Activated T cells that carry a certain marker protein on their surface are controlled by natural killer (NK) cells, another cell type of the immune system. In this way, the body presumably curbs destructive immune reactions. Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM) now discovered that NK cells can impair the effect of cancer therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in this way. They could also be responsible for the rapid decline of therapeutic CAR-T cells. Interventions in this mechanism could ...

PHILADELPHIA — (May 3, 2024) — The Wistar Institute assistant professor Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., and team, have discovered a key mechanism of how glioblastoma — a serious and often fatal brain cancer — suppresses the immune system so that the tumor can grow unimpeded by the body’s defenses. The lab’s discovery was published in the paper, “Glucose-driven histone lactylation promotes the immunosuppressive activity of monocyte-derived macrophages in glioblastoma,” in the journal Immunity. “Our study shows that the cellular mechanisms of cancer’s self-preservation, when sufficiently understood, can be used against the disease very effectively,” ...

Cambridge, Mass., – ADA Forsyth Institute (AFI) researchers received just under $10 million funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) during the federal fiscal year 2023, placing 4th nationally on NIDCR’s ranking list. “We have ranked in the top 5 dental institutions in 9 out of the past 10 years,” said Wenyuan Shi, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of AFI. “We have placed in the top 10 nationally every year since the ranking system began in 2002, despite having one of the smallest faculty ...

May 3, 2024—CHICAGO—The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is pleased to announce Judit K. Szabo, Ph.D., as the incoming editor-in-chief for its top-ranked journal, Ornithological Applications. Beginning on May 1, 2024, Szabo will work in partnership with the journal’s current editor-in-chief, Catherine Lindell, Ph.D., until June 30, 2024, and will take on full responsibility as editor-in-chief beginning on July 1, 2024. “With her international interest and network, conservation experience, and thoughtful approach ...

Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – New data from the Acute Pulmonary Embolism Extraction Trial with the AlphaVac System (APEX-AX) demonstrated that catheter-directed mechanical thrombectomy is safe and effective in patients with acute intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) with significant improvement in the right ventricle (RV) function and minimal major adverse events. The safety and efficacy results from the prospective trial were presented today as late-breaking science at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2024 Scientific Sessions.   Pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot that blocks and stops ...

Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – Late-breaking data from the ENGULF trial showed that a novel dual-action thrombectomy device was effective and safe in treating acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The safety and effectiveness results were presented today as late-breaking science at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2024 Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in JSCAI.   PE is a serious cardiovascular event where a blood clot causes issues with blood flow and oxygen levels in the lungs. It can be ...

Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – Recent findings from a study on a transcatheter heart valve (THV) system, which includes a new class of transcatheter aortic valve, showed positive results in the device's ability to function as a healthy and natural aortic valve in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). The late-breaking data will be presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2024 Scientific Sessions.   AS is a thickening and narrowing of the aortic valve that can reduce blood flow to ...

Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – Additional analysis from the SMall Annuli Randomized To Evolut or SAPIEN (SMART) study demonstrated clinical non-inferiority of self-expanding valves (SEV) versus balloon-expandable valves (BEV) in aortic stenosis patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and confirmed valve performance superiority over time based on hemodynamics. Data also showed similar positive results in two age groups (< or ≥ 80 years old). The late-breaking results were presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions ...

Study Title: Efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 versus ARPI change in taxane-naive patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by pre-randomization ARPI (PSMAfore) Publication: American Urological Association Annual Meeting Plenary, May 3, 2024 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute author: Xiao X. Wei, MD Summary: In a follow-on analysis of results from the phase 3 PSMAfore study, clinical investigators from Dana-Farber and elsewhere found that clinical outcomes consistently favored 177Lu-PSMA-617 over a change from one androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) to another, regardless of which ARPI patients received first. ...

Late-Breaking Data Shows Endovascular Therapy Results in One-Third Reduction in Post-Procedural Complications for Women with PAD   Women and Asian Americans Less Likely to Undergo Endovascular Revascularization for PAD Compared to Men and Other Races    Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – New clinical results highlight the need for inclusive approaches and comprehensive examinations of treatment options for peripheral artery disease (PAD), including endovascular therapy and revascularization. The data ...

Long Beach, Calif. – May 3, 2024 – New data from the REAL-PE analysis investigated catheter-based pulmonary embolism (PE) treatment, showing women and Black people were less frequently treated with minimally invasive therapy compared to men or non-Black patients. The late-breaking results were presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2024 Scientific Sessions.                                                                                                              ...

WASHINGTON (May 3, 2024) – Children with life-limiting rare diseases and their caregivers face tremendous stress and anxiety about the heart-breaking decisions before them. A new intervention – designed at Children’s National Hospital to support the palliative needs of these families – improved their spiritual and emotional well-being, according to new research published in the journal, Pediatrics.    Called FACE Rare (FAmily CEntered Pediatric Advance Care Planning Intervention for Rare Diseases), the counseling tools were found to be safe, effective and increased feelings of peace among families in this underserved ...

A research group at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Seville has made a significant advance by discovering the crucial role of the protein Galectin-3 in the progression of various types of brain tumours. In these tumours, the most abundant immune system cells, microglia and macrophages, overexpress Galectin-3, which creates an immunosuppressed environment which inhibits the action of other immune cells against cancer cells. In vitro findings have shown that specific inhibition of Galectin-3 in microglial cells promotes expression of proinflammatory markers and reverses the presence of key immunosuppressive ...

