New nanomedicine therapy combines drug delivery and enhanced immunity for lung cancer

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a new nanomedicine therapy that delivers anticancer drugs to lung cancer cells and enhances the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. The team showed promising results for the new therapy in cancer cells in the lab and in mouse lung tumor models, with potential applications for improving … Read more

Human monoclonal antibodies show promise as treatment and prevention for influenza B

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have made a significant breakthrough by isolating human monoclonal antibodies against influenza B. This virus is a notable public health threat, particularly affecting children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. While seasonal flu vaccines provide coverage against both influenza A and B, they do not always … Read more

Study shows breakthrough infections enhance immune response to COVID-19

New research from scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) suggests people who received COVID-19 vaccines and then experienced “breakthrough” infections are especially well armed against future SARS-CoV-2 infections. By analyzing blood samples from study volunteers, the LJI researchers discovered that people who experienced symptomatic breakthrough infections develop T cells that are better at … Read more

Immunotherapy: Harnessing the Immune System for Disease Treatment

Immunotherapy represents a revolutionary approach to disease treatment that harnesses the power of the immune system to combat various ailments, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and allergies. Unlike traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or surgery, which directly target the disease, immunotherapy works by stimulating or enhancing the body’s immune response to recognize and destroy … Read more

Immunology: The Body’s Defense Mechanisms

Immunology is the branch of biomedical science that focuses on the study of the immune system, which is the body’s intricate network of organs, tissues, cells, and molecules that work together to defend against pathogens, foreign substances, and abnormal cells. The immune system plays a vital role in maintaining health and protecting the body from … Read more

Monoclonal antibody mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in mice

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that an experimental monoclonal antibody drug called mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in mice, and in some cases, to lengthen the animals’ lifespan. The drug is unique, according to the researchers, because it targets insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas directly … Read more

NIH trial shows single-dose monoclonal antibody highly effective against malaria in children

One injected dose of an experimental malaria monoclonal antibody was 77% effective against malaria disease in children in Mali during the country’s six-month malaria season, according to the results of a mid-stage clinical trial. The trial assessed an investigational monoclonal antibody developed by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and results appear in … Read more

New COVID vaccine offers broader protection against omicron variants

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH have highlighted the importance of continued surveillance of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and vaccine performance as the virus continues to evolve. Published today as a research letter in The Lancet, their study compared the newer monovalent … Read more

Researchers develop novel technique for precise protein modification using electricity

Boston College researchers used a mild charge of electricity to precisely modify proteins, a new tool that can be used to develop novel biotherapeutics and protein-based research tools, the team reported recently in the journal Nature Chemistry. The team, led by BC professors of chemistry Abhishek Chatterjee and Eranthie Weerapana, developed and optimized a novel … Read more

Lag3 protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease progression, study finds

In a series of groundbreaking experiments involving lab-grown brain cells and mouse models, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have unveiled a fascinating discovery concerning a cell surface protein known as Lag3. Not only does Lag3 serve as a biological target for FDA-approved drugs that bolster the immune system’s ability to combat cancer, but it also … Read more

Prosaposin protein could be key to enhancing cancer immunotherapy, study finds

Successful immunotherapy for cancer involves activating a person’s own T cells to identify telltale proteins called antigens on the surface of a tumor and attack it. But some tumors have a trick: They hide themselves from the immune system by preventing their antigens from being displayed. A team led by Harvard Medical School researchers at … Read more

Scientists develop antibody to neutralize deadly snake venoms

Scientists at Scripps Research have engineered a groundbreaking antibody capable of neutralizing the lethal effects of venomous snake toxins from a diverse range of species across Africa, Asia, and Australia. This antibody, detailed in Science Translational Medicine, demonstrated its efficacy in protecting mice from the venom of notoriously deadly snakes such as black mambas and … Read more