New immunotherapy fights aging symptoms by clearing out defunct cells

Aging comes for us all – but perhaps the unpleasant symptoms don’t have to. In a new study, scientists may have found a kind of anti-aging immunotherapy, reinvigorating immune cells to better clear out defunct cells known to contribute to the aging pro… Continue reading New immunotherapy fights aging symptoms by clearing out defunct cells

Old diabetes drug given new life as potential cancer treatment

A new review article published in the journal Trends in Cancer is presenting a promising case for phenformin, an old diabetes drug related to metformin, being repurposed as an adjunct to new immunotherapy cancer treatments. A phase 1 clinical trial is … Continue reading Old diabetes drug given new life as potential cancer treatment

Landmark brain cancer vaccine passes first phase of human trials

A new article published in the journal Nature is reporting promising results from a landmark Phase 1 human trial testing a novel vaccine designed to help a patient’s immune system better target brain tumors. The data suggests the experimental vaccine i… Continue reading Landmark brain cancer vaccine passes first phase of human trials

Cancer immunotherapy adapted to fight dangerous fungal infections

Infections of Cryptococcus fungi are potentially fatal, because the immune system has a hard time fighting off the invaders. But in a new study, researchers have given it a helping hand, by adapting a cancer immunotherapy technique called CAR T cell th… Continue reading Cancer immunotherapy adapted to fight dangerous fungal infections

Reviving exhausted T cells gets them back in the fight against cancer

One of the most promising emerging cancer therapies is CAR T cell immunotherapy, where a patient’s own immune cells are supercharged to fight tumors. Now researchers have found a way to refresh exhausted immune cells and get them back into battle soone… Continue reading Reviving exhausted T cells gets them back in the fight against cancer

Personalized skin cancer vaccine demonstrates long-term effectiveness

New research published in the journal Nature is outlining the long-term efficacy of a novel type of cancer vaccine. The research followed eight skin cancer patients and discovered the experimental treatment offers durable and persistent immune response… Continue reading Personalized skin cancer vaccine demonstrates long-term effectiveness

Molecular “off” switch keeps cancer immunotherapy from turning deadly

One of the most promising cancer treatments is CAR T cell immunotherapy, where the body’s natural tumor-hunting cells are supercharged – but it can backfire with potentially deadly results. Now, scientists have engineered these immune cells to have off… Continue reading Molecular “off” switch keeps cancer immunotherapy from turning deadly

“Triple punch” immunotherapy puts Crohn’s disease into remission in mice

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel condition, and one suspected cause is the immune system launching an overly-strong response to gut microbes. Now researchers have developed a new kind of immunotherapy for Crohn’s that delivers a “triple punch” … Continue reading “Triple punch” immunotherapy puts Crohn’s disease into remission in mice

Engineered immune cells prevent type 1 diabetes in mouse study

Researchers at the University of Arizona have adapted a form of cancer immunotherapy to develop a new potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. In mouse studies, the team tweaked immune cells to fight off the rogue T cells that damage insulin-producing … Continue reading Engineered immune cells prevent type 1 diabetes in mouse study

Harvard study finds fatty diets may feed cancer and starve immune cells

Obesity has long been linked to cancer, but the complete picture still eludes scientists. Now, a new study from Harvard highlights some missing pieces of the puzzle, finding that cancer cells can use the higher fat availability to starve immune cells o… Continue reading Harvard study finds fatty diets may feed cancer and starve immune cells