The University of Copenhagen is excited to announce Junevity as a Tier 3 Sponsor of the 11th Aging Research & Drug Discovery Meeting, the world's largest conference on aging research in the biopharmaceutical industry that will transpire on August 26 - August 30, 2024 on-site at the Ceremonial Hall, University of Copenhagen, and online. Junevity is rewinding diseases of aging with novel transcription factor medicines. Based on 6 years of breakthrough research at UCSF, Junevity's REWINDTM platform identifies new targets based on large-scale genomics, machine learning, and cell aging experiments. Junevity is advancing multiple therapeutic programs towards ...

Climate change will cause an increase in extreme winter storms combining strong winds and heavy rainfall over the UK and Ireland, new research has shown. The new study was led by experts at Newcastle University and the Met Office and investigated how future climate change may influence compound wind-rain extremes, which are events where extreme wind and rainfall occur simultaneously. The researchers analysed data from climate simulations covering control (1981-2000) and future (2060-2081) periods, ...

Researchers working on solutions for antifungal resistance are being encouraged to apply to a new £3.4 million fund led by the University of Exeter with UK government funding. The new fund, called FAILSAFE (Fungal AMR Innovations for LMICS: Solutions and Access For Everyone), is being launched by the University of Exeter’s MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, in partnership with the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF). Life-threatening fungal diseases take as many lives annually as TB or malaria, but the organisms ...

Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people, researchers report May 3 in the journal Current Biology. “With our genetic analysis we were able to identify red squirrels as the first ancient animal host of leprosy,” says senior author Verena Schuenemann of the University of Basel in Switzerland. “The medieval red squirrel strain we recovered is more closely related to medieval human strains from the same city than to strains isolated from infected ...

The first panoramic view of infection pathways in the human placenta has been created, which could highlight potential drug targets to develop pregnancy-safe therapies for malaria, toxoplasmosis and listeria, all diseases that can cause severe pregnancy complications.     Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge, the University of Dundee, and collaborators, used novel ‘mini placenta’ models to map the placental response to infections in early development. This ...

Researchers at the University of Basel and the University of Zurich have been able to prove that British squirrels carried leprosy bacteria as early as the Middle Ages. Further results revealed a link between the pathogens found in the medieval rodents and those in the local human population during that period. Skin spots, deformed noses, ulcers: leprosy, is an infectious disease that can bring about some serious symptoms. The bacterium responsible, Mycobacterium leprae, which still infects around 200,000 people each year especially in the Global South, also has a long history in Europe. The international research group led by paleogeneticist Professor Verena Schünemann ...

The Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, a philanthropically-funded science funding agency and think tank, is delighted to announce that Dr Pinar Emirdag has been appointed to the Institute’s Board of Directors. Emirdag, a financial services executive and entrepreneur, is currently director of Hupomone Ventures, having previously spearheaded industry-changing initiatives at institutions such as JP Morgan, Citi and the London Stock Exchange and at start-ups including Lava Trading and Clearmatics. FQxI’s Chief Operating Officer Kavita ...

A first-ever stretchy electronic skin could equip robots and other devices with the same softness and touch sensitivity as human skin, opening up new possibilities to perform tasks that require a great deal of precision and control of force. The new stretchable e-skin, developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, solves a major bottleneck in the emerging technology. Existing e-skin technology loses sensing accuracy as the material stretches, but that is not the case with this new version. "Much like human skin has to stretch and bend ...

A common challenge in shipping occurs when ships arrive promptly at their destination, only to find a crowded harbour. Subsequently, they are often required to wait outside the harbour or anchor until port services and a quayside become available. According to a report from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), it is not uncommon for ships to spend between 5-10% of their time waiting to enter port. Excessive speeds followed by extended waiting times with engines running result in a notable increase in fuel consumption. This is a problem that impacts both the climate and the economy. Several European universities, ports, shipping companies and technology firms have now joined forces ...

The interest in antimicrobial solutions for personal and multi-user touch screens, such as tablets and mobile devices, has grown in recent years. Traditional methods like sprayable alcohols or wipes are not ideal for these delicate displays. Antimicrobial coatings applied directly to the glass are a promising alternative, but only if they are transparent and long-lasting. Previous proposed coating solutions, such as photocatalytic metal oxides (e.g., TiO2 and ZnO), have posed some challenges. Additionally, these coatings typically require light and moisture to be antimicrobial and eliminate the microbes present on the surface. Copper ...

  The number of male students at the University of Oxford from elite schools declined significantly by the middle of the twentieth century, a new study shows. In contrast the proportion of female students remained steady. Those with fathers with professional jobs rose dramatically by the 1960s, according to the analysis. At the beginning of the century around 25 to 35 per cent had fathers in professional occupations. This had risen to around 50 per cent among those arriving at Oxford in the 1960s. The research, published in the journal Gender & History, was ...

A model charts the most cost-efficient path to a fully renewable electricity grid for Australia. Raheel Ahmed Shaikh and colleagues modeled possible scenarios for Australia’s eastern and western grids, using solar and wind generation, short-to-long-term energy storage, and financial input data to explore low-cost capacity mix. Going completely renewable would require significant expansion of both generation and storage. Interconnecting the two grids would reduce generation capacity needs by 6% and storage power capacity needs by 14%. The least cost renewable-only grid would be dominated by wind, ...