Feature Channels: Cell Biology

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Three physician-scientists who have relocated to Buffalo, New York, to join Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center will apply highly specialized transplantation and cell therapy (TCT) expertise to both patient care and the development of New York State’s first cell therapy manufacturing and research hub. Brian Betts, MD, has joined Roswell Park as Vice Chair of Strategic Initiatives within the Transplant & Cellular Therapy Section, Department of Medicine; Kanwaldeep Mallhi, MD, was named Associate Professor of Oncology and Clinical Director of Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy in the Department of Pediatrics; and Shernan Holtan, MD, will join the Roswell Park faculty in February as Chief of Blood and Marrow Transplant in the Department of Medicine.

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A study that assesses the effects of hypochlorous acid (HOCI), commonly known as bleach, as it is generated during the immune response of a cell (phagocytosis) when fighting a common fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, reveals that HOCI is a potent killing agent. The laboratory finding is highlighted in the journal mBio.

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La inmunoterapia aprovecha el sistema inmunitario del organismo para combatir el cáncer. El tratamiento con linfocitos T con receptor quimérico para el antígeno (tratamiento con linfocitos T-CAR) es una forma de inmunoterapia en la que los profesionales de atención médica extraen las células T de una persona (conocidas como linfocitos que participan en la respuesta del sistema inmunitario) y las modifican genéticamente para que produzcan receptores quiméricos para el antígeno. A continuación, estos linfocitos T-CARse reintroducen en el torrente sanguíneo del paciente, donde se dirigen a las células cancerosas y las destruyen.

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Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been honored with the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize from the American Society of Hematology (ASH, for her groundbreaking research to develop and advance innovative cell therapies for cancer using natural killer (NK) cells.

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A team of scientists from Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have revealed an unexpected function of a transport protein and its role in plant regulatory mechanisms. Their research, published in The Plant Cell earlier this year, could help reduce human mineral deficiencies by packing essential micronutrients into edible parts of plants.

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Scientists have created tiny moving biological robots from human tracheal cells that can encourage the growth of neurons across artificial ‘wounds’ in the lab. Using patients’ own cells could permit growth of Anthrobots that assist healing and regeneration in the future with no need for immune suppression. Lead researchers Prof Michael Levin and Gizem Gumuskaya from Tufts University will provide a brief commentary on the science and potential impact of this discovery, followed by Q&A with reporters.

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SEATTLE — Nov. 30, 2023 — The 65th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) will take place in San Diego, Calif. and online Dec. 9-13.Below are highlights of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center research to be presented and experts available to comment on news.

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A roundup of the latest medical discoveries and faculty news at Cedars-Sinai.

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Adding a modular chimeric cytokine receptor to CAR T cells increased their efficacy. Learn how this modular system could improve brain and solid tumor therapy.

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University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD will join prominent scientists and government health officials this week at a Symposium in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, to discuss new treatments for sickle cell disease (SCD).

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Physicians and scientists from Yale Cancer Center, part of Yale School of Medicine, will present new research at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, Calif., from December 9 to 12. This year’s ASH meeting will include oral and poster presentations, workshops, and educational sessions for hematology professionals.

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Our bodies are transversed by millions of nerve fibres that transmit information. This allows us to do things like control muscles and perceive sensory impressions. Peripheral nerves, like those in our arms and legs, are often damaged by acute injuries, for example, in accidents. As a result, those affected suffer from loss of muscle strength and sensory problems such as numbness. Peripheral nerves do have a strong regenerative potential, but complete recovery of nerve function is still rare for reasons that are not yet fully understood.

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In a new Cell study, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, show how a protein called IKAROS helps "weave" the genome.

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Researchers at Michigan State University have shown that cells known as glia could lower the threshold to trigger visceral pain in patients, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome, who have experienced inflammation in the gut. The finding was reported in the journal Science Signaling. The team discovered this phenomenon in mice, meaning the results may not completely extrapolate to humans. Still, the work provides a new avenue of exploration to better treat visceral pain, which is the most common gastrointestinal issue.

