Reading time: 5 minutes Anthony Tao Introduction For cancer to successfully grow, one of the major obstacles it must face is the immune system. Cells of the immune system, such as T cells, have natural and effective mechanisms that allow them to monitor the body and attack any cancer cell that might arise. For decades,... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 6 minutes Michael Marand From art to sports and even scientific research, a small adjustment in just the right place can have large reverberating benefits. In this theme, a team from the University of Pennsylvania recently shared their work in which modifying a single amino acid in a large protein revealed a potential... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 8 minutes Alex DeWalle At the core of translational oncology lies a fundamental problem: how do we kill tumor cells without harming healthy tissue? Novel therapies must directly target tumor cells to achieve this goal in a way that traditional chemotherapies cannot. CAR T-cell therapy (CAR T) is one of the most promising... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 4 minutes Mallory Kane The immune system is the first line of defense in detecting and destroying cancer cells. Several mechanisms are in place to prevent and slow cancer growth. However, cancerous cells often can avoid destruction by the immune system. These cells may contain genetic mutations that make them invisible to immune... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 4 minutes Sara Musetti If you’ve heard of collagen, it’s likely been in articles raving about its benefits. Maybe it was in the recent collagen broth craze, when everyone from Halle Berry to Dr. Oz claimed that the collagen in bone broth could prevent aging, improve your hair, cure arthritis, and so on.... Continue Reading →
Reading time: 4 minutes Tara Fernandez Originally designed to treat cancer, a new study shows genetically-engineered T-cells could also be a game-changer for treating heart disease. In a world first, a recent study has uncovered a new use for an approved cancer therapy - for fixing broken hearts. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson... 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: 6 minutes Payal Yokota Despite the advent and access to a variety of targeted immunotherapy approaches, the current paradigm for solid tumors still remains if you can cut it out – you do! Depending on the grade of tumor and degree of metastasis, there’s a substantial risk of tumor resurgence. In those cases,... Continue Reading →
Elizabeth Wayne, PhD Everything you need to fight cancer is inside of you. Well sort of. This is the inspirational way that I like to think of cancer immunotherapy. It’s using your own immune cells to fight cancer. We do this by trying to get immune cells to recognize cancer as a foreign pathogen, thereby... Continue Reading →
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