Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. But the way these cells die appears to be different than previously understood. Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, led by Thijn Brummelkamp, have uncovered a completely new way in which cancer cells die: due to the Schlafen11 gene. “This is a very unexpected finding. Cancer patients have been treated with … Read more
Scientists from Scripps Research have enhanced an existing immunotherapy by removing the sugar coating surrounding solid tumors—such as in melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer—so T cells can more effectively kill tumor cells. They report in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering that this tweak allows T cells to get closer to their targets, which dramatically improves T-cell killing of tumor … Read more
Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving field that harnesses biological processes and systems to develop innovative solutions for various applications in medicine and industry. It encompasses a diverse range of techniques, including genetic engineering, fermentation, and cell culture, to manipulate biological systems for practical purposes. Biotechnology has revolutionized healthcare, agriculture, environmental science, and industrial manufacturing, offering … Read more
The cell, often described as the fundamental unit of life, represents the building block of all living organisms. This microscopic entity is the smallest structural and functional unit of life, capable of carrying out the essential processes necessary for an organism’s survival and reproduction. From single-celled organisms like bacteria to complex multicellular organisms like humans, … Read more
Immunology is the branch of biology that focuses on the study of the immune system, a complex and highly specialized network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against harmful pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The immune system is a crucial component of the body’s defense mechanisms, … Read more
The Australian National University (ANU) has unveiled groundbreaking research indicating that a protein within the immune system, originally programmed to safeguard against fungal infections, paradoxically exacerbates the severity of specific autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, and eczema. This discovery not only holds the potential to usher in new and … Read more
Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have made a breakthrough in understanding how the newly developed cancer drug, bexmarilimab, is able to modify immune cell function, enabling them to penetrate tumors in cancer patients resistant to existing therapies. The innovative therapy, developed by Faron Pharmaceuticals, has been detailed in research publications in Cell … Read more
ETH researchers are shedding light on what can happen when cells exceed their normal size and become senescent. The new findings could help to optimize cancer therapies. Growth is a fundamental biological process and a prerequisite for living organisms to develop and reproduce. The processes of cell growth (i.e. the production of new biomass) and … Read more
A recent research study conducted by Ludwig Cancer Research has revealed promising outcomes when combining adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) with a cutting-edge, individualized cancer vaccine currently in development at the Lausanne Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. The team, led by Ludwig Lausanne’s Sara Bobisse, Alexandre Harari, Lana Kandalaft, and Director George … Read more
Many diseases, including cancer and degenerative conditions, often stem from disruptions in the internal communication pathways within our cells. Microtubules, tiny protein filaments, play a vital role in orchestrating these cellular exchanges. However, our understanding of their growth mechanisms has been limited. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have now unveiled a novel mechanism … Read more
Researchers from Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Max Delbrück Center have made significant progress in understanding the behavior of tumors through the study of DNA rings in neuroblastoma, a type of cancer. These DNA rings, known as extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), have long puzzled scientists, as they detach from the chromosomes and can influence tumor growth and … Read more