Reading time: 3 minutes Alex S. Woodell The tale of the canary in the coal mine dates back to 1911, when British miners began carrying caged canaries with them underground as a means of detecting toxic gases. The idea of using canaries as an early indicator is credited to John Scott Haldane, a Scottish physiologist... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 4 minutes Alex S. Woodell In my previous article, we weathered the cytokine storm, a deadly immune response that can occur following chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy. Despite this risk, CAR-T therapy is quite effective in treating blood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Unfortunately, not all patients respond favorably... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 3 minutes Alex S. Woodell A warm breeze whips by as you notice a peculiar set of clouds forming in the distance. These cumulus clouds are tall with bumpy protrusions that flatten out near the top to form a silhouette of a giant anvil. As condensation builds in these behemoths, the bright sunlight... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 4 minutes Alex S. Woodell Marathon runners are an interesting breed. In order to complete the grueling 26.2 mile circuit, they must push their mental and physical boundaries to the limit. Seasoned runners possess great strength, focus, resilience, and determination. Each of these qualities is a testament to the intense training schedules they... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 5 minutes Alex S. Woodell Most of us have taken acetylsalicylic acid at some point in our lives. This popular drug was first brought to market in 1899 by Bayer who coined the brand name Aspirin. Aspirin belongs to a class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which are used to... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 8 minutes Alex S. Woodell Prologue The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a desolate place. Nutrients are sparse, and living conditions are hostile for the resident cells. This poorly perfused, alien landscape is filled with leaky, tortuous vessels. The interstitial fluid pressure is high, severely compromising nutrient delivery mechanisms. It’s not a place... Continue Reading →
Alex S. Woodell As members of the biomedical research community, we are all familiar with the basic structure of the scientific method. We make an observation that identifies a problem, form a hypothesis based on known information, perform experiments to test this hypothesis, then draw conclusions that drive future research. However, there is a fifth... Continue Reading →
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