such damage outside the brain: Bacteria in the gut of premature infants may play a key role. The research team found…
Stem-like T cells could aid immunotherapy in cancer treatment
Researchers show stem-like T cells within certain lymph nodes could be natural cancer fighters.
Prior exposure to common cold coronaviruses enhances immune response to SARS-CoV-2
Researchers have shown that certain immune cells, which are found in people previously exposed to common cold coronaviruses, enhance the body’s immune response to SARS-CoV-2, both during natural infection and following vaccination. The researchers also…
Engineering CAR T cells to deliver endogenous RNA wakes solid tumors to respond to therapy
A new study shows CAR T cells expressing RN7SL1 can activate the body’s natural immune cells against difficult-to-treat cancers.
A simple T-cell test to show the full picture of body’s immune response to COVID-19
A new method enables scientists to simply and rapidly assess T-cell immune responses in people vaccinated against or recovering from COVID-19, and verify vaccine effectiveness.
Immunotherapy for HPV+ head and neck cancer: Awakening the force within
The immune cells that are the major targets of immune checkpoint inhibitors (stem-like PD-1+ CD8 T cells) are present in HPV+ tumors from head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study. The results have implications for how immunotherapy could…
Immune cell betrayal explains why we become more susceptible to cold as we age
With age, people become more susceptible to cold as well as inflammation and metabolic problems which can lead to a host of chronic diseases. Researchers have found one culprit in this process — the same immune cells within fat that are designed to pr…