Category Biology/Biotechnology

CAR T-cell therapy is an immune-reprogramming procedure that turns a patient’s own immune cells into cancer-fighting specialists. The entire process is complex, but researchers have now found a faster way to achieve similar effects using a single intravenous (IV) drip of a harmless engineered virus.

In the standard process, clinicians extract T cells from the patient’s blood, then re-engineer them in the lab, arming each one with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)—engineered proteins designed to recognize specific markers on cancer cells...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have uncovered a critical biological mechanism that helps explain how inflammation is triggered and sustained in a wide range of diseases—highlighting a promising avenue for future therapeutic development.

The study, published in PLOS One, identified human resistin as a central driver of immune system activation. Researchers found that this protein plays a key role in turning on a powerful inflammatory pathway known as the NLRP3 inflammasome, which has been linked to numerous health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and autoimmune disorders.

“Chronic inflammation plays a role in everything from heart disease to autoimmune disorders, yet the underlying triggers have remained unclear,” said...

Metformin, a widely prescribed, safe and inexpensive drug for type 2 diabetes, is a first-line treatment that lowers blood sugar and improves the body’s response to insulin. The drug appears to trick cells into sensing an energy shortage, similar to what happens during fasting or dieting. This activates a key cellular energy sensor called AMPK, which helps trigger cellular waste cleanup and supports cellular repair. Now, a recent review suggests metformin might also help counter some effects of aging.

The researchers compiled decades of global research, from cellular and molecular studies to animal and human studies, to provide a comprehensive, unified picture of how metformin might affect aging and longevity...

The neuroactive potential of bacteria living in the human gut is associated with levels of key chemicals in the brain, according to a new study published in Molecular Psychiatry. The research team from the University of Surrey and the University of Roehampton found that microbial pathways involved in producing and breaking down neuroactive compounds were associated with levels of GABA and glutamate in specific regions of the human brain.

GABA and glutamate are two of the brain’s most important chemical messengers. GABA predominantly dampens neural activity, while glutamate promotes excitation...