Tag: Innate Immunity

Born to heal: Why babies recover, but adults scar, after heart damage

Newborns with heart complications can rely on their newly developed immune systems to regenerate cardiac tissues, but adults aren’t so lucky. After a heart attack, most adults struggle to regenerate healthy heart tissue, leading to scar-tissue buildup and, often, heart failure. A new study in experimental animals reveals a critical difference in how macrophages —… Continue reading Born to heal: Why babies recover, but adults scar, after heart damage

4-1BB agonist targeted to fibroblast activation protein {alpha} synergizes with radiotherapy to treat murine breast tumor models

Background Ionizing radiation (IR) is a double-edged sword for immunotherapy as it may have both immunosuppressive and immunostimulatory effects. The biological effects of IR on the tumor microenvironment (TME) are a key factor for this balance. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is expressed on the surface of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in many cancer types and its… Continue reading 4-1BB agonist targeted to fibroblast activation protein {alpha} synergizes with radiotherapy to treat murine breast tumor models

AlbiCDN： Albumin-binding Amphiphilic STING Agonists Augments the Immune Activity for Cancer Immunotherapy

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) has been an attractive target in cancer immunother-apy. However, natural ligands cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and CDN derivatives have demonstrated limited efficacy in clinical trials. This limitation stems from the inherent structure of CDNs, which leads to enzymatic degradation, poor cell internalisation, rapid clearance from the tumour microenvironment, and dose-limiting toxicity.… Continue reading AlbiCDN： Albumin-binding Amphiphilic STING Agonists Augments the Immune Activity for Cancer Immunotherapy

Sex and outcomes of patients with microsatellite instability-high and BRAF V600E mutated metastatic colorectal cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the gold standard therapy in patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A significant proportion of patients show resistance, making the identification of determinants of response crucial. Growing evidence supports the role of sex in determining susceptibility to anticancer therapies, but data is lacking… Continue reading Sex and outcomes of patients with microsatellite instability-high and BRAF V600E mutated metastatic colorectal cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors

An unexpected mechanism regulates the immune response during parasitic infections

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that regulates the immune response against parasites. During a parasitic infection, specific immune cells, known as virtual memory T cells (TVM), become activated and express a surface molecule called CD22, which prevents an excessive immune reaction. This discovery could help in better-controlling inflammation and improving immune responses to… Continue reading An unexpected mechanism regulates the immune response during parasitic infections

Pancreatic cancer immune landscape reveals opportunities for personalized therapies

Pancreatic cancer patients may benefit from future precision treatments as a new study shows how some tumors may potentially be more susceptible to macrophage-based therapies. The study which is published in Nature Communications was led by Associate Professor Shivan Sivakumar from the University of Birmingham and Associate Professor Rachael Bashford-Rogers at the University of Oxford… Continue reading Pancreatic cancer immune landscape reveals opportunities for personalized therapies