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Despite advancements, cancer remains a major global health challenge, taking millions of lives every year. Traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, while effective, often have severe side effects and don't consistently guarantee a complete cure. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), recently spotlighted in scientific research, have been identified as key players behind cancer's tenacity, recurrence, and resistance to treatments.

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Several studies have investigated the effect of parental age on biological parameters such as reproduction, lifespan, and health; however, the results have been inconclusive, largely due to inter-species variation and/or modest effect sizes.

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The Wnt signaling pathway, a system present in living organisms, plays a pivotal role in cell growth, differentiation, and migration. It has a long history dating back to 1982 when the first Wnt gene, which is essential for cellular growth, was discovered.

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Stay informed! Keep up with the latest research on the COVID-19 virus in the Coronavirus channel on Newswise.

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Immunotherapy using modified chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has greatly improved survival rates for relapsed and recurrent pediatric leukemia and lymphomas, but not brain and solid tumors.

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Membrane fouling, a significant impediment in water treatment, reduces the efficiency and lifespan of filtration systems.

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Investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on epigenetic factors that is able to predict patient outcomes successfully across multiple cancer types.

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Started in 2016 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), the Bioprocessing Separations Consortium (SEPCON) was established to address the challenges posed to bring biofuels to market faster and more efficiently. Separating biomass — organic material from plants, agricultural waste and wet waste, among others — is costly and uses a lot of energy.

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The world’s total population is expected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050. This rapid increase in population is boosting the demand for agriculture to cater for the increased demand. Below are some of the latest research and features on agriculture and farming in the Agriculture channel on Newswise.

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St. Jude scientists mapped the gene regulatory networks responsible for progressive differentiation states of tumor-infiltrating T cells, using a technology known as single-cell CRISPR screening to knock out or genetically perturb multiple genes potentially involved.

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Findings will help scientists understand how microgravity impacts the ability of human heart cells to withstand the stresses of space travel

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Cancer stem cells cause the aging of macrophages in mice with healthy immune systems, creating conditions for the formation of tumors.

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Chulalongkorn University and the International Peace Foundation will co-host the JAPAN-ASEAN BRIDGES event series, which is open and free to the public. BRIDGES will bring the brightest minds of the world – Nobel Laureates in Physics, Economics, Medicine and Finance – to both Japan and Thailand from November 2023 to March 2024 to stimulate exchange and enhance further development through education.

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Michigan State University researchers have solved the mystery of a poorly understood sperm structure called the cytoplasmic droplet, or CD. The CD is an expanded cytoplasm — watery, gel-like cell contents enclosed by cell membrane — found close to the head, at the neck of the sperm, in all mammals, including humans. This new genetic model is the first of its kind.

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New device could improve the outcomes of cell-based therapies

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UT Southwestern Medical Center will lead a multi-institution effort to gather and assimilate information on the billions of sequences employed by immune receptors of the adaptive immune system. The project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, aims to improve the understanding of immunity and help facilitate the development of improved vaccines and treatments for many diseases.

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Rather than a slow, gradual process as Darwin envisioned, biologists can now see how evolutionary changes unfold on accelerated timescales. Using an arms race between bacteria and viruses, researchers are documenting complex evolutionary processes in simple laboratory flasks in only three weeks.

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Jennifer Oyler-Yaniv is studying human diseases to learn about the immune system. She hopes that diseases such as cancer will reveal fundamental principles of how immune cells communicate

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UCLA scientists have developed a new method to engineer more powerful immune cells that can potentially be used for “off-the-shelf” cell therapy to treat challenging cancers.

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Researchers found that by restricting glucose in lung cancer cells, it caused the cells to lose their specialized features, making them more aggressive. This change was linked to alteration in certain molecules and how they modify DNA structure.