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Credit: Md Saiful Islam Khan / iStock / Getty Images Plus Scientists across six leading U.S. institutions have created the largest single-cell immune cell atlas to date, using data from over a million bone marrow cells sourced from multiple myeloma patients. A study published today in Nature Cancer shows that evaluating the immune system’s response to myeloma could complement traditional genetic testing to improve predictions of which patients are at a high risk of relapse after treatment.  “Currently, doctors rely heavily on the genetic features of cancer cells to estimate how aggressive their disease is,” said Sacha Gnjatic, PhD, professor…

Microscopic image with a star-shaped lumen on the left and a spherical lumen on the right. The apical marker Ezrin shown in green marks the lumen surface. [Byung Ho Lee et al. / MPI-CBG / Nature 2025] Working with organoids derived from mouse cells, researchers explored the processes involved in lumen formation in the pancreas and uncovered what controls the shape of lumens (fluid-filled cavities) during pancreatic development. They suggest that there are three main factors: how fast cells proliferate, the pressure inside the lumen, and the permeability of the cells around the lumen. More specifically, the shape of the…

Researchers found that the mycobacterial sugar molecule, α-glucan, binds to dectin-1 on host macrophages, which promotes the pathogen’s survival.Image credit:©iStock.com, Rasi BhadramaniSuccessful infection often depends on a pathogen’s ability to evade host immune cell detection through stealthy mechanisms. After a person inhales Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) into their lungs, phagocytic cells such as macrophages engulf it. Although innate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on macrophages recognize the bacteria and activate intracellular immune responses, MTB can dodge these defenses to survive and facilitate the development of tuberculosis. The PRR dectin-1 recognizes β-glucan sugars on the surface of fungal pathogens. While dectin-1 is best…

Credit: vshivkova/Getty Images Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have developed a potentially new treatment strategy aimed at immunologically “cold” tumors by restoring their ability to present antigens to the immune system. The approach centers on an engineered protein system called HLA-Shuttle, designed to manipulate class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA-I) processing so that tumor cells become visible to T cells and to immunotherapies that depend on antigen recognition. The study, published in Science Advances, and focused primarily on neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer which is often difficult to treat. “Neuroblastoma is a classic example of a cold tumor,” said…

Glioblastoma multiforme cells, illustration. Glioblastoma multiforme is a malignant tumor that arises from astrocytes, one of the support cells of the brain. It is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. [Nemes Laslo/Science Photo Library/Getty Images] Cellares and City of Hope, one of the largest cancer R&D treatment organizations in the U.S., said they will collaborate to evaluate automated manufacturing of City of Hope’s investigational gene-modified CAR T cell therapy targeting glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive solid tumor brain cancer with limited treatment options. City of Hope is a leader in CAR T for glioblastoma and was the first to administer…

Plants use a group of metabolites during infection to initiate an early warning system to nearby and distant cells.Image credit:©iStock.com, Toni JardonRooted in place, plants have little ability to flee dangerous situations. Additionally, their lack of a dedicated immune system means that, to combat an infection, every cell needs to be able to mount a defense. One way that plants protect themselves against pathogens is with a response system called systemic acquired resistance (SAR), in which cells in infected tissues signal to cells further away to protect themselves.1 Researchers knew that plant cells used molecules like salicylic acid to communicate…

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive condition of the retina that reduces the vision of affected individuals. Over time, photosensitive rod and cone cells in the retina gradually die, causing visual symptoms beginning with night blindness, and progressing to tunnel vision and, for some, complete blindness. While there are over a hundred known genetic causes of RP, up to half of the affected patients have an unknown genetic foundation for their condition. In one family, nine individuals—the father and eight children—were impacted by RP along with other genetic conditions. “They came to us asking: what’s behind this? Is there one…

Credit: PASIEKA/Getty Images For more than a decade, targeted protein degradation has reshaped how scientists think about drugging disease. Instead of merely blocking an enzyme or interrupting a protein–protein interaction, degraders eliminate the protein altogether, often by forcing it into proximity with an E3 ubiquitin ligase.  E3 ubiquitin ligases are the decision-makers of the ubiquitin–proteasome system. They determine which specific proteins in a cell are tagged for destruction, when, and under what conditions. Without E3 ligases, regulated protein degradation would be impossible. But a new study published in Nature Chemistry describes a different route—one that does not rely on artificially…

Across all domains of life, immune defenses thwart invading viruses by making it impossible for the viruses to replicate. Most known CRISPR systems target invading pathogens’ DNA and chop it up to disable and modify genes, heading off viral infections at the (cellular) pass. Scientists at Utah State University (USU), led by Ryan Jackson, PhD, now report on research with two lesser-known CRISPR systems, Cas12a2 and Cas12a3. Their studies showed that, in contrast with CRISPR-Cas9 systems that use a guide RNA to locate a specific DNA sequence, the Cas12a2 and Cas12a3 systems target tRNA. “We’re very focused on the basic…

TECregen lands seed funding for mission to combat age-related immune decline by regenerating thymic epithelial cells. Swiss biotech TECregen emerged today with $12.6 million seed financing to develop a pipeline of therapies designed to regenerate the thymus and boost the aging immune system. The Basel-based company is built around the idea that restoring the thymus can restore immune function at its source. The thymus, a small organ that sits just behind the breastbone, functions as the immune system’s primary training ground for T cells – key immune cells that help our bodies fight infection and disease. In childhood and adolescence,…