T Cell News and Research

Latest T Cell News and Research

COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the importance of airborne transmission of respiratory viruses

SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind today's global coronavirus pandemic, spreads primarily by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols at both short and long ranges - and a comprehensive new assessment of respiratory viruses finds that many others probably do as well.

27 Aug 2021

Researchers convert human stem cells into beta cells using small molecules

The human body can be genetically inclined to attack its own cells, destroying the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin, which helps convert sugar into energy.

27 Aug 2021

Migraine-inducing peptides may protect against diabetes by influencing insulin production

People who get migraines are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, while some people who develop diabetes become less prone to migraines.

26 Aug 2021

UZH and Airbus aim to grow three-dimensional organ-like tissues in microgravity

UZH Space Hub and Airbus Defence and Space are sending an experiment into space on the next resupply flight to the International Space Station (ISS) with the aim of advancing the industrial production of human tissue in microgravity.

26 Aug 2021

Researchers reveal mechanism underlying most common cause of epileptic seizures

During fetal development, cells should migrate to the outer edge of the brain to form critical connections for information transfer and regulation in the body.

26 Aug 2021

Restoring DAXX protein levels may prevent misfolding of rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer's

For the first time, Penn Medicine researchers showed how restoring levels of the protein DAXX and a large group of similar proteins prevents the misfolding of the rogue proteins known to drive Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, as well as certain mutations that contribute to cancers.

26 Aug 2021

Oral mucosa identified as potential target for SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study suggested that ACE2 receptors are expressed in oral tissues, making the oral cavity an important potential entry point of SARS-CoV-2.

26 Aug 2021

Migraines may hold the key to new treatment for diabetes

The mechanistic association between migraines and type 2 diabetes reveals a new approach to treat diabetes.

26 Aug 2021

The influence of COVID-19 on platelet activation and aggregation

In a paper recently uploaded to the bioRxiv* preprint server, humanized ACE2 mice are infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and platelets are subsequently isolated from the blood for quantitative proteomic analysis.

26 Aug 2021

Scientists assess SARS-CoV-2 mutants in ferret hosts

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by the cause of SARS-CoV-2 mutations observed in mink and ferrets is investigated, and the danger posed by such mutations to humans assessed.

26 Aug 2021

Brain organoids provide a valuable model to study autism

Variations in the 16p11.2 region of the genome are associated with autism spectrum disorder. While people with genetic deletions in this region have larger heads (macrocephaly) and people with genetic duplications have smaller heads (microcephaly), both variation types affect brain development and function.

26 Aug 2021

Review highlights similarities between long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome

A team of researchers, including two from Johns Hopkins Medicine, have published a review article highlighting similarities between certain lingering symptoms following COVID-19 illness — a condition called "long COVID" — and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating, complex disorder previously known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

26 Aug 2021

Stiffening of heart’s blood vessels associated with lack of enzyme that fosters cell ‘chatter’

In a study in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have found that the smooth muscle cells lining the walls of blood vessels can lose their elasticity and lead to vascular stiffening, a condition that can precede heart disease and stroke.

26 Aug 2021

Studies offer insight into how the human body develops and acquires mutations throughout life

New insights into how the human body develops from one cell into trillions, and the genetic mutations that cells pick up along the way, have been generated by two studies from scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and their collaborators.

26 Aug 2021

Study unravels widespread tumor suppression mechanism that halts cancer metastasis

According to a study by The Wistar Institute, the tumor suppressor Parkin, whose levels are reduced in different cancer types, causes acute metabolic and oxidative stress, suppresses mitochondrial trafficking, and blocks tumor cell movement, reducing primary and metastatic tumor growth.

26 Aug 2021

Could soluble CD24 offer some hope against severe COVID-19?

A recent randomized phase III trial conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, US, evaluated the impact of CD24Fc in severe COVID-19 patients and showed promising clinical efficacy. This study is available as a preprint on the medRxiv* server.

26 Aug 2021

SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant increased COVID-19 severity in Scotland's 3rd wave

A team of UK-based scientists has recently revealed that the alpha variant (B.1.1.7) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the third pandemic wave in Scotland and that the variant is associated with more severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

25 Aug 2021

An existing drug may function as targeted therapy for ALL in children

A new study from Linköping University has shown that the tumour-inhibiting gene TET2 is silenced in a large fraction of cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children.

25 Aug 2021

MSK researchers identify potential biomarker of response to checkpoint immunotherapy

In recent years, immune-based treatments for cancer have buoyed the hopes of doctors and patients alike. Drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors have provided lifesaving benefits to a growing list of people with several types of cancer, including melanoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, and many more.

25 Aug 2021

CIRM approves a trio of awards for new stem cell-based projects

The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has approved a trio of awards, totaling approximately $4 million, to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers to advance studies of new stem cell-based treatments for multiple types of cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

25 Aug 2021